The 2010s saw a surge in movie adaptations of young adult (YA) books. Following the success of Harry Potter and Twilight, several franchises took off, including The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent. However, not all YA adaptations were successful. Some notable examples include The Host, Mortal Engines, The 5th Wave, and Beautiful Creatures.
On the other end of the spectrum was Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, which fell short of the Harry Potter franchise but outperformed others in its category. Although it suffered from underdeveloped supporting characters and some distracting cameos, the film excelled as a world-builder with numerous references to iconic 1980s movies and TV shows.
The movie’s success can be attributed to its expansive scope, which allowed for a large cast of pop culture icons. Notable cameos included Ryu from Street Fighter, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and even He-Man. The film also showcased up-and-coming stars like Mckenna Grace and Letitia Wright.
Despite its initial success, the sequel Ready Player Two received negative reviews, leaving fans hoping that a future adaptation will stray far from the original book’s poor reputation.
Source: https://comicbook.com/movies/feature/8-years-ago-an-unfilmable-sci-fi-book-became-a-movie-with-a-stunning-amount-of-cameos