Every Movie in This Hunger Games Replacement Franchise Is About To Leave Netflix

2010s cinema was dominated by YA franchises, and The Hunger Games led the charge. The movie adaptations of Suzanne Collins’ book series of the same name achieved huge box office success, captured the cultural zeitgeist of the decade, and sparked a massive wave in the YA dystopian genre. Many other adaptations attempted to replicate the film series’ success, including a $949 million Hunger Games replacement that is about to leave Netflix.

Netflix subscribers have just a week left to stream the Maze Runner franchise. The three-movie adaptation of James Dashner’s novels of the same name launched in 2014, just a year before the final film in the original Hunger Games saga, and is set in a postapocalyptic future. The movies star Dylan O’Brien as Thomas, a teen who finds himself trapped in the middle of an intricate and ever-changing maze. All three films – The Maze Runner, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and Maze Runner: The Death Cure – are scheduled to stop streaming on Netflix on January 9th.

The Maze Runner Is One of the Best YA Dystopian Franchises

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The Maze Runner seemed like a shoe-in replacement for The Hunger Games. Based on a popular young adult book series and featuring young protagonists in dystopian futures rebelling against an oppressive authority, the film series tapped into all that fans loved about The Hunger Games, but it failed to match the cultural impact. Although a financial success, the movies have gone down as a massively underrated franchise, despite being one of the best.

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The premise of the story alone is a brilliant hook, and the first film drops the audience into the world of the Glade with as little information as Thomas, allowing viewers to unravel the mystery and experience the heart-stopping thrills right alongside the characters. Taking on a darker, grittier tone than some other YA adaptations at the time and raising the danger with each subsequent installment, the movies are incredibly tense and action-packed. The movies also do an incredible job at world-building, expanding beyond the giant maze in the first film to post-apocalyptic cities in later installments, all brought to life with impressive set pieces and special effects.

While the franchise has mostly been overshadowed by other YA franchises of the time, it is about to get a second chance in the spotlight. In May 2024, it was announced that 20th Century Studios was rebooting the franchise with a new installment, with Ball returning as a producer. Few details have been released since, and rather than being a remake or a direct sequel, the upcoming movie is described as a continuation of the story that brings back elements from the first movie.

Where to Stream The Maze Runner Franchise After It Leaves Netflix?

The Maze Runner franchise is about to get lost in the ever-changing maze of the streaming landscape. Of the three movies, only one will be available to stream following the franchise’s Netflix exit on January 9th. On January 1st, the original The Maze Runner film started streaming on Peacock, but neither The Scorch Trials nor The Death Cure joined it, and neither is available outside of Netflix.

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