( CNN ) -- Outside of superheroes , young adult adaptations have become one of the few thing studios can count on . From the `` Twilight '' series ( $ 3.3 billion earned globally ) to `` Harry Potter '' ( $ 7.7 billion total ) to `` The Hunger Games '' ( $ 1.5 billion worldwide so far ) , franchises based on popular books made for adolescents have turned into a safer gamble . With the alluring promise of an eager , built-in fanbase , even stand-alone YA adaptations -- like `` The Fault In Our Stars , '' which opened at No . 1 in June -- hold the potential to be deliciously lucrative . Taking stock of the studio landscape , it is n't too surprising that `` The Giver 's '' moment at the movies has finally come to pass . Based on Lois Lowry 's best-selling , award-winning 1993 novel , `` The Giver '' actually struggled to make it into production , being ahead of its time with dystopian themes of an all-controlling government and a young boy who begins to rebel against it . That sounds de rigueur now , but in the '90s the book 's popularity was only eclipsed by its reputation among some as too disturbing for the classroom . Lowry 's story follows a 12-year-old named Jonas who is raised in what he believes is a utopia , a place where conformity is n't an option and being different can cost you your life . The residents ' world is void of color and strong emotion , but they also do n't suffer from war or pain , and have no memories to remind them of what they 're missing . Grownups : Do n't be ashamed of your YA habit . When Jonas is elected to become the Receiver of Memory , he learns from The Giver -- the wizened , silver-haired gentleman seen gazing out from the book cover -- all that 's amiss in his world . Lowry 's tale resonated with actor Jeff Bridges upon its release , and he initially pictured his father , Lloyd Bridges , playing the role of The Giver . But Bridges ' road to getting the movie made turned out to be longer than he thought . According to Lowry , Bridges and his team first approached her about two years after `` The Giver '' was published . `` He was passionate about the book , '' Lowry said at the movie 's August 11 premiere in New York . `` What sold me on it was his passion . I knew he would n't let the themes and ideas of the books be lost . '' A brief history of young adult literature . But the actor 's passion had to sustain him for 18 years as he lost the movie rights and regained them again . `` Originally I wanted to direct my father in the movie , and he is no longer with us , '' Bridges said of his dad , who died in 1998 . `` But I was originally inspired by this old grisly guy on the cover of Lowry 's book , and more and more I started to look like this old , grizzled guy , '' the now-64-year-old continued . `` And I thought , 'Oh , maybe I can play this part , ' so I 'm just thrilled we put together this wonderful team and after 18 years we finally got it up on screen . '' With Bridges installed as The Giver , the movie tapped Australian actor Brenton Thwaites to play Jonas , who in the movie is already a teenager rather than on the cusp of becoming one . Young adult books that changed our lives . Jonas ' older age is one of the tweaks the movie adaptation made to accommodate the story for the screen . For critics , the movie has n't exactly lived up to the book , but for Lowry the movie 's right on time . `` If they had made the movie 20 years ago , or even 18 years ago when they first optioned it , many things could n't have happened , '' Lowry said . `` Jeff Bridges was n't old enough to play the title role . Some of the kids in the movie were n't even born and the technology was n't as good . They made a better movie because they waited . '' CNN 's Lorenza Brascia and Joan Yeam contributed to this report .
With young adult movies being popular , the spotlight now belongs to ` ` The Beast '' The 1993 novel was a controversial best - seller in its day . Alan Bennett , who was among its writers , saw it through to production across 18 countries .