Do you remember The Hunger Games craze? When everyone fought over the famous love triangle, and fans of the trilogy eagerly awaited the next film? Well, the fandom and craze is experiencing a resurgence, so it might be time to rewatch The Hunger Games movies in order.
The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, who voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
The widely adored and critically acclaimed The Hunger Games movies celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022. The dystopian franchise that turned Jennifer Lawrence into a mega-star for her role as heroine Katniss Everdeen is based on the trilogy of the same name by Suzanne Collins.
As one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time, The Hunger Games trilogy is still beloved all these years later. It is also gaining hype again with the publication of the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The film adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is imminent, which means it’s time for a movie marathon! So, here’s a list of how to watch The Hunger Games movies in order, including how to read The Hunger Games trilogy and prequel in order. But, if you want to learn a little bit more about the popular book series, you can check out our article all about the books.
The Hunger Games Movies in Order
- The Hunger Games (2012)
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 (2014)
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 (2015)
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Expected: 2023)
Do you have to watch The Hunger Games movies in order?
Since each movie follows the same characters and the storyline picks up from the end of the previous film, it is essential to watch The Hunger Games movies in order.
When will The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie premiere?
The full trailer for the highly-anticipated prequel adaptation dropped in April 2023 alongside the promise of a November premiere. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will hit theatres on November 17, 2023.
The trailer has fans squealing in delight at the parallels the prequel will seemingly draw to the original movies. It was enough to even garner the attention and excitement of Sam Claflin on his social media. Claflin is still Finnick Odair in the hearts of many.
The similarities between the prequel and the original four movies make sense when you examine the production team. The composer for the original films, James Newtown Howard, has returned for the prequel. This lends the prequel that same haunting, atmospheric sound.
The director of Catching Fire and both Mockingjay movies, Francis Lawrence, has also returned. He promises that this adaptation will be the longest-running yet.
Tom Blyth will star as the young Coriolanus Snow. His portrayal promises to have fans struggling to reconcile with who we know he will become, while feeling sympathy for this younger version.
Starring opposite Blyth will be Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12 in the 10th Annual Hunger Games. Also joining the cast will be Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage.
Are The Hunger Games movies based on a book?
The Hunger Games movies are based on The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The first book in the young adult dystopian trilogy was published in 2008, following Katniss Everdeen as she navigates a deadly survival game.
The trilogy was well-received and critically acclaimed, surpassing the Harry Potter series on Amazon’s top seller list in 2012. Before that, in November 2008, The Hunger Games landed on the New York Times best seller list, where it stayed for one hundred consecutive weeks.
It’s a timeless series, still well-loved and recommended throughout the book community today. Known for its world-building, love triangle, and addictive quality, The Hunger Games trilogy is not to be missed.
The Hunger Games Books in Publication Order
- The Hunger Games (2008)
- Catching Fire (2009)
- Mockingjay (2010)
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
The Hunger Games Books in Chronological Order
Why was Mockingjay split into two movies?
Just as with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay was split into two films. The quickest and most straightforward answer to why the production company split Mockingjay into two movies is as simple as saying that two films make more money than one.
The Hunger Games (2012) nearly grossed $700 million, while The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) set the record for the biggest opening weekend in November. With the franchise’s rise in popularity, by dividing The Hunger Games: Mockingjay into two movies, filmmakers stood to make nearly $2 billion. Unfortunately, the return at the box office did drop by the second installment, but the two films still garnered $1.4 billion collectively.
Monetary reasons aside, Lionsgate also split the movie in two for freedom and creativity purposes. The director, Francis Lawrence, was quoted saying, “Mockingjay Part 1 was much more political, more internal,” while Mockingjay Part 2 was “much more about war [and] the consequence of war.”
With the split, writers could explore more of the beloved novel and its characters in depth. As most films try to avoid running longer than two and a half hours, fans can enjoy one of their favourite adaptations fully fleshed out.
The Hunger Games Book Series
1. The Hunger Games
Could you survive on your own in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, which is a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.
2. Catching Fire
Sparks are igniting. Flames are spreading. And the Capitol wants revenge.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be happy. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. But nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be.
Gale holds her at an icy distance. Meanwhile, Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And then there are the whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol — a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely sure she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are sickeningly in love with each other, the consequences will be horrifying.
3. Mockingjay
My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped; Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. But District 13 really does exist. There are rebels, there are new leaders, and a revolution is unfolding.
It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans — except Katniss.
The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay — regardless of the personal cost.
4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He has the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute…and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
One thought on “The Hunger Games Movies in Order by Suzanne Collins”
Just finished the book (literally two minutes ago) so ofc I had to run to this trailer. I’m very excited but a little worried, just because of how vital Snow’s inner monologe is in the book. It’s crazy how often I found myself root for him and then snap out of it, at least until the last third of the book. But even then, some of his interactions were still morally “good”. Crazy good writing tbh. everyone’s a good guy in their own mind and Collins captured that mental divide between Snow’s actions and his thought patterns perfectly. So i hope they find a way to play card game in the uno online