the hunger games movie assignment

The New York Times

The learning network | the odds ever in your favor: ideas and resources for teaching ‘the hunger games’.

The Odds Ever in Your Favor: Ideas and Resources for Teaching ‘The Hunger Games’

Updated | May 16, 2012

If you’re like many of the students who post on The Learning Network , you won’t have to consult the Movies section to answer the question, “When will the first film in the ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy come out?” (March 23. But you already knew that, right?)

These dystopian young-adult novels, which have “pretty much owned” The Times’s children’s series bestseller list for a year and a half, have, like the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series before them, enthralled fans of all ages and backgrounds.

Many educators see them as a way to both excite avid readers and hook reluctant ones, and have devised imaginative ways to teach with them already .

Below, our own Times-inspired ideas, some of which were contributed by “Hunger Games” enthusiast and Learning Network college intern Lily Altavena, who also scoured the Web for wonderful fan-created art and writing and other resources that might inspire.

Are your students obsessed? How do you teach these novels? Tell us below.

Who is Katniss?

She has been called “the most important female character in recent pop culture history,” but who is Katniss? Why is she so fascinating — to people of all ages and both genders? (According to this teacher , her male students argued for days over who had the best chance of getting a date with her.) What qualities allow her to prevail in such a brutal world, yet remain sympathetic to readers?

Fans hotly debated the casting of Jennifer Lawrence. How do you feel?

In this article she describes why she took the part:

“I thought, ‘If this is going to be the thing I’m most known for, I want it to be something I’m proud of.’ If someone comes up to me and says, ‘Are you Katniss?’ I’m O.K. with that. Because I love this character and this book so much.” She also worried about what might otherwise happen to Katniss. “I was hoping and praying that if I didn’t play the part, they wouldn’t make her into a bad-ass girl who can kill anyone,” she said. “Because I think it’s a much sadder story. Katniss doesn’t have any time to think. She feels like she can die at any second. She’s vulnerable, and she doesn’t want to have to kill, but she’s also a hero.”

Do you think Ms. Lawrence got Katniss right?

(For more on Katniss, read “A Radical Female Hero From Dystopia.” )

From Hester to Hermione: Best Female Characters

In 2010, Katie Roiphe wrote a review of “Mockingjay” that described Katniss as “a great character without being exactly likable”:

Katniss is bossy, moody, bratty, demanding, prickly. She treats the world with an explosive aggression that is a little out of the ordinary, to say the least…In short, she belongs to a recent tribe of popular heroines: the small, difficult teenage girl who manifests enormous physical and moral strength. She is both murderer and victim, somehow representing female strength and female vulnerability all mingled and entwined, dangerously, ambiguously, into one. She is Pippi Longstocking. She is the girl with the dragon tattoo. She is mesmerizing.

Who are your favorite female characters from literature? What do they have in common? Are the best not “exactly likable”? Make a list, then see how it stacks up to lists like this one. You might then create a female-character tournament bracket to battle it out for Best, or write the script for a fantasy talk show in which several of these characters get together to talk about their physical, moral, intellectual and romantic challenges.

Suzanne Collins’s Influences and Sources

In “Suzanne Collins War Stories for Kids,” Susan Dominus reports that Ms. Collins’s primary influence was Greek mythology, especially the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, in which the people of Athens are required by their Cretan adversaries to offer up seven boys and seven girls for sacrifice to the deadly Minotaur, a half-human monster who lives in a maze.

“I was also heavily influenced by the historical figure Spartacus,” Ms. Collins says in the piece. “Katniss follows the same arc from slave to gladiator to rebel to face of a war.” Ms. Collins’s father, who served in Vietnam, often took the family to visit battlefields, and recited poems like the World War I classic “In Flanders Field,” also deeply influenced her.

Read Ms. Dominus’s piece, and watch some of the interviews with Ms. Collins that Scholastic has posted, then identify places in the novels where you see evidence of some of these influences. How does “The Hunger Games” tell the mythic tale of a hero’s journey? What novels or nonfiction pieces have you read about war, and to what extent does “The Hunger Games” fit that genre? What do you think of Ms. Collins’s assertion that the death of certain popular characters “have to be” since “This is not a fairy tale; it’s a war, and in war, there are tragic losses that must be mourned”?

War … and the High School Cafeteria

Laura Miller, writing in The New Yorker, suggested that “The Hunger Games” can be read as “a fever-dream allegory of the adolescent social experience” in which there is pressure to conform and vie for popularity. In Susan Dominus’s article , however, Ms. Collins says she rejects that theory: “I don’t write about adolescence,” she says. “I write about war. For adolescents.”

Do you see parallels between the world of the “Hunger Games” and the world of your high school? How might you transform details from your everyday life into a dystopian fantasy? For inspiration, check out what the student writers on Figment have done.

From Reality TV to the Panem Arena

Collins has said that the premise for “The Hunger Games” came to her one evening when she was channel-surfing and flipped from a reality-television competition to footage from the war in Iraq. An overt critique of violence, the series makes warfare deeply personal, forcing readers to contemplate their own roles as desensitized voyeurs.

–From Suzanne Collins’s War Stories for Kids

In how many ways are the Hunger Games of the novels and today’s reality shows similar? Do you recognize some of your own reactions when you watch elimination games like “Survivor” or “American Idol” in the reactions of viewers to the Hunger Games? (As Charles McGrath put it in an essay about the wide appeal of this trilogy, “We like for there to be winners, but even more we love for there to be losers, as long as they’re not us.”)

How is reality TV changing our world? Why do we like reality shows so much? In general, do you think your generation is significantly more desensitized to violence because of the availability of violent images on television and the Internet?

As a thought experiment, try choosing a real person participating in a reality TV elimination game and write an imagined diary entry that tells, Katniss-style, how he or she really feels about the contest.

Delineating Dystopias

Many readers — and perhaps all English teachers — see strong echoes of other dystopian literature in “The Hunger Games,” whether classroom staples like Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” and novels like “1984,” “Brave New World,” “Farenheit 451″ and “Lord of the Flies,” or contemporary fiction like Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale.”

One obvious idea: an essay or infographic comparing “The Hunger Games” with one or more of these other works. Less obvious ideas: A student-created library display headlined “If You Liked ‘The Hunger Games,’ You’ll Love…” with student-created book jackets advertising both classics and current young-adult and adult fiction with similar themes; a school-wide dystopian fiction trivia game; or a dystopian-fiction version of the “tape a name on your forehead” game .

For help, you might consult our lesson plan, Dark Materials: Reflecting on Dystopian Themes in Young Adult Literature

Hunger Games Art and Simulations

Via teacher Tracee Orman’s site, hungergameslesson.com, and her related Pinterest board , neither of which are affiliated with the novels or film, you can find a great deal of student (and adult) Hunger-Game-themed art that might inspire your own projects.

There are examples of Hunger Games propaganda posters , dioramas , Tribute and District Cards , maps of the arena, pictures of original “Capitol-Created Muttations” and even student-choreographed modern dances .

Some schools are so Hunger-Game-enamored that they have staged versions of the Games themselves. At River Bend Middle School , laser tag stands in for more deadly games. Students at Colorado State University use pool noodles, hula-hoops and water balloons, and at the Bristol Eastern High School library competitors decorate cakes and take geography tests.

From Novel to Film

In general, have you been satisfied by film translations of novels you have loved? What are the best examples you can think of? The worst? To what extent does seeing film versions replace the images you’ve built up in your own imagination while reading?

Watch the “Hunger Games” film trailer, posted above. Judging from it, how well do you think the film will capture the tone, characters, setting and spirit of the book? Next, read about all the ways in which the film’s producer, director and star hope to “honor what the book is about” in the film version. If you could have given the cast and crew “notes” about the book before they began the film, what would you have wanted to tell them? What scenes, characters, lines of dialogue and description do you think are essential? What do’s, and don’ts, would you have suggested for making the book into a movie? Why?

To go further, try “translating” a scene into film yourself, whether simply by storyboarding a pivotal moment or by doing what these fans did and creating your own trailer. What aspects translate easily to film? What aspects resist the medium? What tricks might you use to translate Katniss’s unspoken thoughts and emotions in the novel to film?

Mastering Real-Life Skills

Research one of the skills Katniss and the other contestants must rely on to survive, whether hunting, archery, identifying edible plants, basic first aid, camouflage or anything else. Videotape a tutorial to teach others your age “how to.” Do you think people today still need these kinds of skills? Why or why not?

Or, do what this school does and create a field day with training games and skill stations — though we don’t, of course, recommend making one of them hand-to-hand combat.

Telling the Story From a New Point of View

A classic English-class exercise, the point of view piece asks writers to re-imagine a story from the perspective a new narrator. To start, brainstorm three lists: Who else could tell the story (anyone from Prim to Peeta to an anonymous viewer in the Capitol); When in the plot you might set the new piece (Before the first novel begins? After the last one ends? In a “missing chapter” never published?); and How , or in what format, you might write the piece (Letter? Poem? Obituary? Facebook update?). Then, choose one option from each column and write. (For instance, if you choose “Katniss’s father” “before the books begin” and “diary entry,” you might write a diary entry from his point of view that express feelings about his family, or working in the mines.) When everyone in the class has finished, take turns reading them aloud and have listeners guess from whose point of view the new piece is written.

Panem on Social Media

As we’ve suggested in other lesson plans , using Twitter and Facebook can be make for engaging projects for studying literary works (or historical events ).

Set up a class “Hunger Games” Twitter account like, for example, the Royal Shakespeare Company recently did to tell the story of Romeo and Juliet , and tweet from different character’s points of view. Or create real, or fake, Facebook pages for the various characters. You might even consider creating Pinterest boards for each character or district, finding images that symbolize aspects of each. How would the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale play out on these platforms?

(Or, go old-school and send a snail-mail postcard from a character in the Arena back to the home district.)

Debating Big Questions

In “The Kids’ Books Are Alright,” Pamela Paul talks about an adult reading group devoted to “kidlit” and comprised of many well-known writers, book editors and agents:

“We take these books seriously,” said [Lev] Grossman, whose latest novel, “The Magicians,” has been described as an R-rated Harry Potter. His group recently devoted two sessions — “among the most contentious and shouty we’ve had” — to “The Hunger Games.” Is Katniss a feminist hero? Is she a tool of the state? Is this a conventional romance or a subversion of the genre? “Everybody had an opinion,” Grossman added.

What big questions — about the characters, or about violence, survival, poverty, politics, power, authority, entertainment, celebrity, love, family, loyalty, leadership, male and female roles, good and evil, or anything else — does this book raise for you? Brainstorm a list with others, and then choose one broad question or theme that interests you to explore beyond the books themselves. How is this question or theme present in other works of literature or film? How do you see it resonate in the real world? You might read a week’s-worth of The New York Times to see how many articles and essays you can find in which the same issues are explored. At the end, write an I-Search paper documenting your quest and what you discovered along the way. Or, choose one question as a class, investigate it together, then stage a debate about it.

“Hunger Games” and Other Challenged Books

“Hunger Games” appears on the A.L.A.’s top-10 most-challenged books lists from both 2010 and 2011 . We have many, many ideas for celebrating banned books, but here is a simple one: If your school district challenged “The Hunger Games,” what case could you make for it? Consider creating a book club, library display, or social media campaign around this book and others on the list (“Brave New World” and “Twilight” also appear) in time for September’s Banned Books Week.

Helping the World Fixes, a Times blog that looks at solutions to social problems, has a post about how fans of YA fiction are helping to change the world :

[Andrew] Slack, who started out as a comedian, founded the Harry Potter Alliance [and] has motivated Potterphiles to send five cargo planes with $123,000 worth of relief supplies to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, donate more than 88,000 books across the world, raise awareness about net neutrality and genocide and make forays into politics — taking on Maine’s 2009 ballot initiative that sought to repeal same sex marriage.

Now, through their “Hunger is Not a Game” social campaign , done in collaboration with Oxfam, they are hoping to get “Hunger Games” fans involved.

What “fan activism” would you be willing to participate in? How can you “think global, act local” by taking a large problem and doing something immediate in your community to help? You might borrow strategies these key strategies from the Harry Potter Alliance:

There are a few key strategies that make fan activist campaigns like The Harry Potter Alliance successful: invest deeply in the literary themes, prize weirdness, honor the power of cohesive online communities and link to larger organizations that can implement the big ideas of plot-fueled real world advocacy. It’s essential that fans see their own power, or as Slack puts it, “We all yearn to be told we are magical.”

“Hunger Games” Science:

What lessons can we learn about genetically engineered organisms from the example of the jabberjay? In our “Hunger Games”-inspired science lesson , students discuss the definition of genetically modified organisms, learn about the risks and benefits of research on G.M.O.’s, explore the growing do-it-yourself biology movement, and develop proposals seeking to either restrict or permit research into genetically modifying the avian flu virus.

Resources From The Times, The Learning Network and the Web

Articles and Opinion Pieces From The New York Times

Stanley Fish | Staging the Self: ‘The Hunger Games’

“Hunger Games” Movie Review | The Fight of Her Life

Manohla Dargis and A.O.Scott | A Radical Female Hero From Dystopia

Suzanne Collins’s War Stories for Kids A 2011 Magazine piece about Suzanne Collins, the trilogy, its fans and more

‘Hunger Games’ Fans Camp Out for a Glimpse of the Stars Arts Beat blog post from March 20, 2012

Peer Pressure? How About, Like, Fighting to Death? A March, 2012 article about the making of the first “Hunger Games” movie

How ‘Hunger Games’ Built Up Must-See Fever March, 2012 article about the social marketing and other online techniques Lionsgate used to excite fans

Inside the List: The Hunger Games A Feb., 2012 piece looking at the continuing popularity of the trilogy on the New York Times Bestseller lists.

Room for Debate | The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction Seven experts discuss the dystopian trend in young adult literature

Room for Debate | The Power of Young Adult Fiction Seven experts on the popularity of the genre

No More Adventures in Wonderland 2011 Op-Ed piece about the savagery in current children’s literature.

The Kids’ Books Are All Right An essay about why middle-aged readers are reading books like “The Hunger Games”

Teenage Wastelands A 2011 essay about young adult dystopias, focusing on “The Hunger Games”

Scary New World John Green reviews “The Hunger Games” in 2008

Constant Craving Gabrielle Zevin reviews “Catching Fire” in 2009

Survivor Katie Roiphe reviews “Mockingjay” in 2010

Lessons and More From The Learning Network

Fill-In | “Hunger Games” Fan Mania Fill in the 30 blanks in this article about fans camping out to meet the “Hunger Games” actors.

Lesson Plan | Dark Materials: Reflecting on Dystopian Themes in Young Adult Literature

Lesson Plan | 10 Ways to Use The New York Times for Teaching Literature

Lesson Plan | Big Brother vs. Little Brother: Updating Orwell’s ’1984’

Student Opinion Question | What Are Your Favorite Young Adult Novels?

Student and Teacher Survey | What You’re Reading This Summer: The Results of Our Survey (2011)

Resources From Around the Web

Suzanne Collins’s Web Site

Scholastic Video Interviews | Suzanne Collins

Scholastic U.K. site | The Hunger Games

Scholastic U.S. site | The Hunger Games

HungerGamesMovie.org

Scholastic Discussion Guide (PDF): The Hunger Games Triology

HungerGamesLessons.com

Hunger Names: Find out your district, name and fate in the arena

The Hunger Games and World Food Programme

The Harry Potter Alliance’s Imagine Better Project to Fight Hunger

Figment | Would You Survive The Hunger Games?

The Awl | What If The Hunger Games Were Real?

The Muppets | “Hunger Games” Parody

Vulture | Play ‘Spot the Difference’ With The Hunger Games!

The New Yorker | Counterinsurgency and “The Hunger Games”

“Hunger Games” Fan Art From Around the Web

YouTube | Fan-Made Hunger Games Trailer

Figment | Hunger Games Playlist

Audio Drama | The Katniss Chronicles

Deviant Art | “The Hunger Games”

YouTube | Hunger Games Flame Nail Art How-To

YouTube | Hunger Games Lego Trailer

YouTube | Dress as Katniss For Halloweeen

100 Things To Do Before Hunger Games

Hunger Games Reader Podcast

My Hunger Games | Fan Art

Audition Call for The Hunger Games Musical Online

Welcome To District 12 | A Visual Aid of the Arena

Figment | Original Student Writing Tagged “Dystopia”

Fan Site | Down With the Capitol

Podcast | The Hunger Games Fireside Chat

Fan Site | mockingjay.net

You Tube | Hunger Games Trailer Spoof

Want more resources like this for other, often-taught writers and books? We have them on J.K. Rowling, Shakespeare , J.D. Salinger , John Steinbeck , Harper Lee , Homer , F. Scott Fitzgerald , Mark Twain , Mary Shelley , Arthur Miller , William Golding and Charles Dickens .

Who else would you like to see us feature?

Comments are no longer being accepted.

It’s hero/ine journey – go see it explained well in the context of film at //www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Katherine and Lily-

Wonderful resource. One of my SAT Prep students used Hunger on a recent SAT Essay. Quite successfully.

I have posted a link on my Facebook Timeline:

//Www.facebook.com/selectprep

Great resource! We have a Hunger Games lesson for SMART Notebook on our site: //www.teq.com/blog/2012/04/teaching-the-hunger-games/

The lesson is aligned to the Common Core Standards, contains interactive activities on vocabulary, symbolism, and the book’s characters, and has a differentiated writing assignment.

There are really great resources for teaching the Hunger Games, thank you for sharing.

I would just like to include another “Hunger Games” Fan Art From Around the Web:

//allhungergames.com

I also experienced the same plborem when I read the ending if the book. Coming to the end I was sure Peeta loved Katniss, but as I read those final pages I began to wonder because he seemed to be losing interest now that the games are over. Does Peeta seem dinstant because he feels that Katniss is leaving to return to Gale, or was this all just part of the act for him? I’m guessing book 2 has the answers.

I read the first and second book and I am at the tail end of mocking jay. By reading the Hunger Games it makes me wonder if this will be our future that it will be fighting too much and somehow we divide into 12 districts and kids ages 12-18 have to fight to the death. It scares me thinking about this but this is a book that amazes me. I saw the movie and I cannot wait for Catching Fire the movie coming out November 2013!

I’m too lazy to really pull this together right now, but there are excellent discussions to be had in economics class about The Hunger Games. Here are a few resources:

Five Economic Lessons from HG: //www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/27/five-economic-lessons-of-the-hunger-games/2/ 1. Markets work better than command systems. 2. Globalization only works without extractive institutions. 3. Economic Inequality Is Bad For Business 4. War Drains Economic Resources 5. Technology Can Be Used For Good Or Evil

More from Matt Yglesias on extractive institutions //www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/the_hunger_games_could_a_real_country_have_an_economy_like_panem_s_.single.html

Matt Yglesias on tesserae inflation //www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/03/08/the_problem_of_tesserae_inflation.html

Probability of the lottery and game theoretical explanation of sleeping from Wired //www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/probability-and-game-theory-in-the-hunger-games

Un-complimentary but interesting analysis of various market situations including division of labor: //nowandrome.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/the-hunger-games/

Cinema stocks and HG //blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2012/03/22/hunger-games-gives-cinema-stocks-a-boost/?KEYWORDS=ALEXANDRA+SCAGGS

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The Hunger Games Movies In Order

Following Twilight ‘s path, the The Hunger Games ignited the box office in the early 2010s, and then it was full-on ignition to the young adult adaptation craze as filmmakers chased that high of dystopian lows extracted from Suzanne Collins’ book series. Divergent , The Giver , The Maze Runner , The 5th Wave , The Host , Ender’s Game came barging in, though few could match the Hunger Games ‘ potent action, romance, and world-building, alongside the star-making combination of Jennifer Lawrence as upriser icon Katniss Everdeen. It’s a world where a ruined America, a sinister and deadly national game, and a decent love triangle collide — a maturation for the generation that grew up on millennial fantasy and Harry Potter .

If you’re here to pay tribute by watching the series front-to-back, here’s the order the movies originally released:

• The Hunger Games (March 23, 2012)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22, 2013)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (November 21, 2014)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (November 20, 2015)
• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (November 17, 2023)

And with Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes being a prequel set 64 years before the Katniss’ story, if you want to watch The Hunger Games in the series’ chronological timeline order, simply move that last movie into the first viewing position.

THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIES AND SHOWS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) 64%

The Hunger Games (2012) 84%

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) 90%

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014) 69%

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (2015) 69%

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The Hunger Games in the classroom? Yes, Please!

By  MARISSA DESPINS  Updated Jan 10, 2024

The Hunger Games Teaching Ideas

With a fast paced story line, engaging characters, and a much loved movie adaptation, The Hunger Games continues to be a favorite Young Adult novel. That being said, some parents and educators have expressed concerns about the novel’s violence and mature content. However, I believe there are several reasons why The Hunger Games is an excellent choice for classroom instruction.

On the hunt for a COMPLETE novel study for The Hunger Games that you can print and use right away? Click on the image or button below to download a copy!

The Hunger Games can help students understand and empathize with characters who are experiencing difficult situations.

The story of The Hunger Games is, at its heart, a story of survival. Katniss Everdeen is thrust into a situation where she must fight for her life against 23 other children. While this may seem like a far-removed scenario for most students, it can actually help them to understand and empathize with characters who are experiencing difficult situations. By reading The Hunger Games, students can explore what it means to persevere in the face of adversity and to maintain hope in the midst of despair.

The Hunger Games can help students think critically about important issues such as violence, war, and social class.

The Hunger Games doesn’t shy away from difficult topics such as violence, war, and social class. In fact, it forces readers to confront these issues head-on. This makes The Hunger Games an excellent choice for stimulating critical thinking and discussion in the classroom. Through their reading of the book (and viewing of the movie), students can analyze different characters’ motivations and actions, consider the implications of different events, and debate solutions to complex problems.

The Hunger Games can help students develop a love for reading.

Let’s be honest: not every student is going to be interested in reading a dense piece of literature like War and Peace. But that doesn’t mean that we should give up on trying to get them to read! Instead, we should look for books that will capture their interest and spark their imaginations. I believe that The Hunger Games fits that bill perfectly. With its fast-paced plot and fascinating dystopic settings, The Hunger Games is the kind of book that will hook even the most reluctant reader. Once they’re hooked, we can then introduce them to other great works of literature! It makes a great introduction to the dystopic genre, making it a great segue into more challenging texts like 1984 and Brave New World.

If you’re interested in exploring more novels within the dystopian genre, suitable for middle school students, check out our list of 3 Dystopian Novels for Middle School . These selections can complement your curriculum and offer a broader perspective on dystopian literature.

To deepen your students’ understanding of the dystopian genre and its characteristics, our resource on  What is Dystopian Literature?  provides valuable insights. This can be a great tool to help students appreciate the nuances of dystopian narratives and their relevance in literature.

So there you have it—three reasons why I believe that teachers should consider using The Hunger Games in their classrooms. Of course, ultimately it’s up to each individual teacher to decide whether or not they want to include the novel in their classroom curriculum. However, I believe that this engaging novel has a lot to offer both teachers and students alike!

Looking for a complete Hunger Games Novel Study?

Click here or on the image below to grab a COMPLETE unit to go along with this engaging novel. This unit contains comprehension questions, answer keys, graphic organizers, and creative projects!

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The Hunger Games Lesson Plan Ideas

Are you looking for The Hunger Games lesson plan ideas? I have taught the famous novel as well as Catching Fire and Mockingjay—all multiple times.

Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger, a love story spans three books, and a memorable heroine takes charge: I love teaching The Hunger Games . Any time that students become excited about literature , I love a story even more than I previously did. Young readers really enjoy this series, and I have taught it in both middle school and high school. My Hunger Game s lesson plans have evolved, and I’ve created Hunger Games activities for middle and high school students.

This dystopian fiction is rich in imagery, symbolism, and vocabulary. Since students enjoy the trilogy, building a variety of learning tools was a natural step.

What are some creative lesson plan ideas based on “The Hunger Games”?

Some creative lesson plan ideas based on The Hunger Games include analyzing the themes of power and oppression, creating a dystopian project, and organizing a discussion on ethical dilemmas in the book.

No matter your format (lit circles, whole class novel) you can implement these pieces into your lessons. The Hunger Games lesson plan ideas: Use the following ideas to form or build your dystopian study.

The author: Suzanne Collins

Any Hunger Games pre-reading activities I use with students involves looking at the author. They can easily find information about the creator.

Show an interview of Suzanne Collins talking about the background of The Hunger Games . Before I watched that video, I was unaware that the story had mythological origins. That’s perfect prior knowledge to build off for readers who love the Percy Jackson series. Classes love talking about books they enjoy!

Collins also discusses her inspiration for starting the story which students might find intriguing. Hooking them before diving into the rest of your The Hunger Games lesson plan ideas will pay off later.

Finally, students might note that the author does not keep a heavy social media presence. Still, her books sell incredibly well, and she has a loyal following. Ask them to weigh in on authors and visibility.

Infographics

After teaching The Hunger Games a few times, I realized the depth of material included in the book. (Overall, we could analyze the texts in many ways, but some students found some of the material overwhelming.) Students might find some of the story confusing and need support. I often make anchor charts a staple in my Hunger Games activities.

If students find the characters confusing, clarify the characters with infographics . Classes can add descriptions, quotes, and actions from the characters to personalize the meaning. Plus, you can use the final images as review when you finish the book. Those who continue with the book series will also appreciate this character review, as names are referenced throughout all the books.

Dystopian literature: Anticipation

The Hunger Games lesson plans should include a background of the genre. Students might not be familiar with dystopian literature. Explain the background and genre so their knowledge expands. If students enjoy dystopian literature, you can explore speculative fiction with them too.

A simple anticipation activity is to explain the genre. When readers understand what to expect from the genre, the story will take less time to figure out.

After students finish the series, you can suggest other dystopian books. I enjoyed Divergent , The Fifth Wave , and The Grace Year . If you learn that they enjoy that genre, you can add dystopian novels to your First Chapter Friday list. Whenever I teach any dystopian literature, I pull out all of my dystopian classroom library books for display. That way, our discussions can broaden, and hopefully, young readers pick up more books.

The setting quizzes: Panem and The Capitol

My biggest suggestion for The Hunger Games lesson plan ideas? Include comprehension checks. Formative assessments provide quick feedback and allow you to end confusion with readers.

Nothing is more frustrating to me as an ELA teacher than to watch readers read and come back frustrated and confused. When I give comprehension questions , I can quickly identify any areas of confusion and address them before they escalate.

I rarely give points over comprehension. Instead, we discuss confusing points, outline events from different settings, and clarify characters. Quick multiple choice questions allow me to provide fast feedback in a non-embarrassing manner.

Students remember concepts when they write about those ideas. Include time for writing in your The Hunger Games lesson plans. For higher order thinking questions, I provide choice with an assortment of prompts . Not every student will feel inspired by every prompt!

I share and utilize journaling prompts with students many ways:

• Quick exit tickets.
• Group writing (where students each contribute ideas to a journal).
• Brainstorming for larger writing assignments.

Another idea is to have students write journal entries from the perspective of a resident in Panem or The Capitol. This activity encourages students to consider how different characters might experience life in this dystopian society.

Sometimes, I don’t incorporate journaling prompts into my lesson plans. Instead, once we have a fabulous discussion, I’ll add on one of the prompts to cement students’ understanding of our conversation. As always, a variety of writing prompts allows for student choice.

Reality television and propaganda

Discuss the implications of audiences not understanding the setup and performance of reality television. Katniss is incredibly aware (as are the other tributes) that their performance during the show earns food, safety, and money. The final viewing with Caesar, a montage of clips, is heavily edited to portray what the Capitol wants citizens to see.

I typed out every example of reality television from the book. After providing informational texts about reality television, students and I examine the effect that propaganda had on the citizens of Panem. Students understand that television and advertising manipulates them, and you can explore data and statistics concerning medial while teaching The Hunger Games .

And, yes—you will be able to discuss the scripting of framing of reality television that students watch after students see the manipulation the Capitol had on its citizens.

Movie: Symbolism

The movie is well done, and you can meet standards if you show the movie to students and ask them to compare the book and movie. Some parts were added to the movie, and some were taken away. What was the effect? Were the changes improvements? Students love critiquing movies, and you can incorporate lessons on text support and citations in a written response.

For instance, President Snow drinks champagne, and the glass turns pink from his blood. That portion is not in the books. What is the changing color symbolic of? Is this addition adding suspense or a character piece?

Other options include a basic movie review, a T-chart, or a one pager to cap off the movie and your Hunger Games novel study.

Mentor sentences

Since students enjoy the story, you can easily meet language standards with the material. This free download includes sentences for everyone to analyze and includes an answer key for you. Mentor sentences allow for meeting both language and literature standards.

If you are just getting started with mentor sentences, here are some questions to pose with learners:

• What do you notice about the sentence? Note if it is long or short. Can you find the subject? Tell me about the verb.
• Deconstruct it: Break down this sentence using complex analysis. Did the author use active or passive voice, for instance? Why?
• What is the message?
• Tie the meaning to the language: How did the author convey her message?

Plus, dystopian literature often contains ample use of the subjunctive mood. If you need to cover verb moods , you will be able to pull samples from this novel.

Once you begin discussing sentences with students, they will analyze literature in a new way.

Webquest, worksheets, crossword puzzles

When I taught sixth grade, classes did explore concepts like dystopias, propaganda, and other concepts with a quick webquest or worksheet. However, with older students, The Hunger Games lesson plan ideas took on less structure.

Readers honestly invested in the material, and worksheets took away from their investment. Plus, we spent time diving into the language with mentor sentences and crossword puzzles took time from rich discussions. Four my unit, I did not rely on such tools with older readers.

Extension activities

A common extension activity with The Hunger Games is creating an art piece. My students have created collages, movie posters, and skits to end our unit. Once, students and I mapped out what would happen in the next book—a sort of prediction activity.

Another activity that readers enjoy is to have students create a map of Panem and The Capitol. This visual representation helps them understand the geography and layout of the world in which the story takes place. They can label key locations, such as District 12 or the Cornucopia, and include important details about each district.

Sometimes, I simply ask classes what they want to create. Their ideas are often quite suitable! Incorporate Canva and other user-friendly resources into your The Hunger Games lesson plan ideas.

Final question: How do the Hunger Games reflect society?

The Hunger Games reflects society by exploring themes of power, inequality, and the effects of media manipulation. The dystopian world created in the story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked authority and the importance of individual agency in the face of injustice.

When students can answer that question, you’ll know that your unit and activities have made an impression.

The Hunger Games Lesson Plan

Honestly, teaching The Hunger Games and the subsequent stories remains a highlight of my teaching career. The books allowed for a diversity of conversations and activities. Since the stories reflected pieces of real life, I could bring in news stories and connect the story to students’ lives. I hope you have a similar experience.

You probably already have started to gather The Hunger Games lesson plan ideas. I hope these videos, informational texts, and resources enhance your novel unit. If you need a complete Hunger Games novel study, check out my Hunger Games Unit .

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Analyzing Social Stratification and Inequality in The Hunger Games (2012) Film: Presentation and Reflection Assignment

• Jamie Oslawski-Lopez + −

How to Cite

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Download this resource to see full details. Download this resource to see full details.

Usage Notes

In this TRAILS resource, I share the presentation and reflection assignments with grading rubrics. I also include usage notes with the assignment procedure, further considerations, possible assignment modifications, a list of additional TRAILS assignments and activities utilizing science fiction, and references.

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

• Increase students’ understanding of course concepts.
• Provide students with an opportunity to analyze a fictional world using the sociological perspective.
• Improve students’ critical thinking skills.

Goal Assessment(s):

• Students produce and present 10 to 15-minute PowerPoint presentations in which they define sociological concepts, analyze the social world depicted in The Hunger Games, connect the fictional world of the film to the “real” world, and use ASA Style.
• The instructor leads a class discussion recapping the main themes in students’ presentations and posing further questions to the class.
• Students assess their learning and reflect on their experiences in a reflection assignment.

When using resources from TRAILS, please include a clear and legible citation.

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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is the first volume in a trilogy of adventure novels. It follows a teenager, Katniss Everdeen, as she fights to survive in a dystopian, futuristic America. The country has been broken into twelve districts, heavily taxed by the wealthy and harsh Capitol.

Every year, the Capitol holds a deathmatch between child tributes, two from each district. Katniss, a strong-willed and capable teenager, volunteers to take her younger sister’s place. Katniss goes through the mind-numbingly violent game of murder with her male counterpart, Peeta. They manipulate the game by faking a romance, and out-maneuvering their opponents and Capitol politicians to become joint winners of the Hunger Games.

Student Activities for The Hunger Games

Essential Questions for The Hunger Games

• How important is a person’s identity?
• Do reality television shows create a lack of compassion and sense of community?
• When comparing conformity to individuality, which is more important to a successful society and why?

The Hunger Games Summary

The book begins in Katniss’s home, District 12, where she lives with her mother and younger sister, Prim. Life is difficult in District 12, a mining community, and it became even harder for the Everdeens after Katniss’s father was killed in a mining accident. Katniss looks out for the family and supplements their income by illegally hunting wild game with a bow.

District 12 is part of a post-apocalyptic, dystopian society called Panam, in what was the United States. There used to be thirteen districts, but after a rebellion, District 13 was eliminated by the opulent Capitol, which rules Panam with harsh authoritarianism. After the rebellion of District 13, the “Hunger Games” were instituted: a gladiatorial competition among 24 adolescent “tributes”, a boy and a girl from each of the districts.

As the book opens, Gale, Katniss’ closest friend, hunts with her and suggests they run away together. Katniss rebukes the idea, pointing out they need to support their families. The two return to town in time for “the reaping”, the ceremony where tributes are selected by lottery.

When the female entry is called during the reaping, it is Prim. Katniss immediately volunteers to take her sister’s place. It is highly unlikely that she’ll ever come home. Some of the other districts are much stronger and wealthier, with well-trained tributes.

Her male counterpart is a boy with whom she’s gone to school, Peeta Mellark, the bakers’ son, a charismatic and kind person. Prior District 12 winner, Haymitch Abernathy, and Effie Trinket, their capitol-born chaperone, accompany them on the train ride to the Capitol. Hamish devises a strategy of portraying Katniss and Peeta as a couple to garner public support.

The Hunger Games are a highly technological endeavor. The Capitol funds the games, which are simulcast to all the people of the Capitol and also to those in the districts. It is the ultimate reality show, heavily engineered by the Capitol’s “game-makers”. The tributes are instant celebrities, treated to all the luxuries, fashion, and resources of the Capitol as they prepare for the Games. Peeta takes a central role in improving the pair’s public image, with Katniss reluctantly playing along.

When it is finally time for the kill-or-be-killed televised nightmare, Katniss bravely fights for her life, against both the game-makers and her fellow contestants, putting her practiced hunting skills to good use. She forms an unlikely bond with a very young tribute from District 11, a girl named Rue, who looked after Katniss while she was injured. The two work together to hobble some of the likely victors, but Rue is brutally killed in the process.

After Rue’s death, Katniss finds Peeta, wounded and only hidden by virtue of his excellent camouflaging skills. Having won over the viewers in the Capitol, the game-makers announce that two tributes, rather than one can win, so long as they are from the same district. Peeta and Katniss play up their “love story” for further support, securing an airdrop of medicine to heal both their wounds.

Katniss kills the last opposing tribute, only to have the game-makers reverse their decision to allow joint winners. Peeta insists Katniss kill him and return home. Katniss refuses and devises a plan to keep them both alive: they will both threaten to eat poisoned berries and leave the Capitol with no winners in the Hunger Games. With moments to spare, the Capitol concedes, declaring them joint winners of the 74th Hunger Games!

Katniss and Peeta learn that their stunt is considered an act of rebellion by President Snow, ruler of Panem. While the two continue to affect romantic feelings for each other, it becomes clear Peeta’s are genuine, while Katniss has been acting all along and her true feelings are confused. The two make a triumphant return to District 12, though dark clouds hang over their future.

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The Entire Hunger Games Timeline Explained

It's been years since 2012's "The Hunger Games," adapted from the book of the same name by Suzanne Collins , hit theaters. This blockbuster film went on to spawn three sequels, with the final book in the trilogy, "Mockingjay," split into two cinematic installments. Another prequel is on the way, adapted from Collins' 2020 book, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."  The public simply cannot get enough of Panem and the warriors, spies, and tributes who live within it.

All these books and movies add up to a whole lot of story to keep track of. It can be downright easy to lose your place in Katniss Everdeen's saga — especially since "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" brings a young Coriolanus Snow's point of view into the mix. Whether you're looking to brush up on the sequence of events or you've just grown a little fuzzy on the finer details of the timeline since the films first came out, we've got you covered. From the events that led to the creation of the very first Hunger Games to the explosive happenings that follow the abrupt conclusion of the third Quarter Quell, here is the entire "Hunger Games" timeline, explained.

Spoilers ahead for every movie in the "Hunger Games" franchise.

The formation of Panem

The nation of Panem doesn't just appear overnight — it forms in the ruins of our civilization. The world changes forever with the onset of climate change. Natural disasters like fires, droughts, and storms cause the planet's resources to dwindle. Countries begin to fight over the remaining resources, causing war to break out across the globe. With such widespread bloodshed, governments around the world begin to collapse and the human population rapidly decreases, nearly creating an extinction-level event.

From the ashes of society in North America rises Panem — a new nation with a capital based in the Rocky Mountains. It isn't clear exactly when Panem forms after the fall of other preexisting civilizations. It is also unknown when Panem divides into districts. We also don't know if Panem is a totalitarian government from the start.

Each district provides the Capitol with a vital resource, though the districts are reliant on the Capitol to ensure the distribution of those resources. The Capitol exploits the districts it rules over by controlling its exclusive access to necessities, and this eventually causes the districts to turn on the Capitol.

The idea of the Hunger Games

The idea for the Hunger Games comes long before the rebellion that causes its implementation. Crassus Snow, future President Coriolanus Snow's father, attends the Capitol's University with his best friend Casca Highbottom, the Dean of the Academy Coriolanus attends years later. The two are in a class taught by Dr. Volumnia Gaul, a scientist who later becomes the first Head Gamesmaker.

While Gaul and Crassus Snow get along well, Gaul and Highbottom do not. For their final project, Gaul assigns the students to develop a punishment that would ensure their enemies never forgot what they did to them. Snow works with Highbottom and gets him drunk while hearing what he has to say about the assignment.

Snow writes down Highbottom's drunken thoughts, which he promises are merely a joke between friends, and turns them in as their assignment. The two fight over this; Highbottom never forgives Snow and eventually takes out that frustration on Snow's son. Even though it's originally meant as a class assignment, Gaul uses the proposal to create an annual punishment for the districts after the rebellion, though she credits Highbottom for the idea.

The First Rebellion

At an unknown point after the founding of Panem, the districts begin to grow restless with the power dynamics at play. This part of history is documented mostly by the Capitol and may be biased or incomplete. Capitol children learn that "rebels" in District 13 were the instigators behind the First Rebellion and used its privilege as a nuclear research facility to its advantage. 

War spreads throughout Panem with other districts rising up and holding their resources hostage from the Capitol. The unrest continues to grow over the course of around three years, turning into air raids on the country's political center. The citizens of the Capitol are often unable to make it to bomb shelters and are forced to hide in their homes due to unreliable detection systems. These systems aren't helpful because they run on electricity, which District 5 controls. 

While the Capitol tries to combat the rebellion by sending out armies of Peacekeepers and using its muttations to dig up intel, the ruling class of Panem spends most of the war under the grip of the districts. Because of its reliance on them for goods and services, the elite often find themselves without power or essentials as different districts join the cause. However, the tide of the war changes when the districts decide to take the battle to the Capitol.

The Dark Days

When the districts invade the Capitol, the direction of the war turns. Rebel forces have to go over the Rocky Mountains to invade, leaving them vulnerable to air strikes and other tactics utilized by the Capitol. While it isn't explicitly documented, based on the result of the attempted invasion, it is thought that this caused a significant loss to the rebel numbers.

Despite being the alleged starting point of the rebellion, District 13 begins to pull back and eventually brokers a deal with the Capitol. To try and earn their statehood, District 13 uses their nuclear technology to try and force the Capitol's hand. The conflict ends with the secret agreement that District 13 will be allowed to live on ... just not as a member of Panem. The other 12 districts watch as the Capitol bombs and destroys the surface of District 13, which leads them to believe the district is gone. 

Without 13's support, the rest of the districts can no longer maintain their war efforts, falling to the Capitol as the military sweeps through the country. As the Capitol regains control, they develop the Treaty of Treason. The treaty creates a variety of restrictions for the citizens of Panem, including banning communication and travel between districts.

It also leads to the implementation of their punishment. The Hunger Games is the most significant part of the treaty, which means the beginning of this dubious peace marks the creation of the annual event that forces the districts to sacrifice two children every year in a televised battle to the death.

The Fall of Snow

The First Rebellion and Dark Days also mark a turn in Coriolanus Snow's life. Just 5 years old when the war begins, the young Snow watches on as the civilization he grows up with almost falls to the districts. He and his older cousin Tigris are quite close and experience the horrors of war — including watching fellow citizens commit horrible acts in the streets — together.

Snow's mother dies in childbirth toward the beginning of the war, and his infant sister dies with her. Shortly after, his father, who has risen through the military ranks, dies in rebel fire. With Tigris' parents also dead, the two of them live with their grandmother.

The Snow name affords the future president of Panem many privileges early on, but that all goes away with District 13. Though the family has some of their wealth rooted in other industries, most of their assets are in nuclear research, so when District 13 is "bombed" the family's riches and status plummet. In order to keep up appearances and maintain their penthouse, they sell most of their belongings. However, even as Snow becomes an adult, his home is still significantly damaged from the First Rebellion because his family can't afford the repairs.

The Early Hunger Games

The first nine Hunger Games are drastically different from what the event turns into by the 74th iteration. After each district's reaping, the tributes travel by cattle car to the Capitol. After arriving, they are left in horse stables before the start of The Games. During this time, they don't have food or other necessities.

When it is time for The Games to begin, all 24 tributes enter the Capitol Arena with few weapons and no food and are left to fight to the death in an event that is over within anywhere from a few hours to a few days at most. Once crowned the winner, the victor goes home, returning to their life as it was before they competed in The Hunger Games. The early Games are barbaric and cruel, even compared to later evolutions of the event.

The only thing that remains unchanged from the early games is the selection of tributes. The reaping of tributes remains unchanged for the 75 years of The Hunger Games. From the beginning, the tributes from each district are chosen through a lottery system, selecting one female and one male child between the ages of 12 and 18.

The 10th Hunger Games

The 10th Hunger Games is when the event changes to create a more watchable experience. To do this, several key elements that later become staples in The Games are introduced, including mentors, the ability to give gifts to tributes once they are in the arena, and tribute interviews. The first mentors are Academy students who are just Capitol teens trying to finish their high school-level education before heading off to University.

To help introduce these new elements, several changes take place in how The Games functions. Rather than The Games starting soon after all of the tributes arrive in the Capitol, the contestants are instead placed in an old animal enclosure in the Capitol Zoo, essentially on display for Capitol citizens to come and see. Over several days, they tour the arena, meet with their mentors, and participate in interviews on Capitol television. While the arenas and accommodations change in later Games, the event moves in a more spectacle-like direction starting with the 10th Games.

However, the Capitol ignores the tributes' needs. They don't provide them with food in the Capitol Zoo; mentors or citizens bring them food. They also don't receive new clothes or other necessities.

Snow's rise to power

Coriolanus Snow is one of the first mentors, overseeing and advising Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12 during the 10th Hunger Games. This begins his close connection with The Hunger Games, moving from mentor to a Gamesmaker apprentice while attending University. Though he is given the female District 12 tribute because Highbottom is taking out his anger at Crassus Snow through his son, the young Snow connects with Lucy Gray and uses tricks to ensure she becomes the victor, making him the first mentor to coach a winning tribute.

While working as a mentor, he writes the proposal for the implementation of a betting and odds system and the ability to send food to tributes in the arena — two ways Capitol citizens can "participate" and create an emotional attachment to The Games. He also gets to see and learn about one of the muttations — Dr. Gaul's snakes — before she drops them in the arena.

After Highbottom discovers Snow cheated to help Lucy Gray win, Snow chooses to become a Peacekeeper, a position he doesn't have for long before heading back to the Capitol and starting an apprenticeship under Dr. Gaul to be a Gamesmaker. During this time, he continues introducing new concepts for the Games, including the idea of a Victors' Village to celebrate the winners of each district.

The birth of The Hanging Tree

After winning the 10th Hunger Games and returning to her life in District 12, Lucy Gray Baird continues to play music. She uses her music to enchant the citizens of the Capitol, playing a song both during her reaping and her tribute interview. Her musicianship is something she holds onto during a tough time.

The atmosphere in District 12 is less than ideal. People struggle with the newly reinforced regime of the Capitol, resulting in executions for those deemed disobedient. As she watches these events play out in her home, she takes to her guitar to express her thoughts on the subject. She writes "The Hanging Tree" about the death of Arlo Chance, a miner and supporter of the rebellion. It is one of many songs she writes, but this one has the most impact after her disappearance and presumed death.

Despite the banning of music, the song survives for generations, with Katniss' father teaching it to her before his death. While considered an act of rebellion by Peacekeepers when it is written, the song becomes synonymous with the Second Rebellion when Katniss sings it during a rebellion-filmed TV spot in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1."

Quarter Quells and devastated victors

Every year following the first Hunger Games, the annual competition was held. A new batch of 24 boys and girls were assembled to fight to the death in new and increasingly elaborate arenas. Notably, the winner of the 11th Hunger Games was Mags Flanagan (Lynn Cohen), a 16-year-old girl from District 4. Years later, she became the oldest victor to compete in the 75th Games. 

After 24 Games, the Capitol decided to change the rules for the 25th go-round: They allowed Districts to select their own Hunger Games tributes through voting, instead of picking them through a Capitol representative. This rule was changed only for the 25th Hunger Games, as it marked the first "Quarter Quell," which was subsequently celebrated every 25 years. Quarter Quells serve as a brutal "celebration" of the Capitol's victory over the Districts, and change up the rules in a memorable way.

During the second Quarter Quell, four tributes from each District were selected to compete in the 50th Hunger Games, rather than two. The victor was 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy from District 12. Other notable victors of later Hunger Games include Finnick Odair from District 4, who won the 65th Hunger Games at the age of 14, making him the youngest victor ever, and Johanna Mason from District 7, who won the 71st Hunger Games at the age of 17.

Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute

When it comes time to select tributes for the 74th annual Hunger Games, everything proceeds as usual ... until Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) is drawn as the female tribute for District 12. Prim is only 12 years old, meaning this is her first year of eligibility for the Games, and has already had to endure the loss of her father in a mining accident years prior. Unwilling to allow Prim to be selected for almost certain death,  her older sister, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence)  volunteers to compete in her place. Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the son of a local baker, is chosen as the male tribute from District 12.

Although both Katniss and Peeta know only one of them will make it out of the arena, they grow fond of one another in the days leading up to the Games. During their training, Katniss establishes herself as an accomplished archer, while Peeta impresses his fellow tributes with his natural strength, although he lacks the cutthroat spirit so many competitors possess. Meanwhile, back in District 12, Katniss' best friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) looks after Katniss' mother and sister as they all watch the TV coverage leading up to the Games.

The 74th Hunger Games

As the 74th Hunger Games begin, Katniss ventures out on her own. She becomes convinced that Peeta is working with other tributes to kill her, but in fact, he's trying to protect her by throwing them off her scent. Eventually, Katniss teams up with Rue (Amandla Stenberg), the 12-year-old tribute from District 11 who reminds her of Prim. Unfortunately, Rue is killed, and Katniss mourns her by covering her body with flowers.

Following Rue's death, a change to the rules is announced: Two victors may be crowned this year, provided they're from the same district. Peeta and Katniss promptly team up to defeat the other tributes. This strategy wins the hearts of Capitol sponsors, who enjoy what they perceive as a blooming romance between the two. Thanks to the timely supplies they send, some very quick thinking, and a fair amount of luck, Katniss and Peeta become the final two tributes standing. 

But then the announcer reveals that the previous rule change has been undone: Only one of them will be allowed to leave the arena alive. Neither Katniss nor Peeta is willing to kill the other, so they resolve to kill themselves by ingesting poisonous berries. Panicked at the thought of not having a victor at all, the announcer changes the rules yet again to allow for two victors, ending the Games. Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) is subsequently executed by President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) for this decision.

Katniss and Peeta's Victory Tour

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" opens as the citizens of Panem prepare for the 75th Hunger Games. In the lead-up to each Games, it is customary for the victor of the prior bloodbath to go on a "Victory Tour" of the 12 districts to drum up enthusiasm, as well as demonstrate loyalty to the Capitol. But Katniss and Peeta's defiance in the 74th Hunger Games has stirred unrest ahead of the 75th Games. The people of Panem see Katniss as a symbol of resistance, and the Capitol isn't pleased. Before Katniss and Peeta leave on their tour, President Snow tells Katniss that unless she can convince the public that her attempt to subvert the rules by eating the berries was motivated solely by love for Peeta, he will kill her family.

Katniss and Peeta do their best to present themselves as a star-crossed couple during their tour. But nothing they do is able to quench the anger of the districts, which is spreading like wildfire. It doesn't help that Katniss is not a very convincing actress, and also prone to acting impulsively in the face of perceived injustice: She intervenes in several instances of Capitol-sanctioned brutality. This only strengthens the public's perception of her as the "Mockingjay," a potent symbol of freedom and rebellion.

The 75th Hunger Games

One year after Katniss and Peeta boarded the train that took them to their first Hunger Games, the altered rules for the third Quarter Quell are announced. Still seeking to smother the people's anger, Snow — along with newly appointed Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) — decides that instead of choosing tributes from the districts' children, they will be selected from the existing pool of victors. Since Katniss is the only female victor from District 12, there is no question that she will be among those forced to return to the arena.

This time around, even Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), the Capitol representative for District 12, sees the injustice of the situation; she adopts a much more somber tone in her interactions with the tributes and during the Reaping ceremony. Of District 12's two male victors, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), victor of the 50th Games and Katniss and Peeta's mentor, is selected to compete. To Katniss' horror, Peeta quickly volunteers to take his place.

Preparing for the third Quarter Quell

Once they've arrived at the Capitol, the mood of the 75th Hunger Games' tributes is revealed to be markedly different than that of previous years. Already having survived one round of brutality, this group is rightfully angry that instead of being allowed to live out their lives in peace and comfort, they are instead being sent back into the arena. As they're older and considerably more experienced than the children typically selected for the Games, these tributes boldly try a number of tactics to get the Games shut down. Perhaps the most shocking one arrives when Peeta announces on live television that Katniss is pregnant with his baby.

Unbeknownst to Katniss, secret resistance ally Plutarch Heavensbee meets with Haymitch, as well as a number of other tributes, to conspire about what will happen if the Games proceed. Under instructions from president Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), leader of District 13 — which not only exists, but is actively plotting a rebellion — Heavensbee, Haymitch, and several tributes including Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Johanna (Jena Malone) devise a plan to extract Katniss and Peeta from the Games once they are underway.

Escaping the arena

The 75th Hunger Games' circular arena has a large lake in the center and is divided into 12 wedges. This time, Katniss and Peeta immediately team up, and are quickly joined by Finnick and elderly Mags, who volunteered in place of Finnick's girlfriend, Annie (Stef Dawson). Although Mags soon sacrifices herself to save the others, the rest survive and are joined by Johanna, along with Wiress (Amanda Plummer) and Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) from District 3.

An accomplished engineer, Beetee devises a plan to use one of the arena's precisely timed traps to their advantage. Using a spool of copper wire, he intends to harness the electricity from a lightning strike to electrocute the other tributes. Presumably, his intent following the elimination of the other tributes is to trigger District 13's rescue plan — though of course, Katniss and Peeta know nothing about this. 

When the plan goes awry at the last second, Katniss wraps the end of the copper wire around an arrow and shoots it at the force field ceiling of the arena, right as lightning strikes. The current is drawn into the force field, causing it to short out and subsequently crumble. This allows a large District 13 ship to enter and extract Katniss and several other tributes. Unfortunately, Peeta and Johanna are left behind and sent to the Capitol, while Katniss is taken to District 13.

The Capitol reacts

Unable to be rescued by District 13, Peeta and Johanna are interrogated and tortured by the Capitol. Although Peeta doesn't know anything about the resistance, Snow rightly assumes he can use him as leverage to influence Katniss, as well as dissuade the districts from engaging in any further rebellion. Through a number of televised propaganda spots filmed in the Capitol, Katniss sees Peeta become ever more alarmingly brainwashed. Though she suspects he's being manipulated, she remains unnerved.

During this time, Annie and Johanna are also tortured by the Capitol, although they are not shown on television as Peeta is. While Johanna possesses information about the resistance (which she is unwilling to divulge), Finnick suspects Annie has been taken solely to use against him. Little do our heroes realize that the Capitol's actions are even worse than they think: When he isn't filming propaganda spots, Peeta is being subjected to vicious brainwashing techniques which cause him to become fearful of Katniss.

The Mockingjay is born

Although she would like nothing more than to go charging into the Capitol to rescue Peeta, Katniss is now subject to the administration of President Coin, who is determined to work more strategically. As "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1" opens, Coin convinces Katniss to embrace her persona as the Mockingjay and film a series of propaganda videos to inspire the people of Panem. With District 12 reduced to smoking rubble — retaliation by Snow for Katniss' defiance during the 75th Games — and Katniss' mother, Prim, and Gale now residing in District 13, Katniss feels she has no choice.

Unfortunately for Coin, Katniss is no more convincing when delivering scripted monologues for a cause she believes in than one she doesn't. However, she is occasionally inspired to improvise, and manages to give a few impassioned speeches that successfully rally the districts. This enrages Snow, and he finally orders an airborne attack on District 13. Peeta is able to regain control of himself just long enough to warn Katniss and the other residents of the district to take shelter, resulting in far fewer casualties than there otherwise would have been.

Walking into a trap

Finally, President Coin authorizes a mission to rescue Peeta and the other victors from the Capitol, though Katniss is not allowed to join the rescue team. Instead, she is tasked with filming a live TV spot, which will hopefully distract Snow and the rest of the Capitol from what is happening right under their noses. After Peeta, Johanna, and Annie are successfully rescued, Gale, who participated in the rescue mission, observes that finding and retrieving them was almost too easy.

The reason for this is made clear when Katniss eagerly rushes to reunite with Peeta, only to have him viciously attack her. At this point, it becomes clear to the resistance that Snow has brainwashed Peeta into wanting to kill Katniss, then allowed him to be rescued. While the resistance's doctors work diligently to counteract Peeta's brainwashing, Katniss is told she will have to keep her distance for the safety of them both.

Infiltrating the Capitol

As "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2" begins, Katniss is determined to seek revenge for Peeta's condition. Following a series of successful attacks by rebel forces, the Capitol troops withdraw from the districts to regroup within the Capitol itself. They place a number of lethal traps called "pods" around the outskirts of the city, to prevent resistance fighters from advancing. Fortunately, the resistance is able to procure a device which allows them to see the placement of most — but not all — of these pods, increasing their chances of being able to successfully reach the Capitol's center, where President Snow resides. Katniss and Gale are placed on a team dubbed the "Star Squad," which is meant to follow the combat troops and film propaganda videos showcasing the resistance's successes.

They've barely made it into the city when Peeta is added to the group under Coin's orders, allegedly to show the Capitol that he is still loyal to the resistance. However, Katniss suspects he's there to kill her, since her high-profile status as the Mockingjay poses a threat to Coin's power. Still, Peeta does his best to resist his violent impulses, and the group pushes deeper into the city. Unfortunately, between the pods and Peeta's violent programming, this mission proves deadly for most of the team, including Finnick. Only Katniss, Gale, Peeta, and a couple members of the camera crew make it to the center of the Capitol alive.

The attack on Snow's mansion

Realizing that the Capitol is losing the war, President Snow invites the remaining Capitol citizens to gather around his mansion and bring the children toward the gates, in the hopes that a human shield will dissuade the rebels from fighting their way inside. But as Katniss and Gale work their way toward the mansion disguised as civilians, fighting breaks out. They're separated when Gale is arrested by Capitol Peacekeepers.

Alone, Katniss nearly makes it to the gates of President Snow's mansion. But as the Capitol's citizens desperately pass their children forward through the crowd, bombs are dropped from a Capitol airship, blasting Katniss off her feet. When she opens her eyes, she sees many dead and wounded civilians, and the volunteer medics who have rushed in to treat them. Just as Katniss spies Prim among the medics, a second wave of bombs goes off, knocking Katniss out.

Betrayal begets betrayal

Katniss awakens to the news that the rebels have won the war, Snow has been taken into custody, and Prim is dead. After being given a room in the mansion, Katniss goes to the greenhouse where Snow is being kept and demands an audience. The condemned Snow gleefully reveals to her that it is Coin, not him, who is responsible for the Capitol bombing and her sister's death. Horrified, Katniss realizes that Gale was likely the one who gave Coin the idea, driving a permanent wedge between them.

Later, during a meeting with the leaders of the resistance, several of the remaining victors are appalled when Coin suggests a new Hunger Games. Capitol children will be the tributes this time, in order to satiate the people's need for revenge without giving in to massive bloodshed. Katniss votes in favor of these new Games, on the condition that she be the one to execute Snow. But when the time for this execution comes, Katniss kills Coin instead. She has realized that allowing Coin to remain in charge will only lead to more of the same oppressive conditions that got them into this situation. Snow is subsequently killed by the angry spectators.

A new Panem is born

Following the deaths of Presidents Coin and Snow, Katniss is placed under arrest, but is then pardoned and allowed to return to District 12. Commander Paylor (Patina Miller) of District 8 is quickly elected Panem's new president. She acts to abolish the Hunger Games, demolish the arenas, and build memorials to the many people who died. It is implied that henceforth, Panem will be governed by its people, who will select their leader through free and fair elections.

Sometime during the years that follow, Katniss marries Peeta and has two children with him. They both still suffer from PTSD, with Peeta bearing the worst of it due to the lingering effects of his brainwashing — he sometimes has to ask for Katniss' help in determining what is real. Though the scars that have been left by the Games and the Capitol's reign of terror linger, Katniss' decision to start a family indicates her faith in the future. Prior to the Games, Katniss swore to never have children, believing she could not bear to bring them into such a harsh world. Now, despite the horror she has lived through, she believes the world is worthy of hope.

Stream All The Hunger Games Movies In Order: Where To Watch Hunger Games In The UK

Jenni Russell

Official JustWatch writer

The Hunger Games series became a cultural phenomenon with the release of the first movie in 2012. Based on the bestselling novels by Suzanne Collins, the story follows Katniss Everdeen as she leads a rebellion against a tyrannical regime. This list covers details on streaming The Hunger Games movies and prequels, including where to watch The Hunger Games in the UK.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games introduces viewers to Katniss Everdeen’s world, and the deadly arena she volunteers to participate in. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, the film’s A-List cast features Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and Elizabeth Banks.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The second movie in the franchise, Catching Fire , follows Katniss and Peeta after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games and embarking on a ‘Victor’s Tour’ of the districts. As Katniss travels through the districts, she senses a rebellion coming.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I

The final book in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay, is split into two movies. Starting with Mockingjay - Part I , Katniss Everdeen reluctantly becomes the symbol of the revolution against the Capitol.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part II

Mockingjay - Part II is Jennifer Lawrence’s final film as the iconic Katniss Everdeen. Katniss confronts President Snow and the Capitol in the conclusion of the original The Hunger Games movies.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes

This prequel explores the early life of Coriolanus Snow, before he becomes the ruthless President of Panem, and delves into the origins of the Hunger Games. The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes stars Tom Blyth as a young Corolanius Snow, with Rachel Ziegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Hunter Schafer.

• The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping

The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping is an upcoming prequel movie that takes place 40 years after the events of ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ and 25 years before ‘The Hunger Games’.  The film is based on Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name, which is set to be released in 2025, and the movie in 2026.

How To Watch The Hunger Games Movies In Release 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 Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes (2023)
• The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping (2026)

How To Watch The Hunger Games Movies In Chronological Order

• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

Where To Watch The Hunger Games Movies In The UK

The Hunger Games has become one of the most popular movie franchises in history. Whether you choose to watch the movies in release or chronological order, find everything you need to know about streaming The Hunger Games movies in the UK below.

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. The world will be watching.

Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

Katniss Everdeen reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale, Finnick, and Peeta – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Coriolanus Snow mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Return to the world of Panem 24 years before the events of "The Hunger Games" for the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

Screen Rant

The hunger games franchise's complete timeline explained.

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Why Suzanne Collins Can Never Write A Hunger Games Sequel (Besides The Obvious)

"very idiotic": sigourney weaver candidly reflects on alien 3's studio interference, vin diesel shares riddick 4 bts image teasing furyan desert scene.

• The Hunger Games franchise explores the dystopian world of Panem and the annual Hunger Games, and the prequel provides a deeper look at Panem's history.
• The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes focuses on Coriolanus Snow and his journey to becoming the tyrannical ruler of Panem, while also introducing key features of the Hunger Games.
• The franchise ultimately follows Katniss Everdeen's role in the rebellion against the Capitol, which concludes with the Games ending and the districts winning the war.

The Hunger Games franchise began in 2012, expanding over five movies that span a timeline of decades . Based on the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins , the films explore the futuristic and dystopian world of Panem, which sees children fighting to the death annually in the titular tournament. Throughout each Hunger Games movie , more layers about the history and people of Panem are uncovered. The first four Hunger Games movies unfold in consecutive order , while the latest release, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes takes a look at the early days of the Games.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also focuses on a defining period in the life of Coriolanus Snow, who eventually takes on the role of president of Panem. Through this exploration of the character, audiences are given more context about the Hunger Games ' villain and how he becomes the tyrannical ruler Katniss Everdeen meets during her own story. The events of the film also introduce key elements of the Hunger Games themselves, including the idea of mentors and showing off the tributes as a way to get audiences to sympathize and root for them. In this way, the prequel establishes a timeline that shows how the tournament evolves .

The History Of Panem Before The War

Taking place in the distant future, Panem is formed in the area previously known as North America after an apocalyptic disaster brings conflict to the world. The nation of Panem is run by the wealthy population of the Capitol, and its leaders are charged with keeping the rest of Panem in order. The nation is divided into 13 districts, with each providing a different set of resources to the Capitol. Within the nation exists the Capitol's army of Peacekeepers, all of whom do as their name suggests: keep order within the districts. Tired of the unfair and brutal treatment they've been receiving, the people of District 13 start a rebellion.

The Dark Days (3 BTT-0 BTT)

The war that results from the rebellion of District 13 lasts three years. The district uses its weaponry and technology to fight against the Capitol. The rebels are then able to maintain an equal fight in the war and take the lives of several military members, including Crassus Snow. However, during an attempt to invade the Capitol, airstrike forces cause a large loss of life on the rebels' side.

Seeing this loss of life and considering what might occur if the war continues, District 13 branches off on its own and signs a ceasefire deal with the Capitol. This deal allows the district to be separate from the remaining 12, existing underground and appearing to be decimated on the surface. District 13 is then used as an example of what will happen if any other district starts a rebellion.

What Happened Between The Dark Days & The 10th Hunger Games

After the events of the Dark Days, a new set of laws are introduced in Panem, and the idea of the Hunger Games emerges. The concept of the Hunger Games originates from Casca Highbottom , who comes up with them as an assignment for Dr. Volumnia Gaul's class. The idea is this: as a reminder of the rebellion, two members from each district will serve as tributes in the annual Games. Only one will emerge as a victor, with the others' deaths serving as a reminder of the war and its consequences.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (10 ATT)

Although it's the most recent release in the franchise, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place prior to the other movies . It's set during the 10th annual Hunger Games, which aren't a spectacle like later Games. The 10th Hunger Games are the first to introduce the idea of mentors and tributes. The mentors are the highest-achieving students at the Capitol's Academy, including Coriolanus Snow. He's in charge of mentoring a tribute from District 12 — Lucy Gray Baird — and he notes her ability to captivate people with her singing and charm. Snow suggests she use this to earn donations, something that becomes a staple of later Games.

Unlike the arena seen in earlier films, the arena in which Lucy Gray and the other tributes fight is confined to one location. Monitoring the tributes, the mentors are able to use donations from viewers to send them food and water via drones. The movie makes a point of showing how clumsy this technology is, as the Hunger Games at this point in the franchise's timeline don't have the advancements shown in the original films. Snow proposes many of the elements that make up the later Games, eventually working alongside Dr. Gaul on the yearly tournament.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is currently playing in theaters.

What Happened Between Songbirds & Snakes And The Hunger Games

Following Lucy Gray's victory, the Hunger Games see many added features. One such addition is the Quarter Quell, a special hunger Games that takes place every 25 years. Each Quarter Quell comes with a planned twist that makes it more of a spectacle than a regular Hunger Games tournament. The yearly Games also undergo many changes , with technology advancing and viewership improving. At some point, mentors also become previous winners of the Hunger Games rather than Capitol students.

The Hunger Games (74 ATT)

The Hunger Games takes place in 744 ATT during the 74th annual Hunger Games. After her younger sister is called upon to be District 12's tribute, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her place, representing the district alongside Peeta Mellark. This marks a huge moment in the history of the Games , as it's rare for anyone from District 12 to volunteer. Katniss makes waves with her courage. By this time, drawing the attention of audiences and amassing fans is important for tributes to succeed. Katniss earns herself the nickname " The Girl on Fire ," and she and Peeta surprise everyone by becoming beloved tributes.

While Katniss and Peeta are in the arena, a new rule emerges to raise the stakes for audiences: two tributes can win together, as long as they're from the same district. Katniss and Peeta form an alliance, and they're eventually the last tributes standing. Just as they think they've won, Seneca Crane announces that the rule is reversed, expecting them to kill each other. Instead, the pair agrees to eat poisonous berries, an act of defiance that will leave the Hunger Games without a winner. Before they can go through with it, Crane reverses the decision and declares them both victors — a choice that comes back to haunt the Capitol.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (75 ATT)

Catching Fire takes place in 75 ATT, a year after Katniss and Peeta win the 74th Hunger Games. Their actions start uprisings in the districts, which President Snow and the Capitol attempt to squash. That's why Snow tells Katniss and Peeta to go on tour and make the other districts believe their stunt with the berries was an act of love, not rebellion. While Katniss agrees to protect her loved ones, the Victory Tour doesn't go as planned. Katniss and Peeta fail to ease the tensions in the districts, so Snow makes an example of them by reaping previous tributes for the Quarter Quell .

The pair plan to survive their second iteration of the Games no matter what, but things go further off the rails in the arena. The other tributes are secretly in on a plan to retrieve Katniss, who is now a symbol of the rebellion. At the ending of Catching Fire, they succeed, removing Katniss from the arena and taking her back to District 13. It's revealed that there's a rebellion forming, and Katniss becomes the face of it. While she and a few others are saved by District 13, Peeta and Johanna are captured by the Capitol. District 12 is also destroyed by the Capitol.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2 (75-76 ATT)

About a month passes between Catching Fire and Mockingjay - Part 1 . The latter film opens with the rebels in District 13 working to make Katniss the " Mockingjay ," the face of their revolution . Through propaganda videos, a traumatized Katniss urges the other districts to join the fight against the Capitol. While Katniss soaks in the impact of the Capitol's actions and what she needs to do to push back, Peeta is tortured and brainwashed by the enemy. He eventually returns to District 13, but his memories are altered, and he experiences violent urges when it comes to Katniss.

Despite setbacks, the events of Mockingjay - Part 1 lead to the rebels successfully overthrowing the Capitol in Part 2 . Unfortunately, Katniss' sister is killed in the aftermath, when bombs are released onto those in the Capitol, where Prim is acting as a medic. Katniss learns that this is President Coin's doing, and she winds up killing Coin rather than Snow. Snow still dies at the hands of those he oppressed, but Katniss' actions get her removed from the rebellion and cause Commander Paylor from District 8 to become president.

What Happened After Mockingjay Part 1 & 2

After the events of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2 , Katniss returns to a destroyed District 12 and grieves Prim. She eventually tries to move past everything that's happened. Eventually, Peeta also returns to District 12, and he and Katniss start a life together. At the Capitol, the role of the president is now fulfilled by Commander Paylor. Katniss' mother is a trainer for the medical unit at the Capitol, and Gale is promoted to a captain in District 2, though he and Katniss don't speak after what happens to Prim.

Katniss & Peeta's Epilogue In Mockingjay Part 2 (96 ATT)

An epilogue shows the life Katniss and Peeta make for themselves, wherein they eventually pursue a romantic relationship and have two children together. While watching Peeta play with one of their kids, Katniss is comforting their baby, who starts crying from a nightmare. Katniss reveals she too still has nightmares about all that's happened, but to combat that, she lists out all the good she's experienced. While it can be tiring, she believes it's a better game to play than that of the Hunger Games .

Here's How to Watch the 'Hunger Games' Movies in Order (Chronologically and by Release Date)

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The Big Picture

• Fans of The Hunger Games can look forward to the upcoming prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, set to release on November 20, 2026.
• The prequel film, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, sheds light on Coriolanus Snow's rise to power in Panem and his complex relationship with Lucy Gray Baird.
• The article offers a guide for fans to rewatch The Hunger Games franchise, including the popular movie order of release and chronological timeline.

The Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins is a popular young adult series followed by a series of successful movie adaptations. The prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , released in May 2020, continued the saga, with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes which was released in theaters in November 2023. The prequel, which told the foundational story that laid out the rise of the series' villain Coriolanus Snow, proved to be a big success with audiences.

Lionsgate was so thrilled with the reception they announced a second prequel film , Sunrise on the Reaping , which will be based on a forthcoming novel written once again by Collins. The story will chronicle the 50th Annual Hunger Games, which was won by District 12's Haymitch Abernathy , giving fans of the franchise the long-awaited backstory to the popular character, played in the films by Woody Harrelson . The prequel is set for release on November 20, 2026, a little more than two years away.

With the franchise now fully back in the pop culture zeitgeist, you may want to refamiliarize yourself with the world that President Snow shaped. And in case you find yourself a tad bit confused by the growing world of Panem, we have put together this guide together, so everything is crystal clear. So if you are planning to binge on The Hunger Games franchise, this list covers the two most popular orders to watch the series, by release date and by chronological timeline.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on August 20, 2024.

'Hunger Games' Movies in Order of Release

The Hunger Games - March 23, 2012.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - November 20, 2013.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 - November 21, 2014.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - November 20, 2015.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - November 17, 2023.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping - November 20, 2026.

'Hunger Games' Movies in Chronological Order

'the hunger games: the ballad of songbirds and snakes' (2023).

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes focuses on Coriolanus Snow's ( Tom Blyth ) influence on the mentor system, as Snow attempts to rise in the ranks of Panem on the road to becoming the poisonous president that we are introduced to in The Hunger Games. His road to power is based upon the success of District 12's female tribute Lucy Gray Baird ( Rachel Zegler ) during the 10th Hunger Games and how well Baird and Snow can work together to change how the Games are played. Lucy and Corio eventually win the Games, but after it's discovered that Corio cheated, he is cast out of the Capital and travels to District 12 to become a peacekeeper. A romance soon blossoms between Lucy and Corio, but when the former learns of the latter's sinister true colors, their story comes to an intense end.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes   follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) - the last hope for the once-proud Snow family - who is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12 for the 10th Hunger Games. Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will become a songbird or a snake.

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'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' (2026)

Set 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games , Sunrise on the Reaping will tell the story of the 50th Hunger Games (the second Quarter Quell), which was won by Haymitch Abernathy. As fans of the franchise already know, Haymitch hails from Katniss and Peeta's home of District 12 and served as their mentor after they were chosen as tributes for the 74th Hunger Games. Since neither the novel nor the movie has been released yet, we still don't know much about this prequel outside of the basic premise.

'The Hunger Games' (2012)

64 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , we are introduced to Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence ) , another District 12 tribute who volunteers to take her sister's place during the 74th annual Hunger Games. She, alongside her literal on-screen romance Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson ), fights against the hardened competitors from the other districts to become the last two tributes standing. Throughout this fight, we come to see the depths of desperate actions that the Capital will go to keep the districts in chains.

The Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.

Rent on Prime Video

'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' (2013)

After Peeta's and Katniss's victory in the 74th annual Hunger Games, they are once again drawn into the 75th Hunger Games. This time they are fighting a mixed field of former victors, some of whom might be friends and many who are enemies. With her unconventional win of the previous Hunger Games, Katniss returns to the Capital as a beloved victor. Her influence on the Districts is important and she becomes a beacon of hope. Unbeknownst to Katniss, a small group of victors conspires to rebel against the tyrannical Capital with the help of the mysterious District 13. Unfortunately, in the chaos of the extraction attempt, several tributes are left behind to become hostages in the coming war between the districts and the Capital.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' (2014)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 begins with a defeated Katniss Everdeen struggling to become the icon of the rebellion. Her time in the underground world of District 13, and the mental stress of being forced to fight to the death twice haunts her, hampering her self-confidence and ability to connect with others. To make matters worse, we see the ongoing ruination of Peeta as he is psychologically reprogrammed with Trackerjacker venom. Katniss insists she should be deployed to the combat zone to help fight for the rebellion she wishes to support and begins to make some progress in rallying the districts. However, President Snow undercuts this progress by allowing the capture of the reprogrammed hostages by District 13 as the rebellion advances on the capitol itself. Despite Katniss's struggles, the sight of what the common soldier is experiencing galvanizes her towards becoming the icon everyone is expecting her to be.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Katniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2' (2015)

Splitting the story in half , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 sees the rebellion come to the edges of the Capital, President Snow instructs his game makers to create a labyrinth of traps throughout the Capital. The atrocious loss of life and political pressure from President Coin forces Katniss and Gale to commit an attempted assassination of President Snow to end the war as quickly as possible. With limited options that allow her continued position in power, President Coin chooses to send an unstable Peeta into the warzone in an attempt to sabotage Katniss's plan. As this intense series begins to draw to a close, we see some of the most potent sacrifices yet and a strike deep into the heart of the Capital that puts the weight of the whole nation on Katniss and her band of heroes.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Katniss and a team of rebels from District 13 prepare for the final battle that will decide the fate of Panem.

• Movie Features
• Hunger Games
• Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games: Book Versus Movie Analytical Essay

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• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
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The Hunger Games is a trilogy authored by Suzanne Collins. The author gives a story of a woman who aims at achieving the ultimate prize. The film director, Gary Ross, presents the contents of the book in a film in concise way. Even though some contents are left out, the book presents the ideas of the author in a simple way.

In other words, he simplifies the concepts that are unclear in the book. A number of differences between the book and the movie exit. A brief analysis of the interview that covers Seneca Crane’s work on the seventy-fourth general meeting of the Hunger games helps in developing a notion of a moving environment outside Katniss’ personal feelings. This brings on board the capitol and other key players.

In the book, District 12 has the right to look after its own affairs. This is not clearly illustrated in the movie as less time is shared with people who live there. The film does not show the family of Gale and at the same time, Peeta’s father is not shown. This is in spite of the fact that the family relationship between Gale and Katniss is important. This eventually makes it difficult to expose the family ties of Katniss (Collins 37).

Whereas the book illustrates that Katniss is not given the mocking jay pin as a token of appreciation for her tribute to Rue, the movie is different. The relationship between the two sisters is evident when Katniss gives the icon to Prim before her departure. She had bought the pin at the Hob.

She also explains how protective the pin would be to her sister. As much as Peeta is emotionally attached to Katniss, the book develops a balanced strategy between his intellect and prowess. Peeta is willing to do all he can to protect Katniss. The movie portrays Peeta as an individual who does not have the mechanism for personal survival. The time spent by Katniss while in the woods is not given sufficient coverage in the movie.

This means that the movie fails to illustrate her fighting spirit the way it is presented in the novel. Compared to the book, the movie covers Seneca and President Snaw in a better way. The capacity they have concerning what they are capable of doing, as well as showing how life is full of up hills, are some of the issues the movie covers properly (Collins 78).

In an attempt to set the stage for subsequent scenes, District 2 goes against the wishes of Rue yet it is expected that she will be given bread for her effort. This part creates disharmony in the flow of events, especially to a viewer who has not read the whole novel. Irrespective of Gale’s importance in Katniss life, he is given a very limited coverage in the first scene. The book is clear in creating the triangle of love involving Katniss, Gale, and Peeta.

The film creates a confusing moment in the murder of Cato. Katniss’ role in Cato’s death is mild and not well brought out. Though he dies from injuries after he was stabbed with an arrow, Cato had lost hope in life following the realization that his life was worthless. The differences that are seen when a movie and the novel are compared do not indicate failure ineffectiveness in the side of the producer. His efforts are worth appreciating, as the job done was exemplary.

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. Catching fire . New York: Scholastic Inc, 2009. Print.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games . New York: Scholastic Inc, 2009. Print.

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IvyPanda . (2018) 'The Hunger Games: Book Versus Movie'. 18 June.

IvyPanda . 2018. "The Hunger Games: Book Versus Movie." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-hunger-games/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Hunger Games: Book Versus Movie." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-hunger-games/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Hunger Games: Book Versus Movie." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-hunger-games/.