The Hunger Games films aren’t just one straight survival story in an arena. Across the series, the movies move from Katniss Everdeen’s fight to stay alive to a full-scale uprising that changes Panem forever, then circle back in prequels that explain how the Games were built and how key figures like President Snow (and later Haymitch) were shaped long before Katniss’ time.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of each Hunger Games film so you know what each one is about and how it fits into the story world, whether you’re watching by release date or chronologically:
The Hunger Games (2012)
The Hunger Games introduces us to the dystopian nation of Panem, where a wealthy Capitol rules over 12 poorer districts and each year forces them to send two teenagers — one boy and one girl — to fight to the death in a televised event called the Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the 74th Games. As she fights to survive alongside fellow tribute Peeta Mellark, the brutal spectacle reveals the cruelty of the Capitol and sparks the first seeds of rebellion.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
In Catching Fire, Katniss and Peeta have survived the 74th Hunger Games and returned to their home district. Their victory, though, has made them symbols of hope, and unrest is rising across Panem. The Capitol, determined to reassert control, announces the 75th Hunger Games — a special edition called the Quarter Quell — forcing previous victors (including Katniss and Peeta) back into the arena. This film deepens the political stakes and positions Katniss as the face of growing resistance.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
As history shows, the Quarter Quell isn’t just another Games. In Mockingjay – Part 1, Katniss is rescued from the arena and taken to District 13, a secret rebellion headquarters. There she becomes a reluctant symbol called the Mockingjay — the spark for a widespread revolt against the Capitol. While she endorses propaganda campaigns to unite the districts, her friends, like Peeta, have been captured and tortured by the Capitol, adding emotional urgency to her mission.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015)
The rebellion that Mockingjay – Part 1 sparked reaches its climax here. In Mockingjay – Part 2, Katniss and a squad of allies launch a full-scale assault on the Capitol to overthrow President Snow’s oppressive regime. The film follows intense guerrilla fights, political betrayals, and Katniss’ personal arc as she confronts the system that shaped her world — and ultimately confronts Snow himself.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
This prequel goes back about 64 years before Katniss’s story. It focuses on a young Coriolanus Snow, decades before he becomes Panem’s tyrannical President. Snow is chosen to mentor a tribute in the 10th Hunger Games, and through this experience we see the early structure of the Games and the moral compromises that shape Snow’s future. This film recontextualizes the Hunger Games by showing how the system began and why someone like Snow became its face.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026) (Upcoming)
Set 24 years before the original trilogy, this second prequel dives into the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The story centers on a young Haymitch Abernathy — the mentor who later guides Katniss and Peeta — as he fights to survive a brutal version of the Games where twice as many tributes are chosen. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are expected to appear in a flash-forward epilogue as an older Katniss and Peeta, showing how the events connect to the familiar storyline.
The Hunger Games Franchise In Chronological Order:
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
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 franchise 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)
