How to Watch The Hunger Games Movies in Chronological Order

In 2008 Suzanne Collins' unleashed The Hunger Games connected the world, launching a bestselling publication bid that would go a globally beloved franchise. Continuing the bequest of satirical stories similar Battle Royale and The Running Man, the bid centers connected PANEM, a North America state that pits its children against each different successful grim battles for survival. Out of that brutality comes a fig of hope, Katniss Everdeen, the Mockingjay.

Three years aft the publication was released , the archetypal movie deed screens, becoming a worldwide blockbuster and mounting the signifier for 4 much Hunger Games movies. With the summation of the newest Hunger Games film, A Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and different prequel connected the way, we're present to interruption down however to ticker each the films successful bid now!

Jump to:

• How to ticker successful chronological order
• How to ticker by merchandise date

How Many Hunger Games Movies Are There?

There are present 5 full-length Hunger Games movies, with a sixth movie releasing successful 2026. Unlike galore different franchises, determination haven't been immoderate abbreviated films, TV shows, oregon other contented created to physique retired the satellite of the games, with conscionable the 5 movies and 4 books that they're based on. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is present disposable connected STARZ, but you tin ticker the different 4 Hunger Games films connected Peacock arsenic you get acceptable to cheque retired the newest introduction into the franchise.

How to Watch The Hunger Games successful Chronological Order

1. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

Despite the information that it's the newest summation to the franchise, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes really takes spot 64 years earlier the different Hunger Games films. Based connected the caller prequel of the aforesaid sanction the movie follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) — the villainous President of PANEM from the main franchise — and his romance with a talented tribute named Lucy Gray (Rachel Ziegler). Expanding the satellite of The Hunger Games and exploring the aboriginal days of the brutal contention and the origins of its astir evil villain, this introduction whitethorn person travel implicit a decennary aft the archetypal movie but is conscionable arsenic important arsenic the archetypal films.

Read our review of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

2. The Hunger Games (2012)

Adapting Suzanne Collins' best-selling YA caller this blockbuster smash stars Jennifer Lawrence arsenic Katniss Everdeen, a young pistillate who volunteers to instrumentality her sister's spot successful the titular conflict to the death. Introducing viewers to the exploitative satellite of PANEM wherever radical ticker children termination each different for entertainment, and ostensibly to punish the citizens for a decades erstwhile failed effort astatine revolution. This brutal escapade sows the seeds for the rebellion Katniss volition yet pb aft teaming up with her chap District 12 tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) to effort and past the fatal events of the Hunger Games tournament.

Of course, this wouldn't beryllium a YA adaptation without the obligatory emotion triangle which successful this lawsuit comes from Katniss' closeness to Peeta and her emotion for her District 12 champion person Gale. Those relationships are cardinal to the aboriginal authorities and complexities of the Hunger Games, particularly erstwhile successful a shocking twist some Peeta and Katniss survive, leaving the federation of PANEM successful uproar arsenic the districts recognize they whitethorn beryllium capable to combat backmost against their tyrannical government, inspired by Katniss and her rebellious crook successful the games. This besides sets the sights of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) straight connected Katniss, mounting up a monolithic conflict.

Read our review of The Hunger games.

Not yet disposable for streaming.

3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Following their rebellion-inspiring endurance astatine the Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss are paraded astir PANEM arsenic prima crossed lovers with the volition of quelling the imaginable uprisings. But erstwhile the Capitol declares a peculiar day Hunger Games that volition spot erstwhile victors brought backmost to combat again, Peeta and Katniss are soon swept up successful different combat for survival.

Centering connected the quality outgo of the games, Catching Fire introduces instrumentality favourite champions Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Johanna (Jena Malone) who indispensable trade an uneasy confederation with Peeta and Katniss to past the adjacent much high-tech and deadly games. They are acold from unsocial though arsenic we larn much astir the burgeoning rebellion successful this entry, particularly arsenic the movie ends with the monolithic uncover that the erstwhile thought to beryllium destroyed District 13, is really the basal of the Rebellion and with Katniss arsenic its figurehead they're acceptable to combat backmost against Snow.

Read our review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One (2014)

Splitting the last publication successful the archetypal Hunger Games trilogy into two, Mockingjay: Part One continues straight connected from Catching Fire arsenic Katniss is reunited with her household successful District 13. The rebellion is increasing exponentially, led by the acold but effectual Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) She soon realizes that portion Finnick and different champion Beetee (Jeffery Wright) were saved from the arena, Peeta was near down to beryllium taken by the Capitol. Unlike the archetypal 2 films, Mockingjay: Part One doesn't diagnostic a Hunger Games and alternatively focuses connected the interior workings of the rebellion arsenic they physique up the representation of Katniss arsenic the titular Mockingjay.

While she takes portion successful rebellion actions, Katniss besides encourages the rescue of Peeta, Johanna, and Finnick's betrothed Annie (Stef Dawson) from the Capitol. Their rescue is simply a occurrence acknowledgment to the assistance of the rebellion and Katniss' puerility champion person Gale — who survived the demolition of their location District 12 — but it's revealed that Peeta has been brainwashed to hatred Katniss and the movie ends arsenic helium tries to assassinate her.

Read our review of Mockingjay Part 1.

5. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two (2015)

After her heartbreaking onslaught astatine the hands of Peeta, Katniss is traumatized but has to spell connected the run way arsenic the rebellion effort to get the last Capitol controlled District connected their side. The last movie successful the bid reimagines the Hunger Games arsenic President Snow turns an full metropolis into a gauntlet that our surviving champions person to conflict done successful bid to instrumentality down the Capitol. There are brutal losses, heartbreaking betrayals, and a amazingly realistic and often depressing instrumentality connected the realities of warfare and the ongoing conflict for bid that is highlighted erstwhile the Rebellion person Alma Coin decides to proceed the Hunger Games to punish the Capitol. Of people Katniss doesn't instrumentality good to that choice, sidesplitting the would-be caller President, ending up connected proceedings but yet acquitted — owed to her intelligence wellness — for her relation successful the assassination.

One of the astir absorbing things astir this introduction into the bid is however it proudly eschews the blessed ending that galore would expect alternatively leaning into the bleakness of warfare and however adjacent those who past it conflict to support a mean beingness erstwhile they instrumentality home. In that mode it stands retired from different YA adaptations that often extremity connected a much affirmative and hopeful note.

Read our review of Mockingjay Part 2.

The Hunger Games Movies by Release Date

If you privation to ticker the films based connected the bid of their release, you'll privation to commencement with the 2nd movie connected our chronological list.

• The Hunger Games (2012)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One (2014)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two (2015)
• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
• The Hunger Games: Sunrise connected the Reaping (2026)

Will There Be More Hunger Games Movies?

Soon aft writer Suzanne Collins announced a caller prequel successful the Hunger Games series, Lionsgate announced it was already moving connected the movie adaptation. The adjacent prequel, titled Sunrise connected the Reaping, takes spot 24 years earlier The Hunger Games, placing it 2nd successful the film's communicative chronology aft Snakes & Songbirds. It's scheduled to deed theaters connected November 20, 2026. Most of the formed has been announced, including Kieran Culkin, Jesse Plemons, and Ralph Fiennes.

Rosie Knight is simply a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to fearfulness flicks. She has implicit fractional a decennary of acquisition successful amusement journalism with bylines astatine Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is simply a published comics writer who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the play Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision. When she's not writing, you tin find her playing Dragon Ball FighterZ oregon rewatching weird aged fearfulness and martial movies successful her escaped time. She loves making comics and zines arsenic good arsenic collecting VHS and speechmaking overmuch manga arsenic humanly possible. You tin find her connected societal astatine @rosiemarx.