Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
More than a decade after the release of the first film, and nearly 20 years since the debut of the first novel, people still can't get enough of The Hunger Games. The dystopian sci-fi franchise that turned death games into entertainment has been around for a long time. It was a record-breaking season before the end of the film's first opening weekend, and now, all five films in The Hunger Games franchise are on Netflix.
The Hunger Games Set The World On Fire
The Hunger Games turned Jennifer Lawrence into a star as Katniss Everdeen, a medal volunteer from District 12. Her struggle to survive during the nationally televised Hunger Games started a revolution that would eventually bring down the corrupt government's rule over the rest of North America. And it was so full of stars, you forgot that Jack Quaid played Tribute from District 1.
Compared to ancient Japanese religion Battle Royale, The Hunger Games took the existing genre of death games to the next level. Catching Firethe second film, returned to the arena for another run, and the final films in Katniss's story, Mockingjay Part 1 again Part 2focused on the raging civil war of Panem. All of them have been popular, and each of them has been among the top movies on Netflix since joining the service.
The One Franchise That Does Prequels Right
The outlier is from 2023 Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesa prequel focusing on the history of President Snow (Donald Sutherland in the first few movies, Tom Blyth in the prequel), and his love for Lucy (Rachel Zegler), a District 12 tribute. It proved that a dystopian world can expand beyond Katniss Everdeen, and that movies don't need Jennifer Lawrence to sell them. It's also available on Netflix right now, popping in and out of the Netflix Top Ten.
new movie, The rising of the sun in the harvest, will arrive on November 20, and this time it's the story of Haymitch (Woody Harrelson in The Hunger GamesJoseph Zada here). McKenna Grace plays Maysilee Donner, who joins Haymitch as another Tribute from District 12. The novel has been out for a while, but if you've seen the first few films, you know that Haymitch is a man haunted by his past, so it's safe to say that things aren't going well during the 50th Annual Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games Has Outgrown Its YA Roots
The Hunger Games franchise has moved from Young Adult novels to the big screen since 2009. Many studios would kill to have five films of this quality, and much of it can be attributed first, to the original writer, Suzanne Collins, and second, to the director of the franchise, Francis Lawrence. Lawrence has directed all but the original film and has lived such a good life in his teens. an adaptation of Stephen King's A Long Journey.
All five The Hunger Games films are at the forefront of the adult adaptation trend of 2010. Yes, there is a love triangle, but as the stakes grow they fade into the background. What remains is a dystopian franchise that embraces its brutal, relentless plot with open arms, places all its heroes, and always remembers that there is hope for a better future.
The Hunger Games franchise is now streaming on Netflix.
