The Hunger Games film series consists of five dystopian action films based on The Hunger Games novels by the American author Suzanne Collins. The five films, entitled The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, were released serially worldwide between March 2012 and November 2023. The first film was directed by Gary Ross, while the other four were directed by Francis Lawrence. Distributed by Lionsgate and produced by Nina Jacobson, it stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth as the three leading characters, Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne, in the four films with Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler as the lead characters, Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow and Lucy Gray Baird in the prequel.
Every film was a financial success and achieved blockbuster status. The Hunger Games grossed over $694 million worldwide against its budget of $78 million, making it the third-highest-grossing film in the United States, only behind The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, and ninth-highest-grossing worldwide of 2012. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire topped the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office of 2013. It also grossed over $865 million worldwide and is currently the highest-grossing entry in The Hunger Games series. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 ranked second at the domestic office of 2014, grossing $337 million, while over $755 million worldwide. Part 2 has grossed $281 million in North America, with a total of $652 million worldwide. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes has grossed $165.9 million in United States and Canada and $336.5 million worldwide.
Overall, the film series received positive reception from critics. The Hunger Games scored an 84% rating based on a sample of 277 reviews on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes with an average of 7.2/10. The second entry performed even better with critics, garnering an approval rating of 89%, with an average of 7.5/10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 scored a 69% rating based on 293 reviews, while Part 2 had a 70% rating, with average of 6.5/10, based on 231 reviews. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes scored a 64% rating based on 233 reviews, the lowest score in the franchise.
The Hunger Games film series received awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for its direction, screenplay and the performances of Jennifer Lawrence. The series won nine MTV Movie Awards out of twenty-six nominations, nine People's Choice Awards out of thirteenth nominations and received three Grammy Awards and Golden Globe Awards nominations, winning a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media for "Safe & Sound".
The Hunger Games
The first film in the franchise, The Hunger Games was released in theatres in the US on March 23, 2012. The story takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future in the nation of Panem, where boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18 must take part in the Hunger Games, a televised annual event in which the "tributes" are required to fight to the death until there is one remaining who will be crowned the victor. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the games. Joined by her district's male tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), Katniss travels to the Capitol to train for the Hunger Games under the guidance of former victor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson).
The Hunger Games received fifty-one nominations, and won twenty-eight. The song "Safe & Sound" won a Grammy Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. For her performance, Lawrence won the Saturn Award and the Empire Award for Best Actress, and the Critics' Choice Awards for Best Actress in an Action Movie. The film itself received twelve nominations, winning the award for Favorite Movie at the People's Choice Awards and at the Kids' Choice Awards. Meanwhile, Hutcherson won a MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance, a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Sci-Fi/Fantasy and a Do Something! Awards for Best Male Movie Star, and Elizabeth Banks won the MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Transformation.
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards June 20, 2013 Top Box Office Films James Newton Howard Artios Awards January 10, 2013 Big Budget Feature – Drama Debra Zane and Jackie Burch Black Reel Awards February 7, 2013 Best Breakthrough Performance Amandla Stenberg British Academy Children's Awards November 25, 2012 Feature Film Gary Ross, Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik Feature Film Kids' Vote The Hunger Games CMT Music Awards June 6, 2012 Collaborative Video of The Year Safe & Sound Video of the Year Costume Designers Guild Awards February 19, 2013 Excellence in Fantasy FilmJudianna Makovsky Critics' Choice Awards January 10, 2013 Best Actress in an Action Movie Jennifer Lawrence Do Something! Awards August 21, 2012 Movie Star: Male Josh Hutcherson Liam Hemsworth Empire Awards March 24, 2013 Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence Golden Globe Awards January 13, 2013 Best Original Song "Safe & Sound" (Taylor Swift, Joy Williams, John Paul White and T-Bone Burnett) Grammy Awards February 10, 2013 Best Song Written for Visual Media "Safe & Sound" (Taylor Swift, Joy Williams, John Paul White and T-Bone Burnett) "Abraham's Daughter" (T Bone Burnett, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne) Hugo Awards September 1, 2013 Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form Screenplay by Gary Ross & Suzanne Collins, Directed by Gary Ross Kerrang! Awards June 7, 2012 Best Film The Hunger Games Kids' Choice Awards March 23, 2013 Favorite Movie The Hunger Games Favorite Movie Actress Jennifer Lawrence Favorite Female Buttkicker Jennifer Lawrence MTV Movie Awards June 3, 2012 Movie of the Year The Hunger Games Best Cast Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Alexander Ludwig, Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz Best Male Performance Josh Hutcherson Best Female Performance Jennifer Lawrence Best Fight Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig Best Hero Jennifer Lawrence Best Kiss Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson Best On-Screen Transformation Elizabeth Banks Breakthrough Performance Liam Hemsworth NAACP Image Awards February 1, 2013 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Lenny Kravitz Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Amandla Stenberg Nebula Awards May 18, 2013 Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation The Hunger Games NewNowNext Awards April 11, 2012 Next Mega Star Josh Hutcherson People's Choice Awards January 9, 2013 Favorite Movie The Hunger Games Favorite Action Movie The Hunger Games Favorite Movie Franchise The Hunger Games Favorite Face of Heroism Jennifer Lawrence Favorite Movie Actress Jennifer Lawrence Favorite On-Screen Chemistry Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth Favorite Movie Fan Following Tributes Saturn Awards June 26, 2013 Best Science Fiction Film The Hunger Games Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence Society of Operating Cameramen Awards March 9, 2013 Camera Operator of the Year in Feature Film Duane Manwiller Teen Choice Awards July 22, 2012 Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie The Hunger Games Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actor Josh Hutcherson Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actress Jennifer Lawrence Choice Male Hottie Liam Hemsworth Choice Movie Chemistry Jennifer Lawrence & Amandla Stenberg Choice Movie Liplock Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson Choice Movie Scene Stealer: Male Liam Hemsworth Choice Movie Scene Stealer: Female Elizabeth Banks Choice Movie Villain Alexander Ludwig
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was released on November 22, 2013, in the United States. The plot takes place a few months after the previous installment; Katniss Everdeen has now returned home safely after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Throughout the story, Katniss senses that a rebellion against the oppressive Capitol is simmering through the districts.
Catching Fire also received a total of fifty nominations, winning sixteen times. The film was nominated for the Critics' Choice Awards for Best Action Film and a Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. It won the MTV Movie Award for Best Movie and the Empire Award for Best Film and Best Thriller. For her performance, Lawrence was nominated a second time for the Empire Award for Best Actress as well as the Saturn Award and Critics' Choice Award. The song "Atlas" was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and won a Hollywood Film Award for Best Song.
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result Costume Designers Guild Awards February 22, 2014 Excellence in Fantasy Film Trish Summerville Critics' Choice Awards January 16, 2014 Best Action Movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Best Actress in an Action Movie Jennifer Lawrence Best Song "Atlas" (Coldplay) Denver Film Critics Society Awards January 13, 2014 Best Original Song "Atlas" (Coldplay) Detroit Film Critics Society Awards December 13, 2013 Best Supporting Actor Stanley Tucci Empire Awards March 30, 2014 Best Film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence Best Supporting Actor Sam Claflin Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Best Thriller The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Golden Globe Awards January 12, 2014 Best Original Song "Atlas" (Coldplay) Grammy Awards January 26, 2014 Best Song Written for Visual Media "Atlas" (Coldplay) Hollywood Film Awards October 18–20, 2013 Best Song "Atlas" (Coldplay) Hugo Awards August 17, 2014 Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form The Hunger Games: Catching Fire London Film Critics' Circle February 2, 2014 Technical Achievement Trish Summerville Kids' Choice Awards March 29, 2014 Favorite Movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Favorite Movie Actress Jennifer Lawrence Favorite Female Buttkicker Jennifer Lawrence Jena Malone MTV Movie Awards April 14, 2013 Movie of the Year The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Best Male Performance Josh Hutcherson Best Female Performance Jennifer Lawrence Best Shirtless Performance Sam Claflin Best Fight Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson & Sam Claflin vs. Mutant Monkeys Best Villain Donald Sutherland Favorite Character Jennifer Lawrence Best On-Screen Transformation Elizabeth Banks Breakthrough Performance Liam Hemsworth Nebula Awards May 17, 2014 Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation The Hunger Games: Catching Fire People's Choice Awards January 8, 2014 Favorite Year End Movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire San Diego Film Critics Society Awards December 11, 2013 Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Banks Best Editing Alan Edward Bell Saturn Awards June 26, 2014 Best Science Fiction Film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Best Director Francis Lawrence Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence Best Supporting Actress Jena Malone Best Production Design Philip Messina Best Editing Alan Edward Bell Best Costume Trish Summerville Teen Choice Awards August 10, 2014 Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Josh Hutcherson Liam Hemsworth Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Jennifer Lawrence Choice Movie: Liplock Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson Choice Movie: Scene Stealer Sam Claflin Choice Movie: Villain Donald Sutherland Young Hollywood Awards July 28, 2014 Best Threesome Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson Best Cast Chemistry–Film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Favorite Flick The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1