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The Hunger Games Movies in Order
The Hunger Games has five films: four following Katniss Everdeen plus the 2023 prequel. Watch in release order, or start with the prequel for chronological story order.
The Hunger Games Movies in Order: complete list
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Why this order?
The Hunger Games is one of the cleanest franchises to navigate because for most of its run it told a single continuous story. The four Katniss Everdeen films released between 2012 and 2015 follow one arc from start to finish, so release order and story order are identical for them. Then in 2023 the series jumped back in time with a prequel, which is the only thing that complicates the picture. Release order is what we recommend, and it is the default here. Start with The Hunger Games (2012), then Catching Fire (2013), then the two-part finale Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015). Watching this way preserves the mysteries the films were built to spring on you, and it lets the prequel land as a deliberate reflection rather than a setup. The Mockingjay split is the only sequencing trap most viewers hit: Part 1 and Part 2 are a single book divided across two movies, so always pair them. Chronological order rearranges things by in-universe timeline. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is set 64 years before Katniss volunteers, following a young Coriolanus Snow long before he becomes the tyrant President Snow. If you want events in the order they happen in Panem, that prequel comes first, then Sunrise on the Reaping once it opens, followed by the four Katniss films in their original sequence. Either path works, but the prequel rewards knowing the original story first, so newcomers should resist the urge to lead with it. Fans of dystopian young-adult sagas like Divergent and The Maze Runner will find a familiar shape here, though The Hunger Games is the most acclaimed of the wave. A further prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, releases in theaters November 20, 2026, and it is listed below as an upcoming entry, so the five released films are the complete watchable series for now.
Timeline 2012-2026
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2012 The Hunger Games
- 2013 Catching Fire
- 2014 Mockingjay, Part 1
- 2015 Mockingjay, Part 2
- 8-year gap
- 2023 The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
- 2026 Sunrise on the Reaping
Where to play it today
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for The Hunger Games.
Frequently asked questions
How many Hunger Games movies are there?
Five are out: the four Katniss Everdeen films from 2012 to 2015, plus the 2023 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. A sixth, the prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, is in theaters from November 20, 2026.
What order should I watch The Hunger Games in?
Watch in release order: The Hunger Games (2012), Catching Fire (2013), Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014), and Mockingjay, Part 2 (2015), then the 2023 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. This preserves the story's surprises. Sunrise on the Reaping goes on the end of that list once it opens in November 2026.
Where can I watch the Hunger Games movies?
In the US, all five released films have been on Netflix since July 14, 2026, after a stretch on Peacock earlier in the year. Each one also rents or sells individually on Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango At Home. Streaming rights move around and differ by country, so check your own region before you plan a marathon. Sunrise on the Reaping will be in theaters only from November 20, 2026.
Should I watch the prequels first?
We don't recommend it. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is set 64 years before Katniss volunteers and follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler); Katniss is not in it, and it lands much harder once you already know Snow as the tyrant of the original four. The two prequels are 40 years apart and stand on their own, so neither one is a prerequisite for the other. Lead with a prequel only if you specifically want strict in-universe chronology.
Can I skip any of the movies?
Not among the four Katniss films. They are one continuous story, and Mockingjay, Part 1 is almost entirely setup for Part 2, so skipping it leaves the finale hard to follow. The 2023 prequel is the one genuinely optional entry: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is self-contained, set 64 years earlier, and its only real tie to Katniss is a young President Snow.
Is Mockingjay one movie or two?
Mockingjay was the final book but was split into two films, Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015). They tell one continuous story, so always watch them back to back as a single finale.
Is the Hunger Games series finished?
No. Katniss's own story ended with Mockingjay, Part 2 in 2015, but the franchise moved into prequels. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes arrived in 2023, and Sunrise on the Reaping, adapting Suzanne Collins's 2025 novel about a young Haymitch Abernathy and the 50th Hunger Games, opens November 20, 2026 with Francis Lawrence directing and Joseph Zada as Haymitch. Nothing further has been announced beyond that film.
How long does it take to watch all the Hunger Games movies?
About 11 hours 45 minutes for all five back to back. The runtimes are 142, 146, 123, 137 and 157 minutes. The four Katniss films on their own come to 9 hours 8 minutes, which splits comfortably across two evenings.
Do I need to read the books first?
No. The films adapt Suzanne Collins's novels faithfully enough to stand on their own. Reading the books adds depth, especially for the prequels, but it isn't required to follow the movies.
What is the chronological order of The Hunger Games?
By in-universe timeline, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes comes first (the 10th Hunger Games, 64 years before Katniss), then Sunrise on the Reaping (the 50th Games, 24 years before Katniss) once it arrives, followed by The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, Part 1, and Mockingjay, Part 2.
When is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping coming out?
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is dated November 20, 2026. Haymitch's Games, adapted from the 2025 novel.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, Wikidata
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