The Hunger Games movies in order

Edited by Ayush SondhiChecked 23 Oct 2026

5 filmsNext: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, 20 Nov 2026

There are five Hunger Games films and no series, with a sixth, Sunrise on the Reaping, scheduled for 20 November 2026. Four films from The Hunger Games (2012) to Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) follow Katniss Everdeen in order, and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) is a prequel set 64 years earlier. This page recommends release order: the four Katniss films were made and released in story order, and the prequels came afterwards and refer back to them. In story order The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes comes first, followed by Sunrise on the Reaping once it is out, then the four Katniss films.

11h 45mTotal runtime

3Evenings

2012First release

2023Latest release

12 years, 5 releases Dot size is runtime · Red is a spin-off · Hollow is a series

2014201820202022

The release order

Checked 23 Oct 2026 · Runtimes are theatrical cuts

The Hunger Games 2012

142 min Main

Start here. Covers the 74th Hunger Games, 74 years after the failed rebellion. Directed by Gary Ross.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 2013

146 min Main

Direct sequel to The Hunger Games. Covers the 75th Hunger Games, the third Quarter Quell, with tributes drawn from past victors.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 2014

123 min Main Shortest in the franchise

Follows Catching Fire. First of two parts adapting the final novel; set in District 13 after the Quarter Quell.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 2015

137 min Main

Direct sequel to Mockingjay – Part 1 and the final film of the original series.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 2023

157 min Spin-off Longest in the franchise

Prequel covering the 10th Hunger Games, 64 years before the first film, with a young Coriolanus Snow mentoring Lucy Gray Baird. Release date and runtime are taken from the franchise page. Can be watched after the four Katniss films or before them.

Questions

Answers come from the entries above

Which Hunger Games entries are optional or spin-offs?

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a spin-off. The release order above says where each one fits.

Which Hunger Games film should you start with?

Start with The Hunger Games (2012). It introduces Katniss Everdeen and the 74th Hunger Games, and the next three films follow on from it directly.

Is a new Hunger Games film announced?

Yes. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is dated 20 Nov 2026 (confirmed).

When is Sunrise on the Reaping coming out?

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled for 20 November 2026 in the United States. Filming wrapped in Berlin on 28 November 2025, Francis Lawrence directs and Joseph Zada plays the young Haymitch Abernathy.

Is The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes set before The Hunger Games?

Yes. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) covers the 10th Hunger Games, 64 years before The Hunger Games (2012), and follows a young Coriolanus Snow as he mentors Lucy Gray Baird.

Which Hunger Games does each film cover?

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) covers the 10th Games, Sunrise on the Reaping (2026) the 50th, The Hunger Games (2012) the 74th and Catching Fire (2013) the 75th, the third Quarter Quell. The two Mockingjay films (2014 and 2015) cover the war that follows.

Is Mockingjay one film or two?

Two. Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) adapt the final novel in two parts, and Part 2 is the direct sequel to Part 1 and the last film of the original series.

Chronological order

Story order, left to right, top to bottom

Story order. Years are story settings where the films state them, otherwise release years.

12023

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Prequel covering the 10th Hunger Games, 64 years before the first film, with a young Coriolanus Snow mentoring Lucy Gray Baird.

22012

The Hunger Games

Covers the 74th Hunger Games, 74 years after the failed rebellion.

32013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Direct sequel to The Hunger Games.

42014

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Follows Catching Fire.

52015

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

Direct sequel to Mockingjay – Part 1 and the final film of the original series.

Next: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026)

Confirmed20 Nov 2026

Prequel covering the 50th Hunger Games, set 24 years before The Hunger Games and 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, with Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy. Francis Lawrence directs; filming wrapped in Berlin on 28 November 2025. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson return as Katniss and Peeta. Source.

This page updates the week a date is confirmed.