You're sitting on the couch, scrolling through a streaming service, and you see Jennifer Lawrence’s face. You remember the whistle. You remember the "I volunteer as tribute!" moment. But then you see a different poster—one with a golden snake and a bird, and suddenly you’re wondering how many movies are there of The Hunger Games anyway? It’s not a straightforward "one, two, three" situation anymore.
Basically, as of early 2026, there are five feature films in the franchise.
For a long time, we just had the original tetralogy. That started back in 2012 when Gary Ross brought Suzanne Collins’ brutal dystopian world to life. It felt like everyone was obsessed with Katniss Everdeen. Then, things went quiet for a few years until 2023, when the prequel arrived. But if you’re trying to count them up for a weekend marathon, you need to know the order, the weird split-sequel situation, and why the newest one feels so different.
The Core Four: Katniss and the Rebellion
The original run of films is what most people think of immediately. You’ve got the first one, The Hunger Games, which came out in 2012. It was a massive gamble for Lionsgate. They took a YA book about kids killing each other and turned it into a cultural phenomenon. It made over $694 million. That’s a lot of money for a movie where the protagonist spends half the time hiding in a tree.
Then came Catching Fire in 2013. Honestly? Most fans agree this is the best one. Francis Lawrence took over as director here, and he stayed for the rest of the series. The stakes got higher, the arena was a clock, and the ending—with the lightning and the crumbling roof—was a genuine "holy crap" moment. It’s rare for a sequel to outshine the original, but this one did.
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Then things got a little complicated with the "split finale" trend.
If you’re counting how many movies are there of The Hunger Games, you have to count Mockingjay as two separate entries. Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) were filmed back-to-back. This was the era where Hollywood thought every final book needed two movies—think Harry Potter or Twilight. Some people felt it dragged. Others loved the deep dive into the politics of rebellion and the psychological toll on Katniss. Regardless of how you feel, they are two distinct films in the catalog.
The Prequel: Why the Number Jumped to Five
For eight years, the answer to "how many movies" was four. Then came The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Released in late 2023, this movie changed the math. It isn’t a sequel. You won't see Katniss. Instead, it goes back 64 years before the first movie. It’s an origin story for Coriolanus Snow, the guy we all loved to hate as the old President Snow.
It's a long movie. Nearly three hours. But it’s essential if you want the full picture of Panem. It explains how the Games turned from a boring, gritty punishment into a flashy, televised spectacle. Watching Tom Blyth (as young Snow) and Rachel Zegler (as Lucy Gray Baird) gives the whole series a new context. It makes the original four movies feel different when you rewatch them because you finally understand the "why" behind the Capitol's madness.
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Breaking Down the Titles in Order
If you want to watch them in the order they were released, here is how the list looks. Don't worry about the dates; just focus on the flow.
- The Hunger Games (2012): The one that started it all. Katniss replaces Prim. The 74th Games.
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013): The Quarter Quell. The rebellion starts to simmer.
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014): Lots of propaganda, District 13, and Peeta being "hijacked."
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015): The final assault on the Capitol. The "Real or Not Real" moments.
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023): The 10th Hunger Games. The rise of a villain.
There is a big debate about whether you should watch the prequel first. Personally? I say no. Watch the original four first. The prequel relies on you knowing what the world becomes. It’s much more impactful to see the ruined version of Panem before you see how it got that way.
Is More on the Horizon?
The question of how many movies are there of The Hunger Games might change again soon. Suzanne Collins isn't done with this world. Fans are constantly speculating about a movie centered on Haymitch Abernathy’s Games—the 50th Hunger Games. He had to face double the tributes. It was a bloodbath. While nothing is officially "filming" this second, the success of the 2023 prequel proved that the audience is still there.
Lionsgate knows they have a goldmine. But they’ve been smart so far. They haven't milked it to death with cheap spin-offs every year. They wait for Suzanne Collins to write the source material first. That’s a level of restraint you don’t see much in Hollywood these days. It keeps the quality high. It keeps the "prestige" feel of the franchise intact.
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The Cultural Impact of the Five Films
It’s easy to forget how much these movies changed things. Before Katniss, female-led action movies were seen as "risky" by studio heads. Ridiculous, right? Jennifer Lawrence proved everyone wrong. She became the highest-paid actress in the world for a while because of these films.
The movies also didn't shy away from the dark stuff. These aren't just "fun" movies. They are about PTSD. They are about how media can be used to control people. They are about the morality of war. Even the prequel, which focuses on a future dictator, asks some pretty uncomfortable questions about human nature. Are we all just naturally violent? Do we need a "Capitol" to keep us in line?
What You Should Do Next
If you're planning a rewatch or diving in for the first time, don't just mindlessly binge. The depth in these films is pretty wild.
- Check the Streaming Licenses: These movies hop around. One month they're on Netflix, the next they're on Hulu or Peacock. Check a site like JustWatch to see where they are currently living so you don't end up paying $3.99 per rental.
- Watch the Prequel Last: Seriously. The emotional payoff of seeing the symbols (like the mockingjay pin) in the prequel only works if you’ve seen the original journey of Katniss.
- Pay Attention to the Costume Design: The transition from the 10th Games to the 74th Games is told through the clothes. The Capitol goes from post-war "modest" to that flamboyant, neon madness we see in the original film. It's a great bit of visual storytelling.
You’ve got five movies to get through. That’s about 12 to 13 hours of content. Clear your weekend, grab some popcorn (maybe not the "lamb stew" Katniss loves, unless you're a really good cook), and get to it. The odds are actually pretty high that you'll enjoy the marathon.