How to Watch Every Hunger Games Movie in Chronological Order (2026 Guide)

The Hunger Games franchise is one of the most successful film series, inspired by Suzanne Collins‘ book series with the same name. As fans get ready to watch the highly anticipated upcoming movie, here’s how new fans can get into the franchise in the right order.

With the upcoming release and the already released movies, it is confusing for newcomers to know the order in which to watch the franchise. The first movie was released in 2012, but that is not the one new fans should acquaint themselves with. If new viewers are keen to watch it as enjoyably as possible, then this guide is for you.

Quick Answer: The Hunger Games Movie Release Order

Originally, the movies were released in a different order than the events set in them. The story does not start with The Hunger Games (2012); it goes a little bit backward.

However, if you want to watch the movie franchise according to its release order, here it is:

1. The Hunger Games (2012)
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015)
5. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
6. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026)

The above order is how the creators discovered these storylines. However, the right way to watch The Hunger Games is in chronological order by watching the prequels first.

The Hunger Games Chronological Watch Order Explained

For new viewers, the best way, as recommended above, is chronologically. The prequels will help set up the characters and their stories, so new fans will not have to go in blind, watching the 2012 movie without knowing who Haymitch Abernathy or Coriolanus Snow is, like the rest of the world did.

If you directly watch the 2012 movie before The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, it will never tell you why Snow is the villain he is.

Here’s the chronological order for the movie franchise:

1. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes sets up the story of President Snow, who is seen as a mentor in the prequel. Snow was different when he was younger; however, he changed after losing Lucy Gray, a tribute he was mentoring and fell in love with from District 12.

Snow was a young, struggling character who wanted his family to be secure. In The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, you get to see how a character you almost rooted for ended up being the worst villain to the District sweethearts.

2. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Sunrise on the Reaping will set up Haymitch’s highly anticipated 50th Hunger Games, and the Second Quarter Quell that would lead to Katniss and Peeta Mellark’s mentor in the 2012 movie. When Haymitch is introduced in the Everdeen storyline, he is far from being interested in mentoring or teaching the tributes of District 12 how to win.

But why did he give up trying to save people after winning the games himself is the setup that goes missing. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set to release in theatres on November 20, 2026 (via IMDb).

3. The Hunger Games

Leading us to the one that started it all, the first movie released, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson (as Peeta), and Liam Hemsworth (as Gale). The 2012 movie sets the stage for the rest of the franchise, with Katniss volunteering for the now-televised competition.

4. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

This leads us to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which follows the story of Katniss and Peeta as they become the targets for the Capitol after winning the 74th Hunger Games in the previous installment. However, the two are sent back to the arena, as Snow tries to take his revenge, where they start a revolution in the districts, unknowingly.

Katniss also misses out on any context on Snow, but as new viewers, when you watch the franchise chronologically, you would already know what Snow is thinking before the tribute does.

5. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part -1

The movie sets up the actual revolution in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part -1, where Katniss becomes the face of the change after destroying the root of the games. Viewers can see how Katniss becomes the rebel who could win, compared to Lucy Gray, who was the rebel who was silenced.

6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part – 2

Finally, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part – 2 sets up the finale between Snow and Katniss, as she tries to gain victory against the Capitol. Katniss and the gang prepare for a final battle that will rewrite the future of Panem.

The timeline keeps on expanding, and we hope that it keeps on giving us more context on the characters we met throughout. Fans would also definitely love a movie on Finnick Odair, one of the most beloved characters.

Based on the above information, the best order to watch the franchise is chronologically, as given below:

Watch Order	Title	Release Year	IMDb Rating (as pf April 23)
1	The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes	2023	6.6/10
2	The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping	2026	NA (as of April 23, 2026)
3	The Hunger Games	2012	7.2/10
4	The Hunger Games: Catching Fire	2013	7.5/10
5	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1	2014	6.6/10
6	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2	2015	6.6/10

The Hunger Games Release Order

The movie franchise did not begin with all these movies ready to go. It started with The Hunger Games in 2012, which fans immediately gravitated towards. The franchise was already setting up the end of its terror inspired by Collins’ book series. If you watch them in the release order, you will directly get to see the rebellion that begins and how it ends.

Here’s the movie franchise according to its theatrical release order:

The Hunger Games (2012)

The plot revolves around Katniss, who is sent into the Hunger Games arena. Will she survive the ruthless competition and win, or lose her life as she fights tributes from various Districts of Panem?

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

The movie leads the victors of the 74th Hunger Games back into the arena they hate, as Snow plots his revenge.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part – 1

Katniss is on the run from Snow and in a district she had never known existed before, under a new President, as they plan the rebellion together.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part – 2

Katniss officially becomes the face of the rebellion as they prepare for the final battle with Snow and the Capitol. Will she be able to defeat Snow, who knows the game way before she did, or will she face a greater threat?

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The events in the movie will help new viewers understand Snow and the changes he made, and how the previous games’ polished spectacle is not how it was with Lucy Gray.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

This story will see how the winner of one game creates another that will ultimately destroy the entire game. Viewers can learn about the release date, trailers, cast, and everything to know about Sunrise on the Reaping.

What Can You Skip in The Hunger Games?

The original story actually begins before the main character, Katniss Everdeen, is introduced. However, if you want to skip some movies, watching just Everdeen’s story will be just as impactful without the prequels.

The stories were further expanded because of fans’ high demand to watch how their beloved characters ended up the way they did. For instance, The Hunger Games never explains how someone like Haymitch won and why he has no regard for other people who could lose their lives.

By becoming tributes, they essentially depend upon their mentor’s experiences and tricks to actually come out of these cruel games alive. Fans want to know what happened to these characters, and after the success of Snow’s origin story, their desire for another increased.

Where to Watch The Hunger Games Movie Franchise

Despite there being a total of five movies and an upcoming release for which viewers will have to wait until November, the rest of the franchise is available to stream on Hulu.

For viewers in different regions, the movie franchise will also be available on Amazon Prime Video. Fans will have to wait for the upcoming movie to be released on streaming platforms.

Which watch order do you follow for The Hunger Games? Let us know in the comments below!

The Hunger Games movie franchise is currently available to stream on Hulu.