The Hunger Games Movies in Order (Where Sunrise on the Reaping Fits)

Chronological (in-universe) order

1. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — set roughly 64 years before the original trilogy, during the 10th Hunger Games
2. Sunrise on the Reaping — set roughly 24 years before the original trilogy, during the 50th Hunger Games, the second Quarter Quell (film in theaters November 20, 2026)
3. The Hunger Games
4. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
5. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2

Release order

1. The Hunger Games (2012)
2. Catching Fire (2013)
3. Mockingjay — Part 1 (2014)
4. Mockingjay — Part 2 (2015)
5. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
6. Sunrise on the Reaping (November 20, 2026)

Which order should you watch them in for a first watch?

Release order, for anyone approaching the franchise for the first time, saving chronological order for a rewatch once you know the whole story. The original trilogy is built to work as a complete, self-contained story with no prequel knowledge required, and Katniss's arc lands harder when you don't already know exactly how the Capitol's propaganda machine and Games traditions developed decades earlier. Suzanne Collins wrote the original trilogy first for that reason, and the prequels came years later as expansions rather than essential setup.

What Sunrise on the Reaping actually covers, and when you can watch it

Sunrise on the Reaping is a film adaptation of Collins's 2025 prequel novel, in theaters November 20, 2026, with Joseph Zada playing a young Haymitch Abernathy (a role Woody Harrelson held as the adult character in the original films). It's set during Haymitch's own Games, the 50th, also known as the second Quarter Quell. Because it isn't out yet, a true chronological watch-through of the full saga isn't possible until it releases; until then, release order is the only complete option anyway.

A closer look at how each prequel connects to the originals

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows a young Coriolanus Snow, decades before he becomes the tyrannical President Snow that Katniss fights. It asks audiences to spend real time with a character we already know becomes a monster, tracing the choices that shape that transformation rather than treating him as born evil. Sunrise on the Reaping connects far more directly to characters fans already know: it's Haymitch's backstory, filling in the specific trauma behind the bitter, heavy-drinking mentor of the original films. Where Songbirds and Snakes explores a largely new cast, Sunrise on the Reaping deepens someone whose aftermath we've already watched, which is why it's expected to land with more weight for existing fans.

Why does Sunrise on the Reaping matter so much to understanding Haymitch specifically?

In the original trilogy, Haymitch is a bitter former victor who seems to have given up on caring about anything beyond his own survival. Sunrise on the Reaping fills in the specific reason for that, showing what he experienced and lost during his own Games. Understanding that history recontextualizes every scene featuring adult Haymitch in the original trilogy, giving his cynicism a concrete, earned foundation the original films never fully explained.

Do you need to read the books first?

Not required — the films are faithful enough that you won't be lost skipping the source material. That said, Collins wrote Sunrise on the Reaping as a novel first, published before the film, and it goes considerably deeper into Haymitch's internal experience than a roughly two-hour film has room for.

How does the franchise's box office and critical reception compare across entries?

The original trilogy remains the commercial and critical high point by most measures, with Catching Fire widely considered the strongest single entry. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes drew more mixed critical reception on release, with some critics finding its nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime demanding for a prequel about a character whose fate is already known, though it performed solidly commercially. Sunrise on the Reaping's box office and critical standing won't be knowable until it opens on November 20, 2026, but its marketing has leaned on renewed interest in the franchise's connection to beloved original characters.

Frequently asked questions

What order should I watch the Hunger Games movies in? Release order for a first watch is easier to follow; save chronological order for a rewatch once you know the full story.

Where does Sunrise on the Reaping fit in the timeline? It's set about 24 years before the original trilogy, during Haymitch Abernathy's own Hunger Games, the second Quarter Quell. The film releases in theaters November 20, 2026.

Do I need to watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before Sunrise on the Reaping? Not strictly — they're separate stories set in different eras with mostly different casts, though both deepen your understanding of the Capitol's history.

Do I need to read the books before watching the Hunger Games movies? Not required; the films are faithful enough adaptations that you won't be lost without reading the source material first.

Why does Sunrise on the Reaping matter more to existing fans than the first prequel? It directly deepens Haymitch Abernathy, a character audiences already know from the original trilogy, rather than exploring an entirely new cast.

Which Hunger Games film is considered the best in the franchise? Catching Fire is widely considered the franchise's critical and commercial peak, balancing character development with escalating stakes effectively.

Is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes worth watching if I already know Coriolanus Snow becomes a villain? Yes, it's specifically built around exploring the choices that shape that transformation rather than treating him as simply born evil.

How does Sunrise on the Reaping recontextualize the original trilogy? It's expected to give concrete, earned backstory to Haymitch's bitterness and detachment, deepening every scene featuring him in the original four films.

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