Unraveling the Box Office Success of "The Hunger Games"

The Hunger Games Movies Ranked by Unadjusted Box Office

First, let's examine how the "Hunger Games" movies performed during their theatrical runs, without adjusting for inflation. According to various databases, including Box Office Mojo and The Numbers, here are the grosses for each film:

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" – $865 million worldwide. This was the second movie in the franchise and became a breakout success, indicating that many people caught on after seeing the first film. It also suggests that a lot of people watched the first one at home and then decided to see the sequel in theaters.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1" – $766.5 million worldwide. This film also performed well, but it made slightly less than "Catching Fire."

"The Hunger Games" – $694.3 million worldwide. The first movie in the series laid the foundation for the franchise and was a significant success in its own right.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" – $653.4 million worldwide. While this film was still a hit, it made less than "Mockingjay – Part 1," which may indicate a shift in audience interest.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" – $349 million worldwide. This prequel to the original series was also successful, but it made less than the other films in the franchise.

The Hunger Games Movies Ranked by Inflation-Adjusted Box Office

Now, let's take a look at how the box office numbers change when we account for inflation. Using the U.S. Inflation Calculator, here are the adjusted grosses for each film:

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013) – $1.17 billion worldwide. Even when adjusted for inflation, this film remains the highest-grossing entry in the franchise.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1" (2014) – $1.02 billion worldwide. This film also performed well in inflation-adjusted terms.

"The Hunger Games" (2012) – $954.5 million worldwide. The first movie in the series still holds its own in inflation-adjusted terms.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" (2015) – $870.2 million worldwide. This film also performed well, considering the passage of time and inflation.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" (2023) – $361.5 million worldwide. While this prequel was successful, it made less than the other films in the franchise when adjusted for inflation.

How Much Did Each of The Hunger Games Movies Cost to Make?

Before we can fully understand the box office success of these movies, it's important to look at their production budgets. Here are the budgets for each film, both in raw dollars and adjusted for inflation:

"The Hunger Games" (2012) – $78 million unadjusted / $107 million adjusted. This was the starting point for the franchise and set the stage for future success.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013) – $130 million unadjusted / $176 million adjusted. The budget increased as the franchise grew, but the returns were still significant.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1" (2014) – $125 million unadjusted / $166 million adjusted. The budget remained relatively stable, but the returns began to show signs of decline.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" (2015) – $160 million unadjusted / $213 million adjusted. The budget continued to rise, but the returns were not as high as in previous films.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" – $100 million unadjusted / $103 million adjusted. This prequel was budgeted appropriately and was able to achieve success relative to its budget.

What Do These Numbers Tell Us About The Hunger Games Movies?

One of the first things that stands out is that the "Hunger Games" movies got more expensive as they went along. By the end of the original series, the budgets had ballooned and the returns were dwindling. This is a common trend with long-running franchises, as the cast and crew generally want to be paid more. However, inflation also plays a role in these numbers. In 2012, when the first movie debuted, streaming was in its early days and DVD was still a significant source of revenue. Today, streaming has become the dominant form of entertainment, and DVD sales have declined. This has had an impact on the box office success of these movies.

It's also important to note that the response to "Mockingjay – Part 1" and "Mockingjay – Part 2" was different. While "Part 1" was still a huge hit, the response to "Part 2" was more muted. This may indicate that audiences were becoming tired of the franchise or that the story had reached its natural conclusion. In any case, it's clear that the success of these movies is not guaranteed and that studios need to be careful when developing long-running franchises.

Overall, the "Hunger Games" franchise has been a consistent moneymaker for Lionsgate. While the days of huge global box office success may be behind us, there is still money to be made using the template laid out by "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." Whether or not there will be more "Hunger Games" movies remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – these films have left a lasting mark on Hollywood.

The "Hunger Games" movies are available on VOD, or you can buy them on Blu-ray/DVD via Amazon.