The books - and movies - kick off when a resilient archer from Panem’s poorest district named Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her little sister. Each year brings a different Arena, designed after different ecosystems with different environmental challenges. In order to keep the people down, every year the Capitol randomly selects 24 children (two from each of the 12 Districts) to battle to the death in a high-tech Arena. The Hunger Games series takes place in the dystopian society of Panem, where rich elites reside in the Capitol and the rest of the country toils away to meet their needs.

With all the movies now on Netflix, it’s the right moment to remind people: What was the deal with The Hunger Games movies? What is the Hunger Games franchise about? Image: Lionsgate I did my time, and can impart the knowledge. As someone who was on the front lines and made it to at least one of the midnight premieres, I’ve put in the work and know the ropes. On the off chance you missed the cultural zeitgeist that was the YA dystopian wave of the early 2010s, you might not know your Catching Fires from your Mockingjays.

The three books (and four movies) shaped the landscape of YA literature for the next few years or so (for better or for worse), and while many imitators followed in their wake, none of them quite hit the highs and the sharp commentary of the OG franchise. The Hunger Games movies, based on the wildly successful young adult dystopian book series, dominated the box office in the 2010s.

Second book of hunger games