The movie series The Hunger Games can be described as many things – one being complex. With such a large number of stories within stories, the layers of the movie and book series become deeper than one may notice at first.
Following the main antagonist we see the story of Katniss Everdeen, which in its own has many sub plots alongside its own complexities. The series, consisting of Katniss as the main character, contains five different movies. Throughout the series characters who add to the layers with their own stories are introduced: Haymitch, Finnick, Johanna, Peeta, and even Snow.
So far in the series there has only been one spin off, however another is in the works. The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes was a story following Coriolanus Snow. Throughout the movie the viewer learned how he was raised, what the games were like at the beginning, and how Snow became the protagonist. Not one character in Suzanne Collins books, or movie adaptations, have a base-level meaning. Collins deliberately makes each character have deep complexities and their own stories. One on which they are the character controlling the narrative, which adds another layer of complexity.
Writing a book or directing a movie with an unreliable narrator is not something done with ease, which is why praise is due for Collins and the movie director Francis Lawrence. The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes continues to introduce new characters, some even connect back to the original Hunger Games movies. Characters such as Lucy Grey Baird, Tigris and Coriolanus are characters who made themselves featured in the Hunger Games series for Katniss’ plot. The characters both in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Hunger Games have deep stories in which they continue to grow.
Having a prequel spin off becoming an amazing movie by Collins and creating an uproar of joy from Hunger Games fans only inspired her to do it once more. The Sunrise of the Reaping, a book released on March 18, 2025, follows Katniss’ mentor Haymitch Abernathy. A character the viewers and readers once seen as a guarded, drunk, and caring character, quickly changed. Already having depth to the character Haymitch became all the more complex. The Sunrise of the Reaping which is also a prequel however not before The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, dives into the adolescence of the older mentor the viewers once seen. Which introduced more characters with their own stories and more sub plots. However many fans are waiting in anticipation for November 20, 2026 for the movie adaptation to be released.
Having many different characters, all with their own stories, Collins created her own world. The world she created is full of love, loss, happiness, and anguish. However in doing so, Collins allowed the viewers and readers to become a part of her world. For the ones who started out reading and watching Katniss to the ones who are now waiting for Hatmitch’s story to be on the big screen, one thing is abundantly clear amongst the fan base, Suzanne Collins is truly a magnificent and talented writer. Allowing the fanbase to be a part of her own creative imagination opened the door to many more stories, one in which fans can hope they continue to see.
