Videos by ComicBook.com
There are, of course, exceptions. The Harry Potter movies proved enormously popular, for one, although it remains to be seen whether the upcoming HBO show will do as well. Ironically, despite the disappointment many fans had with The Hobbit, the original Lord of the Rings trilogy is frequently named among the best book adaptations of all time. When Lionsgate stepped in to bring Suzanne Collins’ massively popular dystopian fiction books to theaters, there’s little doubt that Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings-level success is what they were aiming for, and, 14 years later, it’s clear they stuck the landing.
The Hunger Games Hit Theaters On March 23, 2012
When Suzanne Collins began publishing dystopian YA novels about children bludgeoning each other to death because their government required it as a way to maintain order, it was difficult to imagine the books becoming movies. It’s one thing for teens to be reading books with such violent, graphic themes, but the idea that people (including children) would go to the theater and sip on soda while 12-year-old Rue was taking a spear to the abdomen was unfathomable. Nevertheless, The Hunger Games hit theaters on March 23, 2012, and became a major success.
The first Hunger Games movie made a staggering $694 million worldwide at the box office, and if that number isn’t impressive enough, the entire franchise—which now includes five movies, not counting the new one on the way—has reportedly grossed more than $3.3 billion worldwide. That’s more than a dedicated fanbase who loved the books; these movies have managed to truly land with audiences, and that requires a host of factors, from solid original stories to actors who can deliver and more. Thankfully, the franchise as a whole has largely been up to the task.
