The Hunger Games

2012

Gary Ross adapted Suzanne Collins' novel about Panem, a future nation that punishes its districts by forcing teenagers to fight to the death on live television. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the arena, with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson as the hard-drinking mentor Haymitch, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland as President Snow. It launched a four-film series that grossed nearly three billion dollars.