A new month isn’t always good news for streaming subscribers, and that is certainly the case for HBO Max users. The streaming platform has spent the past several weeks stocking its streaming library with awesome titles like It: Welcome to Derry, Elf, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but as November draws to a close, HBO Max is about to lose dozens of films, including a complete film series just as the franchise is about to expand.
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Fans counting down the months to the 2026 premiere of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will have to find somewhere else to rewatch The Hunger Games franchise. On November 30th, the four original movies – The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 – are scheduled to leave HBO Max.
The iconic franchise is based on Suzanne Collins’ novels of the same name and set in Panem, a post-apocalyptic country in what was once North America, where children of the 12 districts are forced to fight to the death in the annual televised Hunger Games. The first four movies in the franchise centered around Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen, a teen from District 12 who sparks an entire revolution after volunteering as tribute in place of her sister in the 74th annual Hunger Games.
Why Is The Hunger Games Franchise Still So Popular?
A lot went into The Hunger Games’ ongoing success, but perhaps the biggest contributing factor is the fact that the movies explore timeless and relevant themes despite their future dystopian setting. The original series and the films and books that have followed present a compelling critique of real-world issues like social inequality, government control, and propaganda, helping the franchise resonate with a broad audience. The thought-provoking storyline is balanced with intense, fast-paced action, making the films easy and highly entertaining watches.
We also can’t overestimate the power of a complex and inspiring female protagonist, Lawrence’s Katniss almost immediately becoming a pop culture icon, or the other beloved characters portrayed by a memorable supporting cast of new and veteran actors.
All of that together, combined with the fact that the films pulled from a book series with an established fan base, created a blockbuster franchise that has pulled in $3.3 billion worldwide, making it the 21st-highest-grossing film franchise of all time. More than a decade after the original film’s premiere, the franchise is still going strong, with a new film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, scheduled to release in theaters on November 20, 2026. A prequel based on the novel of the same name, the story centers around the Second Quarter Quell, the 50th Hunger Games that saw a young Haymitch crowned victor. The film will serve as the sixth installment in The Hunger Games film series.
Where to Stream The Hunger Games Movies After They Leave HBO Max?
When The Hunger Games franchise leaves HBO Max, fans will have a difficult time rewatching the films. The four original movies are currently only available to stream on HBO Max and VOD, and it’s unclear just yet if they will move to a different platform in December. The fifth and most recent movie, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is available on Starz and VOD.
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