“The Hunger Games” is Coming Back to Theaters for a Limited Time

The Hunger Games will be selecting its tributes on the big screen once again.

The hit franchise based on the books of the same name will be back in theaters this October as part of the lead-up to the forthcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

The official Hunger Games social media account announced that the first movie will be back in theaters on October 15 and 18. While fans will get to enjoy watching (or likely re-watching) a teenage Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, take on the Capitol in the dystopian story that started it all, they’ll also get an “exclusive, never-before-seen look” at The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

The Hunger Games series became a global sensation after its cinematic release in 2012 — securing Lawrence as a household name and superstar, along with co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. The novels originally had three books that were all adapted into movies, with the final book — Mockingjay — split into two films. Collectively, the movies grossed more than $2.97 billion worldwide.

Suzanne Collins, the author of the series, released the prequel book in 2020, which tells the story of a young President Snow emerging as the icy, ruthless leader of the dystopian Panem and the early days of the annual Hunger Games. The film stars Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, and more.

With the legacy of The Hunger Games continuing nearly 10 years later, fans have wondered if the original cast would ever return for another installment. When asked, Lawrence said she would “totally” play Katniss again. “If Katniss could ever come back into my life, 100 percent.” As for Hutcherson, who plays Peeta Mellark and Katniss’ love interest, he said he’d “have to think about it more.” Hutcherson said that the magnitude of the movies and the overwhelming fame that came along with it was not quite what he expected.