The cult film adaptation earned almost $3 billion. In some countries, emission has been banned

In September 2008, books by Suzanne Collins were published in the United States. The novel quickly won the hearts of readers, becoming the beginning of one of the most widely read science-fiction series in the world.

The Hunger Games series was a huge hit. All novels have been adapted into films

Few people know that when the first part was created, the author had no plans to create a series. However, the success made her decide to continue the story of Katniss Everdeen, first publishing two sequels: “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay”, which appeared on bookstore shelves in 2009 and 2010. Due to the enduring popularity of this story, many believed that it was only a matter of time before it would be adapted to the screens. And so it happened.

Gary Ross was the director of the first one. The premiere took place in March 2012, attracting huge crowds to cinemas and thus breaking all possible records. This, in turn, led to the decision to work on the next film in the “Catching Fire” series, which appeared on the big screen in 2013. Another success heralded another sequel. However, the plot of “Mockingjay” was extensive, and the creators did not want to get rid of scenes that were important to its course, so ultimately the decision was made to divide it into two parts. The first one debuted in cinemas in 2014, and the second one in 2015, winning the hearts of viewers and critical acclaim. The entire series is estimated to have grossed over $3 billion in total. But that’s not the end. In 2014, Collins decided to publish the fourth volume of “The Ballad of Birds and Snakes”, telling about events earlier than those mentioned in the original. The prequel adaptation will be released in US cinemas on November 17, 2023.

Books and films from the “Hunger Games” series have been banned in these countries. What was the reason?

Despite the enormous success of both the novels and the films, some countries did not agree to their distribution. In Vietnam, the main reason for this decision were numerous drastic scenes of violence that were considered inappropriate at the time. The issue was slightly different in Thailand, where censorship was politically motivated. Earlier, there was an incident that received wide coverage in the media around the world. During a meeting with the then head of the country’s ruling military junta, a group of five students used the rebel gesture known from “The Hunger Games” to express opposition to the tyrannical power. Wanting to avoid a repeat of this event and the resulting scandal, the government decided to introduce censorship. Although other countries have not decided to take a similar step, some of the scenes are still controversial. The speech includes: about the United States, where the series is extremely popular, but for years it has been in 5th place on the list of most frequently questioned books due to overt violence and aggression.