Will Jennifer Lawrence Return to the ‘Hunger Games’ Franchise?

The dystopian genre saw a rebirth in 2012 as a result of ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise's dominance in the entertainment industry. The show followed Jennifer Lawrence's character, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, as she negotiated love, ignited a rebellion, and battled for her life. Despite the success of the four Katniss-focused movies, the franchise seemed to be coming to an end in 2015. 

‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, however, marked an unexpected return, and ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’, another movie, is scheduled for release in 2026. Interestingly, Katniss does not appear in either of these recent volumes.

Image Courtesy: People

Given that the franchise is examining events that occurred before Katniss was born, her absence is hardly shocking. ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ explores Tom Blyth's character Coriolanus Snow's early years before his transformation into Donald Sutherland's evil president. The movie is set 65 years ago, so even while it makes references to earlier characters, there aren't many familiar faces. ‘In Sunrise on the Reaping’, Katniss's mentor, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), competes in the 50th ‘Hunger Games’, which is still 24 years before Katniss's adventure starts. Although this investigation creates fresh plot points, it also begs the issue of whether Katniss will ever make a comeback.

Despite having a prosperous career since playing Katniss, Jennifer Lawrence stated in a 2023 interview with Variety that she would be interested in playing the character again, saying, "If Katniss could ever come back into my life, 100 per cent." Her passion gives her admirers hope. But Katniss's narrative ended on a positive one; she changed from a ‘District 12’ girl to a rebel leader and eventually made peace with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and their kids. 

Image Courtesy: IMDb

Director Francis Lawrence and franchise producer Nina Jacobson have stated that Katniss's story feels finished, however, Lawrence is open to coming back. While Lawrence stressed the need for author Suzanne Collins's involvement before considering any expansion of Katniss's plot, Jacobson said she would be pleased to be proven incorrect. Despite the franchise's current prequel focus, bringing Katniss back could ruin her satisfying conclusion, which many people believe should not change. There are many interesting characters in the franchise to delve into, even if Katniss doesn't make a comeback.

–Farheen Ali