The Hunger Games (novel) added to the cast, in the roles of Peeta and Gale, respectively. Production began in late spring 2011 and the film was released on March 23, 2012. The film's opening weekend brought in a non-sequel record $152.5 million (USD) in North America. "", based on the second novel in the series, was released the following year on November 22, 2013. The Hunger Games (novel) The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the future, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America.
The Hunger Games (film) reviews, and an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's consensus states, "Thrilling and superbly acted, "The Hunger Games" captures the dramatic violence, raw emotion, and ambitious scope of its source novel." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 68 out of 100 score, based on reviews from 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A. Many critics praised Jennifer Lawrence for her portrayal as Katniss Everdeen, as well as most of the main cast. According to "The Hollywood Reporter", Lawrence embodies Katniss, "just as one might imagine her from the novel".