History of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in Timeline

Catching Fire continues the story of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark after their victory in the Hunger Games. Their defiance sparks unrest in Panem, leading President Snow to devise a new Hunger Games – the Quarter Quell – designed to eliminate them. The Quarter Quell has victors from previous games compete against each other. Katniss, Peeta, and other tributes form alliances. During the Games, Katniss uncovers a plot for a larger rebellion against the Capitol. The Games are sabotaged, and Katniss is rescued by rebels, though Peeta and others are captured by the Capitol. The film concludes with Katniss becoming a symbol of the rebellion.

1973: First Film With a Female Lead Since The Exorcist

In 2013, Catching Fire became the first film with a female lead since The Exorcist in 1973 to top the yearly box office in North America.

1973: The Exorcist Release

Since 1973, with the release of The Exorcist, Catching Fire became the highest-grossing film featuring a female lead.

2008: First 2-D film Since The Dark Knight

In 2013, Catching Fire became the first 2-D film since The Dark Knight in 2008 to top the yearly box office in North America.

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2009: Highest-Grossing November Opening Weekend

During its opening weekend in 2013, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire broke the record for the highest-grossing opening weekend in November, breaking the record set by The Twilight Saga: New Moon in 2009.

2009: Catching Fire Novel Release

In 2009, Suzanne Collins' novel Catching Fire, which serves as the basis for the film adaptation, was released.

April 10, 2012: Gary Ross Steps Down as Director

On April 10, 2012, Gary Ross announced he would not return as director for Catching Fire due to scheduling conflicts.

April 19, 2012: Francis Lawrence Offered Director Position

On April 19, 2012, Francis Lawrence was offered the director position for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

May 3, 2012: Francis Lawrence Officially Announced as Director

On May 3, 2012, Lionsgate officially announced Francis Lawrence as the director for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

May 24, 2012: Film Renamed and New Writer Confirmed

On May 24, 2012, the film was renamed The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Michael Arndt was confirmed as the new writer of the script.

July 2012: Casting Announcements

In July 2012, Jena Malone was announced to portray Johanna Mason, Amanda Plummer as Wiress, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

July 2012: Mockingjay Films Announced

In July 2012, Lionsgate announced that two films based on the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay, were scheduled to be released.

August 2012: Additional Casting Announcements

In August 2012, Lynn Cohen was announced as Mags, Alan Ritchson as Gloss on August 9, Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair on August 22.

September 10, 2012: Production Officially Begins

On September 10, 2012, production for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire officially began in and around metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia.

September 2012: Principal Photography Scheduled

In September 2012, Lionsgate scheduled principal photography for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

September 2012: Main Cast Confirmed and Principal Photography Begins

In September 2012, the main cast of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was confirmed, and principal photography commenced. Filming locations included Georgia, Hawaii, and New Jersey.

October 2012: James Newton Howard Confirmed as Composer

In October 2012, James Newton Howard confirmed that he would return to score The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

November 16, 2012: Teaser Trailer Release

On November 16, 2012, the first teaser trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was released with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, revealing the official logo and tagline.

December 2012: Initial Filming Deadline

The adaptation of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire initially needed to be done filming by December 2012 to accommodate Jennifer Lawrence's schedule.

December 21, 2012: Shooting Concludes for Some Cast Members

On December 21, 2012, shooting for some of the cast members of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire concluded.

2012: The Hunger Games Film Release

In 2012, The Hunger Games film was released, preceding Catching Fire in the film series.

January 11, 2013: Entertainment Weekly Preview

On January 11, 2013, Entertainment Weekly released a 2013 Preview edition featuring the first look of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Sam Claflin as Finnick on the cover, along with scenes from the film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

January 2013: Extended Shooting Timeframe

In January 2013, Jennifer Lawrence was no longer needed for filming X-Men: Days of Future Past, extending the shooting timeframe for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to March.

January 2013: Jennifer Lawrence Shoots X-Men: Days of Future Past

In January 2013, Jennifer Lawrence was scheduled to shoot X-Men: Days of Future Past, leading to coordination between Lionsgate and 20th Century Fox regarding the filming schedule for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

January 28, 2013: CapitolCouture.PN Promotional Site Launch

On January 28, 2013, CapitolCouture.PN, a promotional site for the film's fashion and culture, was launched for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

March 4, 2013: Character Portraits Released

On March 4, 2013, the CapitolCouture.PN site began releasing portraits of the various characters from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

March 2013: Principal Photography Concludes

In March 2013, principal photography for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire concluded after filming in locations such as Georgia, Hawaii, and New Jersey.

April 14, 2013: Teaser Trailer Release Date

Leading up to April 14, 2013, fans tweeted using the hashtag #HungerGamesExplorer to unlock new stills from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie.

April 2013: X-Men: Days of Future Past Delays

In April 2013, shooting for X-Men: Days of Future Past was delayed, allowing Jennifer Lawrence to continue filming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

May 14, 2013: Music Supervisor Listed

On May 14, 2013, Alexandra Patsavas was listed as the music supervisor for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, replacing T Bone Burnett from the first film.

July 20, 2013: Exclusive Trailer Debut

On July 20, 2013, an exclusive new trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuted at San Diego Comic-Con and was released online on the same day.

September 6, 2013: Coldplay's "Atlas" Released

On September 6, 2013, Coldplay's song "Atlas" was released worldwide as the first official song featured on the Catching Fire soundtrack album.

September 23, 2013: Principal Photography Began

Principal photography on the two-part film Mockingjay began on September 23, 2013, in Atlanta.

October 27, 2013: Final Trailer Release

On October 27, 2013, the final trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was released during Game 4 of the 2013 World Series.

October 30, 2013: New IMAX Poster Debut

On October 30, 2013, a new IMAX poster for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuted.

November 11, 2013: Catching Fire Premieres in London

On November 11, 2013, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.

November 15, 2013: Release in Brazil

On November 15, 2013, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was released in Brazil, where it grossed $2.4 million on its opening day.

November 22, 2013: Catching Fire Film Adaptation Release

On November 22, 2013, Lionsgate released the film adaptation of Catching Fire, titled The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

November 25, 2013: Soundtrack Album Release

On November 25, 2013, the score album for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, composed by James Newton Howard, was released.

2013: Highest-Grossing Film of 2013

In 2013, Catching Fire became the highest-grossing film of the year in North America. It also became the highest-grossing film distributed by Lionsgate and the highest-grossing film of The Hunger Games series.

2013: Box Office Success

In 2013, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire earned $865 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of The Hunger Games series and the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year.

2013: Catching Fire Film Release

In 2013, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, a dystopian action film directed by Francis Lawrence, was released. It stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, and is the second installment in The Hunger Games film series.

2013: Teaser Trailer Debut

In 2013, the teaser trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuted at the MTV Movie Awards, presented by Liam Hemsworth.

March 7, 2014: Blu-ray/DVD Release

On March 7, 2014, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was released on Blu-ray and DVD in the United States.

March 16, 2014: DVD and Blu-ray Sales Update

As of March 16, 2014, Catching Fire had sold 2,073,719 DVDs and 2,186,430 Blu-ray discs, generating $79.4 million in revenue within two weeks of release.

June 20, 2014: Principal Photography Concluded

Principal photography on the two-part film Mockingjay concluded on June 20, 2014, in Berlin, Germany.

November 21, 2014: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Release

The first film based on the final book, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, was released on November 21, 2014.

2014: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Release

In 2014, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, the third installment in the series, was released.

November 20, 2015: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Release

The second film based on the final book, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, was released on November 20, 2015.

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2015: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Release

In 2015, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, the final installment in the series, was released.

November 8, 2016: 4K UHD Blu-ray Release

On November 8, 2016, the entire Hunger Games series, including Catching Fire, was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray.

2019: Thanksgiving Gross Records Surpassed

In 2019, the largest three-day and largest five-day Thanksgiving gross records, previously held by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, were surpassed by Frozen II.