Five ways the ‘Hunger Games’ movies have made an impact

It’s time to say so long to the Girl on Fire. It’s been real. Really lucrative, that is.

The final installment in the “Hunger Games” franchise – “Mockingjay - Part 2” – hits theaters this week, completing a mega-successful movie series based on a mega-successful young adult novel series by Suzanne Collins.

Part political allegory, part family saga, the story is set in a dystopian future (why is the future always so bleak?) and follows reluctant heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who survives a bloody fight to the death – twice – and becomes the symbol of a rebellion. To say that she makes quite an impact is like saying the “Hunger Games” franchise has made a little bit of pocket change.

But the movies also have had an impact in other ways. Here’s a look:

▪  They made Lionsgate roar. The first three installments based on the trilogy (the last book was split into two movies) have collectively grossed more than $2.3 billion worldwide. That’s a lot of bread for baker boy Peeta! The films helped their distributor, Lionsgate, become a major player in Hollywood.

▪  They made the three leads stars. Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) and Liam Hemsworth (Gale) were relative unknowns going into the first film. But not any more. Lawrence has gone on to star in two hit “X-Men” movies and win an Oscar (for “Silver Linings Playbook”). She’s again racking up awards buzz for the upcoming “Joy.” And whether you were team Peeta or team Gale, both pretty boys have careers in full swing. Hemsworth will star in the upcoming “Independence Day” sequel, while Hutcherson has several projects in the works, including starring in director James Franco’s “The Long Home.”

▪  They championed female empowerment. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better female role model than Katniss Everdeen (Wonder Woman, maybe?). She is tough, loyal, smart and puts Robin Hood to shame with her bow-and-arrow skills. Oh, and she became the symbol of a revolution. How’s that for a Facebook profile?

▪  They paved the way for others. After the success of the first “Hunger Games,” other like-minded YA novels have been adapted for the screen, with uneven results at best. But the “Divergent” series (with another strong female protagonist) and “The Maze Runner” seem to have connected with their target audiences, though neither was a gargantuan success like “Hunger Games.”

▪  They taught bigger-picture lessons that reflect modern society. Sure, the films are big-budget escapism to munch popcorn to, but they also inject social commentary. That social upheaval is paramount in a society without equal human rights. That the dangers of excessive governmental power are very real. And that no matter how dark things get, there is always hope.

All sentiments that are happening in society today. So, yeah. Goodbye, Katniss Everdeen.

It’s been real.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Five ways the ‘Hunger Games’ movies have made an impact."