Netflix has just pulled off one of the smartest marketing methods of the year.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 was released in 2015, which was eight years ago. However, due to such a gripping story, fans have held onto the novels and movies without ever wavering. It has one of the largest fan bases for a movie series. So, when Netflix brought The Hunger Games series back to the streaming service, real fans knew that it was more than a just treat for fans. 

In May of 2020, author of The Hunger Games series Suzanne Collins published the prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This novel shows President Snow’s upbringing, along with how the Hunger Games has developed since the beginning. Around the same time that Netflix made the original four movies available, it was announced that the movie adaptation for the prequel would be released Nov. 17 of this year. 

Now, it is no coincidence that these two things happened almost simultaneously. Along with that, Netflix only kept the movies available for thirty days. Since Netflix is one of the more popular streaming platforms, most of their fans—ranging from pre-teens to adults—found it of utmost importance to give themselves a refresher on the series and try to take in as many details as possible before it left the service. By having The Hunger Games on Netflix, fans have become even more excited for the release of the prequel later in the year. Thus, the turnout—though it was never expected to be meek—will be through the roof.

Specifically, the impact of this move made by Netflix is seen primarily in teenagers on TikTok. They are creating dramatic edits of some of the pivotal moments—or favorite characters—that occur in the original series. These edits have become quite popular in the app, and it has sparked conversations in the comment sections about opinions about certain events or characters. Not only have I witnessed this on TikTok, but I have both heard and been a part of conversations at school. Most of these conversations, both in-person and online, have been about whether or not people were team Peeta or team Gale—I’m team Peeta, of course—but they are also about readers’ reactions to the plot twists that occurred throughout the series.

Most importantly, the resurgence of The Hunger Games has allowed fans to reminisce on what it was like back when they read the books and watched the movies for the first time. The feeling of nostalgia from a look into their past has fans hungry for more. This ties back to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which longtime fans are extremely enthusiastic about.

This also was a fantastic way to bring in new fans of The Hunger Games. And after being prompted to read the books and/or watch the movies due to the turmoil about the series on social media, they, too, will be eager for the prequel to be released to the public eye.

To people who are not deep into The Hunger Games fandom, the addition of the movie series to Netflix was nothing but a nice surprise. But those who have a borderline-unhealthy obsession—much like myself—with the franchise know that Netflix and Lionsgate are prepping the world for Nov. 17, a moment in cinematic history that will hopefully live up to the expectations fans are setting.