The Hunger Games cast made plenty of money from the first film in the series, but they made an even larger sum from the last one. This comes as no surprise considering the massive success this franchise has had. The Hunger Games follows Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen as she does her best to survive the cruel Hunger Games and eventually becomes the face of resistance against her oppressive dystopian government. Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel series of the same name, The Hunger Games quickly became a cultural phenomenon.
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It’s unsurprising then, that the first Hunger Games movie grossed nearly $700 million at the box office, and the franchise as a whole raked in almost $3 billion. Its financial success led to the development of a Hunger Games prequel film, also based on one of Collins’ novels. In the landscape of constant reboots and franchise-building, it’s hard to imagine The Hunger Games‘ enormous earnings not leading to further stories within its world. $3 billion is an impressive amount of money for any movie franchise to make, but it brings into question how much of that money ended up in the hands of the franchise’s many iconic actors.
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6 How Much Jennifer Lawrence Was Paid For The Hunger Games ($500,000/$20 Million)
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the central protagonist of The Hunger Games series, Katniss Everdeen, was originally paid $500,000 for her role in The Hunger Games. Parade reports that Lawrence made $20 million for her work in the last film of the series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2. In total, Lawrence made $50.5 million for playing Katniss Everdeen, earning $20 million for Mockingjay – Part 1 and $10 million for her part in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the second film in the series. Lawrence’s role in The Hunger Games officially launched her into stardom, making her one of the hottest names in Hollywood.
Jennifer Lawrence’s estimated net worth is now around $160 million, meaning her role in The Hunger Games accounts for almost a third of her total worth. That is particularly noteworthy considering she is one of the most famous actors in the world. It also seems fitting, however, considering the massive sums of money that The Hunger Games franchise generated, which were predicated on her incredible performances as Katniss.
5 How Much Josh Hutcherson Was Paid For The Hunger Games ($500,000/$5 Million)
According to Forbes, Josh Hutcherson, who plays Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games series, made $500,000 for his role in the first film. Net Worth Celebrities reports that he made $5 million for his role Mockingjay – Part 2. This is a notably smaller increase in pay compared to Jennifer Lawrence, but that is unsurprising considering Lawrence plays the series’ main character and is a much more recognizable actor. Still, Hutcherson’s $5 million salary for Mockingjay – Part 2 is impressive, and it speaks to the rise in popularity his role in The Hunger Games generated.
Hutcherson is now worth around $20 million. That means his earnings from the final Hunger Games film account for a quarter of his net worth. When combined with his earnings for the rest of the films in The Hunger Games series, probably about half of his total worth is derived from playing Peeta Mellark.
4 How Much Liam Hemsworth Was Paid For The Hunger Games ($500,000/~$5 Million)
Liam Hemsworth plays Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games series, and according to Forbes, he was paid an estimated $500,000 for his performance in the first film. While Men’s Health reports that his salary for the final film is unknown, it’s widely speculated that he made around $5 million, keeping his Hunger Games earnings on par with that of Josh Hutcherson, which would make sense considering their similar roles. The Hunger Games series are some of Liam Hemsworth’s best movies, so it makes sense that these films account for such a large portion of his roughly $28 million net worth.
That number is bound to go up soon with Hemsworth taking over from Henry Cavill as the leading man in Netflix’s original series, The Witcher. Even so, it’s hard to imagine Hemsworth earning more than he did in The Hunger Games. Anything is possible though, and Hemsworth’s hefty earnings from The Hunger Games prove that he is an actor capable of helping a franchise make boatloads of money.
3 How Much Woody Harrelson Was Paid For The Hunger Games ($5-6 Million/$10-15 Million)
Woody Harrelson is one of the most famous actors in The Hunger Games franchise, and while it’s difficult to say with certainty how much he made from The Hunger Games movies, Men’s Health reports that his average earnings for movies typically end up being between $5 and $6 million. With that in mind, Harrelson probably made around $5 million for portraying Haymitch in the first Hunger Games movie. Once the franchise really took off, it’s conceivable that he could have started earning closer to $10-15 million.
It’s possible then, that he could have made something similar to Jennifer Lawrence’s $20 million for Mockingjay – Part 2. He may not play as important of a character in the series, but since he is such a massive actor, the pay must have been substantial to keep him on the project. Other secondary characters, like Hutcherson’s Peeta and Hemsworth’s Gale, may not have come close to Lawrence’s earnings, but they are not nearly as in-demand as Harrelson. Still, it’s unlikely he made quite as much as Lawrence’s $20 million, so $10-$15 million is a safer estimate.
2 How Much Donald Sutherland Was Paid For The Hunger Games ($1 Million/~$5 Million)
Donald Sutherland, whose role as President Snow is one of the most critical in The Hunger Games series, probably made around $1 million for his role in the first Hunger Games film. Like with Woody Harrelson, it’s not public information how much the actor was paid for the role, but NCESC.com claims that he generally commands a $1-2 million fee per film. Sutherland may have made closer to $5 million by the time Mockingjay – Part 2 came around, but again, it’s hard to say for sure how much he earned. Sutherland is one of the biggest names in The Hunger Games‘ cast though, so his earnings surely rose significantly.
1 How Much Elizabeth Banks Was Paid For The Hunger Games ($2 Million/$2.5 Million)
According to whatstheirnetworth.com Elizabeth Banks, who plays Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games franchise, made around $2 million for the first film. Whereas, The Richest reports that Banks made about $2.5 million for her role in Mockingjay – Part 2. This is a markedly lower increase than some of the other stars received, but Effie’s role in the story is not as prominent by the end of the series, so it makes sense that Banks did not get as much of a bump. Still, she is a widely recognizable actor, and The Hunger Games movies were generating billions, so it’s surprising that her pay did not increase by more.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Parade, Forbes, Net Worth Celebrities, Men’s Health, NCESCcom, whatstheirnetworth.com, The Richest