Where Was The Hunger Games Filmed? Filming Locations Of The Famous Action Flick!

If you like watching action flicks, then I’m pretty sure you’re going to enjoy reading this article. Because I will give you an overview about the famous flick, The Hunger Games. And also let you in on where was The Hunger Games filmed.

The American action-packed film, The Hunger Games, released in 2012 was inspired by a novel by Suzanne Collins, published 4 years prior to the film. It’s the first installment of the Hunger Games film franchise. Director Gary Ross, in this film, presents the story of Katniss Everdeen, a young girl from the fictional nation of Panem who decides to participate in the Hunger Games, to save her sister!

The Hunger Games performed extraordinarily well at the box office. Grossing over $697 million in worldwide collections against a production budget of $78 million. 

The audience and critics highly praised this film upon its release. This sci-fi adventure flick also gathered 48 nominations in total and went on to win 33 prestigious awards including the BAFTA Awards in 2012. 

Now, before I discuss the plot of the film, in brief let’s explore where was The Hunger Games filmed. Read and be mesmerized by the beautiful filming locations of this action-adventure flick.

Where Was The Hunger Games Filmed? Let’s Know This Movie Closely!

Filming of The Hunger Games took place entirely in and around the state of North Carolina. Various locations were scouted out and some were potentially used to portray the backdrop of all 12 districts of Panem. 

Right after the casting was completed in April 2011, the principal photography began. The production unit took more or less 4 months to shoot the entire film. There were no reports of any incidents that delayed the filming schedule. 

Although there were some minor issues which lagged the shooting process initially. Now without waiting any longer, let’s discuss in-depth, where was The Hunger Games filmed, and find out more about the exact shooting sites.

Shelby | North Carolina

The opening scene of the movie, where we see the character of Katniss and her sister Primrose, attending the 74th Hunger Games, was filmed in the city of Shelby. The city is situated in Cleveland County, helped the production unit with overall connectivity and also to easily arrange the logistics required for filming in no time.

The exterior sequence of the reaping ceremony was filmed on a set, constructed by the crew. The outdoor area of District 12 was shot in Hildebran, which featured the Henry River Mill. After that, the production unit moved to the next filming location.

Pisgah National Forests | North Carolina

The sequence where Katniss and Peeta are shown to find shelter in a jungle was shot in Pisgah National Forest. The production crew had to arrange special permission from the Forest authorities before filming at this location and took extra care in not depleting or causing harm to the natural resources. Some other pivotal sequences of the film, such as Katniss and Gail’s hunting scenes, were also filmed here.

Henderson and Transylvania County | North Carolina

The production unit then reached DuPont State Forest, located near Henderson and Transylvania County. The arena shown in the film, where Katniss shoots a fireball in the game and later searches for a hideout, was filmed here. 

The production unit took necessary precautions while shooting the fireball scene, and arranged a fleet of fire extinguishers and medics if things went south.

Concord, Charlotte | North Carolina

Finally, after completing the majority of the filming, the production unit filmed the scenes of the Capitol of Panem, in the city of Concord. And then moved to the city of Charlotte to shoot the interior sequences. A renowned studio located in the middle of Charlotte’s business district was used. 

While a few exterior shots also featured the Charlotte Convention Center located at 501 S College St. After finishing the filming in some other locations the crew began working on post-production.

Alright friends, it’s about time for us to briefly discuss the plot of the film. So that you can get a clear understanding of the actual storyline. Plus, you can check out The Curse of Bridge Hollow and Banshee which were also filmed in the state of North Carolina.

Plot Of The Hunger Games | What’s It About

The film begins by introducing us to the central character of Katniss Everdreen, a beautiful teenage girl from District 12 of the fictional nation of Panem. Who decides to participate in the 74th Hunger Games, in place of her sister.

Later in the film, Katniss meets with other participants from different districts of Panem, and competes with them to complete dangerous tasks. The basic rule of Hunger Games was to fight till death, according to the instructions set by the master of the game, Crane. 

Soon after qualifying through the initial rounds, Katniss befriends a number of contestants and makes several enemies as well. The character of Peeta, a young man from the same district, is shown to make it through to the final round with Katniss after neutralizing Cato and other contestants. But according to the rules of the game there could only be one winner, thus they are forced to defeat each other.

But as the entire show, was being televised live, the citizens of Panem began to rebel against the injustice. Forcing the master of the game at Capitol, to review their decision. Eventually , Crane declares both Katniss and Peeta as joint winners. Coriolanus Snow,  the president of Panem, sentences Seneca Crane away to the dungeons, to plot the next fatal tournament.

Final Words

Alright guys, now that you know where was The Hunger Games filmed, it’s time for me to part ways with you. But I hope that you enjoyed the read, and got what you were looking for. Be sure to add your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to check out other amazing articles on Viebly.