With The Hunger Games series drawing to an end this year with Mockingjay – Part 2, all eyes are on how this much-loved franchise will bow out. Final movies in film franchises are always bittersweet affairs, finally wrapping up the stories of characters we’ve grown to love over the years. But what lessons can The Hunger Games learn from other franchise finales? We’ve rounded up four of the very best...
1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Harry Potter franchise built to an fiery and devastating close with this 2011 film. After the relatively sedate Deathly Hallows – Part 1, this one piled on the drama and action – Snape dies, Harry defeats Voldemort and even Neville does something heroic. And then, for its final moments, the movie vaults forward 19 years and we see our heroes, now in wrinkly middle-age, seeing their own children off to Hogwarts for the first time.
Lessons learned: JK Rowling signed off her series with no question left unanswered and with an emotional flash-forward that helped bring the franchise full circle. She also finished the series with far fewer deaths than were predicted (word on the street before publication was that Ron or Harry were going to cark it). We’d like to believe that Katniss, Peeta and Gale survive Mockingjay – Part 2, though we’re betting one of the main characters at least is going isn’t going to make it to the end.
2) Back to the Future Part III
After the slight mis-step of Back to the Future Part II, Robert Zemeckis found his mojo again with this effervescent franchise closer. Doc finds love in the Old West and the Delorean is finally smashed to bits, before a time travelling train suddenly comes crashing out of the sky with the Doc and his family onboard. He then tells Marty exactly the opposite of everything he’s told him before: that the future hasn’t been written yet. “Your future is whatever you make it – so make it a good one!”
Lessons learned: A much sunnier flick than the dark and knottily plotted Part II, Back to the Future Part III ends the series with everybody settled and happy. And yes, even the Doc finds the love of a good woman. Will President Snow see the error of his ways, say sorry and host a big lavish party for everyone? Will everybody find love and live happily ever after?
3) The Dark Knight Rises
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight series came to a satisfying end with this richly detailed superhero epic, which saw Christian Bale’s Batman go head to head with Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman and Tom Hardy’s Bane. It ended with Batman presumed dead, and Bruce Wayne finally free of his caped alter ego and living incognito in Florence. The film’s final moments show Joseph Gordon-Levitt as policeman John Blake inheriting the Batcave, suggesting he will be next to take on the mantle of the Batman...
Lessons learned: Not only does The Dark Knight Rises wrap up Bruce Wayne’s story by retiring him off to Italy, but it suggests that the Batman legend isn’t quite over. Nolan’s clever open ending suggests a sequel that we’ll never see, where John Blake (real first name: Robin) is the new Batman. Could The Hunger Games end on a note that might suggest a spin-off movie?
4) Return of the Jedi
The original Star Wars trilogy came to its end in 1983 as the Emperor tries to convert Luke to the Dark Side, while Han and Leia and a group of Ewoks set about destroying the Death Star. In the end, Darth Vader dies saving his son from the Emperor and the Empire is finally overthrown. Cue lots of fireworks and partying with teddy bears.
Lessons learned: Will The Hunger Games end with the overthrow of President Snow? (Probably). Will he die after unexpectedly deciding to save Katniss’ life? (Probably not) And could it end happily and then spawn a fifth film in 32 years? (Yes please)
You can see how The Hunger Games bows out when Mockingjay – Part 2 opens at Cineworld on 20th November.
