The Hunger Games takes place in a dystopian future where the United States has been transformed into a tyrannical government called Panem. The country is divided into 12 districts, each of which is forced to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal fight-to-the-death tournament, to remind them of the consequences of rebellion. The movie follows the story of Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence), a skilled hunter from District 12 who volunteers to participate in the Games in place of her younger sister.