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Suzanne Collins was already an established writer prior to writing The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. However, none of her other written works impacted her net worth quite as substantially as her books about Panem. Not only did the books crown her as an international bestselling author, but they also inspired a massive film franchise, consisting of four highly-successful films. But just how did Collins come up with such a phenomenal idea?

Suzanne Collins net worth, Francis Lawrence, and Josh Hutcherson
Suzanne Collins, Francis Lawrence, and Josh Hutcherson | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

So much of The Hunger Games focuses on the spectacle of the media and that’s hardly a coincidence. In fact, it was the media that partly inspired Collins to write the books. The talented author was channel surfing one night and had the lightbulb moment that would change her life and her net worth forever.

How Suzanne Collins came up with the idea for ‘The Hunger Games’ books

“Yes, I was flipping through the channels one night between reality television programs and actual footage of the Iraq War, when the idea came to me,” Collins shared in an interview with The New York Times. Collins was actually finishing another series at the time, but she was beginning to switch gears and focus on her next project. “I knew I wanted to continue to explore writing about just-war theory for young audiences,” Collins added. But what exactly is just-war theory, and how does it relate to The Hunger Games?

“Just-war theory has evolved over thousands of years in an attempt to define what circumstances give you the moral right to wage war and what is acceptable behavior within that war and its aftermath. The why and the how,” Collins explained. “It helps differentiate between what’s considered a necessary and an unnecessary war.”

The author explains the politics of just-war theory in her books

Of course, fans of The Hunger Games books will agree that the districts had just cause in waging a war on The Capitol. From poor treatment, to abuse, to starvation, to the games themselves, The Capitol proved to be a vicious dictatorship that desperately needed to be overthrown. And while Katniss may have been the face of the movement, one could argue that the rebellion was bound to happen with or without her.

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“In The Hunger Games Trilogy, the districts rebel against their own government because of its corruption,” Collins shared. “The citizens of the districts have no basic human rights, are treated as slave labor, and are subjected to the Hunger Games annually. I believe the majority of today’s audience would define that as grounds for revolution. They have just cause but the nature of the conflict raises a lot of questions. Do the districts have the authority to wage war? What is their chance of success? How does the re-emergence of District 13 alter the situation? When we enter the story, Panem is a powder keg and Katniss the spark.”

Collins has a very impressive net worth

Clearly, Collins was successful in delivering a story about just-war theory to the young adult audience. The Hunger Games has left a lasting impact on millions of people around the globe. The story has also impacted Collins’ everyday life, taking her net worth to a new stratosphere. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Collins is worth a whopping $80 million. If that isn’t enough to make residents of The Capitol jealous, we don’t know what will.

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