Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 22:50, 30 March 2012

The Hunger Games
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gary Ross
Screenplay by	Gary Ross Suzanne Collins Billy Ray
Produced by	Nina Jacobson Jon Kilik Executive Producers: Robin Bissell Suzanne Collins Louise Rosner-Meyer
Starring	Jennifer Lawrence Josh Hutcherson Liam Hemsworth Woody Harrelson Elizabeth Banks Lenny Kravitz Stanley Tucci Donald Sutherland
Cinematography	Tom Stern
Edited by	Stephen Mirrione Juliette Welfling
Music by	James Newton Howard
Production companies	Lionsgate Color Force
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release dates	March 21, 2012 (2012-03-21) (Belgium, France, Netherlands, Philippines) March 23, 2012 (2012-03-23) (United States)
Running time	142 minutes
Country	Template:Film US
Language	English
Budget	$78 million
Box office	$249,182,838

The Hunger Games is a 2012 American science fiction action-drama film directed by Gary Ross and based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks. It was released on March 21, 2012 in France and other countries and internationally on March 23, 2012 in both conventional theaters and digital IMAX theaters. The film currently holds the record for the third best opening weekend box office sales of any movie ($152.5 million) in North America behind The Dark Knight ($158 million) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($169 million). and the biggest for a non-sequel. It was well received by critics, who praised Lawrence's performance and its themes and messages, whilst it was mildly criticized for its watered-down violence and its filming style.

Plot

The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem after the destruction of North America by some unknown apocalyptic event. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts. District 12, where the film begins, is located in the coal mine region that was formerly known as Appalachia.

As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains. The story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also selected from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school, who once gave her bread when her family was starving.

Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, located in the former Rockies, where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes. There they meet other tributes such as tiny Rue, mighty Cato, Thresh, Clove, Glimmer, and an unknown tribute nicknamed "Foxface". They are then publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in a televised session with interviewer Caesar Flickerman. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his long-time unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain audience support for the Games, which can be crucial for survival, as audience members are encouraged to send gifts like food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games. The Games begin with half of tributes killed in the first 8 hours, while Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. Peeta has shown to have formed an alliance with Cato, Glimmer, and others after he kills a nearby tribute. As the games continue, the tribute death toll increases. Katniss is pursued into the woods by Cato, Peeta, Glimmer, and others. A few days later, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, who points out a tracker jacker nest overhead as the tributes sleep, which Katniss uses to kill Glimmer. Rue is a 12-year-old girl from the agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her sister Prim. The alliance is short-lived: Rue is killed by another tribute named Marvel, who Katniss kills in return. At Rue's request Katniss sings to her, then spreads flowers over her body as a sign of respect. All this is aired on TV, sparking a rebellion in District 11.

Supposedly due to Katniss and Peeta's beloved image in the minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is announced midway through the Games, stating that two tributes from the same district can win the Hunger Games as a pair. Upon hearing this, Katniss searches for Peeta and eventually finds him, wounded by a sword. As she nurses him back to health, she acts the part of a young girl falling in love to gain more favor with the audience and, consequently, gifts from her sponsors.When the cornucorpia is said to have been restocked, Katniss leaves to retrieve medicine for Peeta's wound. While there, Thresh kills Clove with a rock, and is pursued by mighty Cato away. Katniss returns to Peeta. As the two carry on, they find "Foxface" dead. The hellish hounds are released, killing Thresh, and eventually Cato. When the couple are finally the last two tributes, the Gamemakers reverse the rule change in an attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, where one must kill the other to win. Katniss, knowing that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than none, retrieves highly poisonous berries known as "nightlock" from her pouch and offers some to Peeta. Upon realizing that Katniss and Peeta intend to commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that both will be the victors of the 74th Hunger Games.

Although she survives the ordeal in the arena and is treated to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has now become a political target after defying her society's authoritarian leaders so publicly. As Katniss and Peeta return to District 12, President Snow watches the hero's welcome they receive while pondering what to do about the joint victors and the rebellion they have started.

Cast

• Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
• Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
• Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
• Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
• Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
• Lenny Kravitz as Cinna
• Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman
• Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow
• Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane
• Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith
• Alexander Ludwig as Cato
• Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove
• Paula Malcomson as Mrs. Everdeen
• Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen
• Jacqueline Emerson as Foxface
• Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh
• Amandla Stenberg as Rue
• Jack Quaid as Marvel
• Leven Rambin as Glimmer

Lionsgate confirmed in March 2011, that about 30 female actors either met or read for the role of Katniss, including Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Emma Roberts, Saoirse Ronan, Chloë Moretz, Lyndsy Fonseca, Emily Browning, Shailene Woodley and Kaya Scodelario. On March 16, 2011, it was announced that Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence of the indie film Winter's Bone landed the coveted role. Though Lawrence was 20, four years older than the character, author Suzanne Collins said that the actress who plays Katniss has to have "a certain maturity and power" and said she would rather the actress be older than younger. Collins states that Lawrence was the "only one who truly captured the character I wrote in the book" and that she had "every essential quality necessary to play Katniss." Lawrence, a fan of the books, took three days to accept the role. Lawrence was initially intimidated by the size of the movie and what it may mean for her fame.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, contenders for the role of Peeta other than Hutcherson included Alexander Ludwig (who was later cast as Cato), Hunter Parrish, Lucas Till, and Evan Peters. Other actors considered for the role of Gale included David Henrie, Drew Roy, and Robbie Amell. In April 2011, John C. Reilly was in talks with Lions Gate Entertainment to portray Haymitch Abernathy, former victor of a Hunger Games held years before and mentor to Katniss and Peeta. The following month Lionsgate announced that the role went to Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson.

Production

Lions Gate Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights in March 2009 with Nina Jacobson's production company Color Force. Collins adapted the novel for film herself, and her script was revised by screenwriter Billy Ray. Collins anticipated the film to have a PG-13 rating. Alli Shearmur, Lionsgate President of Motion Picture Production, and Jim Miller, Lionsgate Senior Vice President of Motion Picture Production, were in charge of overseeing the production of the movie. Shearmur said:

"The Hunger Games is an incredible property and it is a thrill to bring it home to Lionsgate. This is exactly the kind of movie I came to Lionsgate to make: youthful, exciting, smart and edgy. We are looking forward to working with Nina and Suzanne to create a movie that satisfies audiences' hunger for high-quality entertainment."

Gary Ross became the director in November 2010. Fireman's Fund Insurance Company insured the production, but as part of the underwriting process insisted on a thorough risk analysis of hazards as diverse as wayward arrows, poison ivy, bears, bugs, and a chase across fast-running water.

With an initial budget of $75 million, principal photography began near Brevard in Transylvania County, North Carolina in Western North Carolina in May 2011 and concluded on September 15, 2011, with a final budget reported as between $90 and $100 million, reduced to $78 million after subsidies. Director Steven Soderbergh served as a second unit director.

Lawrence dyed her blonde hair brown for the part of Katniss. She also underwent extensive training to get in shape for the role, including archery, rock and tree climbing, combat, running, parkour, and yoga, and experienced an accident on the last day of her six week training phase, in which she hit a wall while running at full speed, but was not seriously injured. Other stars that dyed their hair for the movie include Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Lionsgate hired archer (and Olympic bronze medalist) Khatuna Lorig to teach Lawrence how to shoot.

The film has been rated 12A by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in the UK for "intense threat, moderate violence and occasional gory moments". To achieve that rating, Lionsgate had to cut or substitute seven seconds of film by "digitally removing blood splashes and the sight of blood on wounds and weapons". In the United States, the movie was granted a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for "intense violent thematic material and disturbing images - all involving teens".

Music

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the The Hunger Games contains songs inspired by the film; only three of them appear in the film itself, during the closing credits. The first single from the film's companion album, "Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars, was released on December 23, 2011. It reached number one on the iTunes overall charts in 12 hours. The music video for "Safe & Sound" was released on February 13, 2012. Along with separate songs from Swift and The Civil Wars, the soundtrack also features songs by The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, The Secret Sisters, Miranda Lambert featuring The Pistol Annies, Neko Case, Kid Cudi Academy Award winner Glen Hansard, The Low Anthem, Punch Brothers, Birdy, Maroon 5, Jayme Dee, and Carolina Chocolate Drops. The soundtrack was released on March 20, 2012. The soundtrack track list was revealed on iTunes on February 13, 2012, and on the 14th "One Engine" was released as the second single. Jennifer Lawrence singing "Rue's Lullaby" was not included on the soundtrack. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, having sold 175,000 copies in its first week. It was the first since, Michael Jackson’s This Is It, to debut at #1.

Score

Lionsgate originally announced that Danny Elfman and T-Bone Burnett would score The Hunger Games, with Burnett also acting as the film's executive music producer to produce songs for the soundtrack. However, due to scheduling conflicts, Elfman was later replaced by James Newton Howard. The score album was released on March 26, 2012.

Other

The movie also featured a rather obscure analog track from the 1970's composed by Laurie Spiegel for its "cornucopia scene."

Reception

Critical response

The Hunger Games received generally positive reviews from critics. Based on 238 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 85% "Certified Fresh" rating and an average score of 7.2/10. The film earned an 80% score from 'Top Critics'. The site's consensus reads "Thrilling and superbly acted, The Hunger Games captures the dramatic violence, raw emotion, and ambitious scope of its source novel". On Metacritic, the film has a 67 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on reviews from 44 critics. Many critics have praised Jennifer Lawrence for her portrayal as Katniss Everdeen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she embodies Katniss, "just as one might imagine her from the novel". Empire magazine said "Lawrence is perfect as Katniss, there's very little softness about her, more a melancholy determination that good must be done even if that requires bad things." Several critics have reviewed the film favourably compared to other young-adult fiction adaptations such as Harry Potter and Twilight. Justin Craig of Fox News rated the film as "Excellent" and stated, "Move over Harry Potter. A darker, more mature franchise has come to claim your throne." Rafer Guzman of Newsday referred to The Hunger Games as being "darker than 'Harry Potter,' more sophisticated than 'Twilight'." David Sexton of The Evening Standard stated that The Hunger Games "is well cast and pretty well acted, certainly when compared to Harry Potter’s juvenile leads."

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, praising the movie as "effective entertaininment" and Jennifer Lawrence's performance. Despite being a largely positive review, he criticized the film for being too long and noted that the film avoided any attempt at social criticism. Simon Reynolds of Digital Spy gave the film four stars out of five, calling it "enthralling from beginning to end, science fiction that has depth and intelligence to match its pulse-racing entertainment value". Reynolds also spoke highly of Lawrence's performance and director Gary Ross, whose "rough and ready handheld camerawork" meant that viewers were "with Katniss for every blood-flecked moment of her ordeal in the combat arena". Film critic David Thomson of The New Republic gave the film an extremely negative review, calling it a "terrible movie". He criticized the lack of character development and inability to see what action was taking place, calling the style of the latter "un-American."

Eric Goldman of IGN awarded the film four out of five stars, stating that director Gary Ross "gets the tone of The Hunger Games right. This is a grounded, thoughtful and sometimes quite emotional film, with its dark scenario given due weight. Ross doesn't give the film a glossy, romanticized 'Hollywood' feel, but rather plays everything very realistically and stark, as Katniss must endure these outrageous and horrible scenarios." The film received some criticism for its shaky camera style, but it was said to "add to the film in certain ways." Both Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were praised for their portrayals as Katniss and Peeta, and Goldman also drew attention to the role reversal of sorts between the male and female leads, as well as the fact that Lawrence is taller than Hutcherson, which is rare in such films. Katniss is seen as more of a "classic hero figure" and Peeta is the one who needs to be protected. Ross was criticized due to his lack of experience with action films, but in general, Goldman felt that viewers would enjoy the film regardless of whether they had read the book.

During the weekend of "The Hunger Games" release, Isabelle Fuhrman's name became a popular subject to browse on the Internet due to her chilling portrayal of "Clove", many critics praising her acting, making her a break-out star. The Atlantic argues that the film stands a better chance at being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 did, comparing it to The Dark Knight in the way that they "are not only startlingly somber twists on the standard blockbuster, but offer resonant commentary about society, particularly government control and corruption. They are crowd-pleasers with something to say. And the Academy loves saying something."

Precedents in film and literature

Charles McGrath, writing for The New York Times, said that the film will remind viewers of the television series Survivor, a little of The Bachelorette, and of the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson published in 1948 by The New Yorker. David Sexton of The Evening Standard compared The Hunger Games unfavourably to Kinji Fukasaku's Japanese film Battle Royale, as did several other critics; the novel had earlier faced criticism for its similarities to the novel Battle Royale by Kōshun Takami. Jonathan Looms of The Oxford Student argues that it is "unfair that the film is only drawing comparisons with Battle Royale" but that it "is a veritable pastiche of other movies" as well, comparing it to The Truman Show, Death Race, the Bourne films, and Zoolander, and that it is common for artists to borrow from and "improve on many sources. Quentin Tarantino has built his career on this principle."

Wheeler Winston Dixon, a film professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, listed several precedents: Battle Royale, Jackson's "The Lottery", William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Metropolis, Blade Runner, Death Race 2000, and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Manohla Dargis in The New York Times compares it to Battle Royale, Ender's Game, and Twilight, but contrasts The Hunger Games in terms of how its "exciting" female protagonist Katniss "rescues herself with resourcefulness, guts and true aim." Steve Rose of The Guardian refers to the film as "think Battle Royale meets The Running Man meets Survivor." Writing in The Atlantic, Govindini Murty made a list of touchstones the film alludes to, from the ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations to modern references such as the Great Depression, the Vietnam and Iraq Wars, and reality television.

Racial attacks

Why does rue have to be black not gonna lie kinda ruined the movie.

In an article published March 26, 2012, Dodai Stewart reported that several users on Twitter posted racist tweets, criticizing the portrayals of Rue, Thresh and Cinna by African American actors. Stewart states that "t's not just a couple of tweets, it's not just a coincidence. There's an underlying rage, coming out as overt prejudice and plain old racism. Sternberg is called a 'black bitch,' a 'nigger' and one person writes that though he pictured Rue with 'darker skin,' he 'didn't really take it all the way to black.' It's as if that is the worst possible thing a person could be." Stewart also addresses the fact that while a number of these users claim to be fans of the book, none acknowledge the fact that both Rue and Thresh are described by author Suzanne Collins as having "dark brown skin." Stewart also points to the fact that in a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Collins stated that while she did not have any ethnic background in mind for lead characters Katniss and Gale due to the fact that the book is written in "a time period where hundreds of years have passed" and that there would be "a lot of ethnic mixing", she explains "there are some characters in the book who are more specifically described", and states that both Rue and Thresh are African American. Lyneka Little of The Wall Street Journal states that although it is easy to find bigoted or offensive postings online, "the racist 'Hunger Games' tweets, because are so shockingly ignorant even by the standards of the fringes of the internet, have kicked up a storm."

Fahima Haque of The Washington Post, Bim Adewunmi of The Guardian, and Christopher Rosen of The Huffington Post all reiterate the fact that Rue and Thresh are described in The Hunger Games as having dark brown skin, as well as Collins assertion that they were intended to be depicted as African Americans. Adewunmi remarked that "it comes to this: if the casting of Rue, Thresh and Cinna has left you bewildered and upset, consider two things. One: you may be a racist – congrats! Two: you definitely lack basic reading comprehension. Mazel tov!" Haque observed: "the real insanely horrible, awful problem is just that is an example of pure racism. It’s downright disgusting that at a time when other decent Americans are mourning the loss of Trayvon Martin, who was senselessly murdered last month, these readers have no qualms with publicly saying that black people ruined their movie experience." Erik Kain of Forbes saw the controversy as a way to appreciate the value of free speech. He states that while society may never be free of racism, "acist comments made on Facebook and Twitter quickly become public record. Aggregations of these comments, like the Jezebel piece, expose people for what they are. Sure, many hide under the cloak of anonymity, but many others cannot or choose not to. And as the internet becomes more civilized and its denizens more accountable, this sort of thing carries more and more weight." Amandla Stenberg responded to the controversy with the following statement: "As a fan of the books, I feel fortunate to be part of The Hunger Games family... It was an amazing experience; I am proud of the film and my performance. I want to thank all of my fans and the entire Hunger Games community for their support and loyalty."

Box office

On February 22, 2012, The Hunger Games broke the record for first-day advanced ticket sales on Fandango, topping the previous record of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, set on May 14, 2010. The sales were reported to be 83 percent of the site's totals for the day. In the week leading up to its release, the film sold-out over 4,300 showings via Fandango and MovieTickets.com On Fandango alone it ranks as the third-highest advanced ticket seller ever behind The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The film earned $19.7 million in midnight showings, which was the highest midnight gross ever for a non-sequel and the seventh highest midnight gross of all-time. On its opening day, it earned $67.3 million (including midnight showings). This set the record opening-day and single-day grosses for a non-sequel, topping the previous records of Alice in Wonderland ($40.8 million and $44.2 million respectively). The film also achieved the fifth highest opening-day and single-day grosses of all time. On its opening weekend, it earned $152.5 million, topping Alice in Wonderland's records ($116.1 million) for the highest weekend debut of a film released in March, of a non-sequel, and of any spring release. Its opening weekend gross was also the largest for any film released outside July and the third-largest of all time behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($169.2 million) and The Dark Knight ($158.4 million). Two days after the film was released, it became Lionsgate's highest grossing film ever.

Outside North America, the film earned $59.25 million on its opening weekend. Its largest country was Australia ($9.48 million).

Accolades

Sequels

On August 8, 2011, while still shooting the film, Lionsgate announced that a film adaptation of the second novel in The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2013. In November 2011, Lionsgate entered negotiations with Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours screenwriter Simon Beaufoy to adapt the novel for screen, since the post-production schedule for The Hunger Games was too crowded for Ross and Collins to adapt the next film as originally planned. Ross was still expected to return as director for the sequel. In January 2012, Ross and Beaufoy were officially signed on to their roles as director and screenwriter, respectively.

Woody Harrelson revealed in a November 2011 interview that he has signed on for four films, suggesting that one of the books may be split into two films. The February 2012 issue of The Hollywood Reporter indicated that Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have all signed on to the whole franchise.

The Hunger Games Adventures

A social network game called The Hunger Games Adventures was released for Facebook to coincide with the film's release. It is a role-playing video game developed by Lionsgate in coalition with Funtactix.

References

1. ^ "The Hunger Games" (Press release). Lions Gate Entertainment. March 3, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
2. ^ "The Hunger Games (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. March 12, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
3. ^ "9 Untold Secrets of the High Stakes 'Hunger Games'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
4. "The Hunger Games (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
5. Fleming, Mike (May 24, 2011). "Toby Jones In 'The Hunger Games'". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
6. "Release dates for The Hunger Games". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
7. Valby, Karen (January 25, 2011). "'The Hunger Games' gets a release date". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
8. Goldberg, Matt (February 2, 2012). "THE HUNGER GAMES Will Get a One-Week IMAX Run". Collider.com. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
9. Box Office Shocker: 'Hunger Games' Third-Best Opening Weekend of All Time, retrieved March 26, 2012
10. Joshua L. Weinstein (March 16, 2011). "Jennifer Lawrence Gets Lead Role in 'The Hunger Games'". The Wrap. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
11. ^ Sperling, Nicole (April 4, 2011). "'The Hunger Games': Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth complete the love triangle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
12. ^ Philiana Ng, Borys Kit (May 10, 2011). "Woody Harrelson Cast as Haymitch in 'Hunger Games'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
13. Donnelly, Matt (April 28, 2011). "Elizabeth Banks lands 'Hunger Games' role: Effie Trinket". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
14. Valby, Karen (May 24, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz will play Cinna in 'Hunger Games'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
15. Saad, Nardine (May 9, 2011). "Stanley Tucci cast in The Hunger Games". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
16. Franich, Darren (May 31, 2011). "'Hunger Games': Donald Sutherland cast as President Snow". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
17. Ng, Philiana (May 5, 2011). "Wes Bently Lands Role of Seneca Crane in 'Hunger Games'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
18. ^ Schaefer, Sandy (May 11, 2011). "'The Hunger Games' Casts Its Cato & Clove". Screen Rant. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
19. ^ Ward, Kate (April 18, 2011). "'Hunger Games' casts Thresh and Rue". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
20. Staskiewicz, Keith (March 3, 2011). "'Hunger Games': Jennifer Lawrence, Saoirse Ronan, Chloe Moretz, Emma Roberts, and more up for Katniss". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
21. Joshua L. Weinstein (March 16, 2011). "Jennifer Lawrence Gets Lead Role in 'The Hunger Games'". The Wrap. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
22. Staskiewicz, Keith (March 17, 2011). "'Hunger Games': Is Jennifer Lawrence the Katniss of your dreams?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
23. Valby, Karen (March 17, 2011). "'Hunger Games' director Gary Ross talks about 'the easiest casting decision of my life'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
24. Franich, Darren (March 21, 2011). "'Hunger Games': Suzanne Collins talks Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
25. Galloway, Steven (February 1, 2012). "Jennifer Lawrence: A Brand-New Superstar". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
26. ^ Kit, Borys (March 25, 2011). "Lionsgate Testing Actors to Star in 'Hunger Games' Opposite Jennifer Lawrence". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
27. Brodesser-Akner, Claude (April 22, 2011). "John C. Reilly Being Offered Role of Haymitch in The Hunger Games". New York. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
28. John A. Sellers (March 12, 2009). "Hungry? The Latest on 'The Hunger Games'". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
29. ^ "Lionsgate picks up 'Hunger Games'". The Hollywood Reporter. March 17, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
30. Springen, Karen (August 5, 2010). "Marketing 'Mockingjay'". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
31. Hopkinson, Deborah. "Suzanne Collins Interview-Catching Fire". BookPage. Retrieved April 6, 2010.
32. "Lionsgate Feasts on The Hunger Games". ComingSoon.net. March 18, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
33. "The Changing Objective of the American Film Market". Baseline Intel. November 18, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
34. Valby, Karen (January 6, 2011). "'Hunger Games' exclusive: Why Gary Ross got the coveted job, and who suggested Megan Fox for the lead role". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
35. ^ Janet Morrissey (March 24, 2012). "Insuring Hollywood Against Falls (but Not Flops)". The New York Times. BU1.
36. Kung, Michelle (April 25, 2011). "Movie Studios Smell Out Teen Spirits". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
37. Lussier, Germain (May 27, 2011). "More 'Hunger Games' Casting: Lavinia the Avox, Venia and Flavius Played By Relative Unknowns". /Film. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
38. Adam Chitwood (August 4, 2011). "Steven Soderbergh is Directing Second Unit on The Hunger Games". Collider.com. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
39. Ayres, Tom (May 23, 2011). "Jennifer Lawrence 'unaware of Hunger Games hate'". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
40. Still, Jennifer (May 26, 2011). "Jennifer Lawrence: 'Hunger Games training fun'". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
41. "THE HUNGER GAMES (BBFC reference CFF284121)". British Board of Film Classification. March 14, 2012. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
42. "Should parents heed 'Hunger Games' rating?". Fox News. March 23, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
43. Smith, Ethan (March 21, 2012). "'Hunger Games' Steps in to Save the Soundtrack". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
44. Marc Hogan (December 23, 2011). "Listen to Taylor Swift's 'Hunger Games' Ballad". Spin. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
45. ^ Emily Tseng (February 13, 2012). ""The Hunger Games" Soundtrack Actually Looks Pretty Good". The Daily Princetonian. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Text "http://blogs.dailyprincetonian.com/intersections/2012/02/13/the-hunger-games-soundtrack-actually-looks-pretty-good/" ignored (help)
46. Sara Gundell (February 7, 2012). "More music for 'The Hunger Games' soundtrack from Neko Case and Taylor Swift". Examiner. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Text "www.examiner.com/the-hunger-games-in national/more-music-for-the-hunger-games-soundtrack-from-neko-case-taylor-swift" ignored (help)
47. "The Hunger Games Sweepstakes". Universal Republic. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
48. Angie Han (June 29, 2011). "Danny Elfman and T-Bone Burnett to Collaborate on Hunger Games Score". SlashFilm. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
49. Germain Lussier (December 6, 2011). "Danny Elfman Out, James Newton Howard In For 'The Hunger Games'". SlashFilm. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
50. ASIN B0078467LC, The Hunger Games: Original Motion Picture Score
51. Dayal, Geeta. "Rare '70s Electronic Music Is Hidden in The Hunger Games". Wired. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
52. "The Hunger Games". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
53. "The Hunger Games". Metacritic. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
54. ^ Johnson, Neala (March 19, 2012). "The Hunger Games wows the critics". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
55. Craig, Justin (March 21, 2012). "REVIEW: Excellent 'Hunger Games' poised to claim 'Harry Potter' franchise throne". Fox News. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
56. Rafer, Guzman (March 20, 2012). "Review: 'The Hunger Games' darker than 'Harry Potter,' more sophisticated than 'Twilight'". Newsday. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
57. ^ Sexton, David (March 23, 2012). "The Hunger Games - review". Evening Standard. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
58. Ebert, Roger (March 20, 2012). "The Hunger Games". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
59. Reynolds, Simon (March 19, 2012). "'The Hunger Games' review". Digital Spy. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
60. http://www.tnr.com/article/film/102038/the-hunger-games-collins-lawrence-ross-terrible-un-american
61. Goldman, Eric (March 16, 2012). "The Hunger Games Review". IGN. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
62. http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/isabelle-furhman-hunger-games-knife-assassin-201342878.html
63. "Why 'The Hunger Games' Has a Shot at the Best-Picture Oscar". The Atlantic. March 27, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
64. McGrath, Charles (February 19, 2011). "Teenage Wastelands". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
65. Yang, Jeff (March 23, 2012). "'Hunger Games' Vs. 'Battle Royale'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
66. Poland, David (March 20, 2012). "Review: The Hunger Games". Movie City News. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
67. Thomas, James (March 25, 2012). "The Hunger Games Review". Gossip Monthly. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
68. Velez, Diva (March 22, 2012). "The Hunger Games". The Diva Review. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
69. "Suzanne Collins's War Stories for Kids". The New York Times. April 8, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
70. Looms, Jonathan (28/03/2012). "The Hunger Games: Battle Royale with cheese". The Oxford Student. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
71. Winston Dixon, Wheeler (March 2, 2012). "The Hunger Games". University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
72. Manohla Dargis (March 22, 2012). "Tested by a Picturesque Dystopia". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
73. Rose, Steve (March 24, 2012). "This week's new films". The Guardian. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
74. Murty, Govindini (March 26, 2012). "Decoding the Influences in 'Hunger Games,' From 'Spartacus' to 'Survivor'". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
75. ^ Dodai Stewart (March 26, 2012), Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed, Jezebel, retrieved March 28, 2012
76. Karen Valby (April 7, 2011), "Team 'Hunger Games' talks: Author Suzanne Collins and director Gary Ross on their allegiance to each other, and their actors -- EXCLUSIVE", Entertainment Weekly, retrieved March 28, 2012
77. Lyneka Little (March 30, 2012), "'Hunger Games' Tweets Spur Debate About Racism", The Wall Street Journal, retrieved March 30, 2012
78. ^ Fahima Haque (March 28, 2012), "'The Hunger Games' elicits racist reactions", The Washington Post, retrieved March 28, 2012
79. ^ Bim Adewunmi (March 28, 2012), "'Why wasn't The Hunger Games cast as I imagined in my racist reading?!'", The Guardian, retrieved March 28, 2012
80. Christopher Rosen (March 26, 2012), "'Hunger Games' Racist Tweets: Fans Upset Because Of Rue's Race", The Huffington Post, retrieved March 28, 2012
81. Erik Kain (March 28, 2012), "Racist Reaction To 'The Hunger Games' Reminds Us That Free Speech Is A Good Thing", Forbes, retrieved March 28, 2012
82. Justin Ravitz (March 28, 2012), "The Hunger Games' Amandla Stenberg Responds to Racist Tweet Scandal", US Weekly, retrieved March 28, 2012
83. Semigran, Aly (February 24, 2012). "'The Hunger Games' breaks a 'Twilight' ticket sales record; hundreds of showings already sold out". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
84. Joal Ryan (March 22, 2012). "The Hunger Games: Is It Already the Biggest Thing Ever?!". E! Online. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
85. Forecast: 'Hunger Games' Targets Record Books
86. "'The Hunger Games' earns a record-breaking $19.7 million at midnight screenings"
87. "Biggest Single Days for Non-Sequels". Archived from the original on March 26, 2012.
88. Ray Subers (March 24, 2012). "Friday Report: 'Hunger Games' Kills With Fifth-Best Opening Day Ever". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
89. TOP SINGLE DAY GROSSES
90. TOP OPENING DAY GROSSES
91. "'Hunger Games' battles to $155M opening weekend"
92. "'Hunger Games' sets box office records"
93. "Weekend Box Office – The Hunger Games Hits $155 Million for Third Highest Opening of All Time!"
94. ^ Weekend Report: 'The Hunger Games' Devours $152.5 Million
95. "Box office report: 'The Hunger Games' posts third-best opening weekend ever with $155 mil"
96. "International Box Office: 'Hunger Games' Dominates With $59.25 Million"
97. THE HUNGER GAMES
98. Segers, Franks (March 25, 2012). "Foreign Box Office: 'Hunger Games' Opens No. 1 Abroad in Unspectacular Fashion, Drawing $59.3 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
99. "2012 NewNowNext Awards". NewNowNext Awards. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
100. Weinstein, Joshua L (August 8, 2011). "The Hunger Games Sequel Set for 2013 Release". The Wrap. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
101. "Weekly Ketchup: Doctor Who returns to the big screen". Rotten Tomatoes. November 18, 2011. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |first= missing |last= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Text "who/news/1923980/weekly_ketchup_doctor_who_returns_to_the_big_screen" ignored (help)
102. Sullivan, Kevin. P (January 17, 2012). "'Hunger Games' Sequel Recruits Writer Simon Beaufoy 'Slumdog Millionaire' scribe takes over 'Catching Fire.'". MTV. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
103. David Robert (November 18, 2011). "Woody Harrelson Talks 'Hunger Games'". MTV. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
104. "'The Hunger Games Adventures' New Facebook Game". WhatCulture!. March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.

External links

• Official website
• Template:Allmovie title
• Please use a more specific Metacritic template.
• The Hunger Games at Box Office Mojo
• The Hunger Games at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Hunger Games at IMDb
• The Hunger Games at The Numbers

v t e Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games
Novel series	The Hunger Games (2008) Catching Fire (2009) Mockingjay (2010) The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Film series	The Hunger Games (2012) Catching Fire (2013) Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) Part 2 (2015) The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Accolades
Characters	Katniss Everdeen Peeta Mellark Coriolanus Snow
Music	The Hunger Games soundtrack "Safe & Sound" "Eyes Open" score Catching Fire soundtrack "Atlas" "Elastic Heart" "We Remain" "Who We Are" score Mockingjay – Part 1 soundtrack "Meltdown" "All My Love" "Yellow Flicker Beat" "The Hanging Tree" score Mockingjay – Part 2 score The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes soundtrack "Can't Catch Me Now" score
Parodies	The Hunger Pains The Starving Games The Hungover Games "The Hunger Games Musical" "Treehouse of Horror XXVII"
Category

• 2012 films
• 2010s action films
• 2010s science fiction films
• 2010s thriller films
• American action thriller films
• American films
• American science fiction action films
• Dystopian films
• English-language films
• Films based on novels
• Films shot in North Carolina
• Lions Gate Entertainment films
• The Hunger Games