2010 In Review: 'The Hunger Games' Took Flight

It was a big year for "The Hunger Games" series as "Mockingjay," the third and final book, hit bookstores and the film adaptation gained a few key players. Even with movies like "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" in theaters, "Hunger Games" was without a doubt the young adult series we were in love with most this year. In honor of the way it took over our affections, we're taking a look back at its top news stories 0f 2010.

Valentine's Day came early for us when the cover image of "Mockingjay" was teased on February 11, and we tried to guess what we could expect in the finale based on its design. When MTV was invited to Scholastic headquarters at the end of May, we got to chat with author Suzanne Collins who read a bit of book two, "Catching Fire," and chatted about the upcoming film adaptation of "The Hunger Games" that we've been looking forward to. With that news fresh in our minds, we sounded off on the actresses we'd most love to see play Katniss Everdeen.

"Mockingjay" was released on August 24, so the day before we listed off all the reasons we were excited for the finale of the series, and then camped out for the book's midnight release. Fortunately, we weren't the only ones excited.

Once we knew how Katniss's story came to an end, we were able to focus all of our attention on her actual casting. Chloe Moretz told us she would "absolutely die" to play Katniss. In the meantime, the three shortlisted "Hunger Games" helmers were narrowed down to "Pleasantville" director Gary Ross, and we couldn't be more thrilled.

But some more casting rumors were in the air. Abigail Breslin said she would be excited to play Prim Everdeen, and Malese Jow told us she'd give the role "2,000 percent." But then a fan "Hunger Games" film was uploaded on YouTube that convinced us Danielle Churchran might be fit for the role, and Hailee Steinfeld also said she was interested. We won't find out who Gary and Lionsgate choose until the beginning of 2011, but we're glad that he said they're taking the casting seriously. After all, Katniss could be the best female protagonist ever.

Next year could certainly shape up to be the year of "The Hunger Games." Once Katniss is set, we expect to hear casting announcements for Peeta, Gale, Haymitch and Prim to follow soon after, and then production for the film should probably be starting. Hopefully by the end of next year we'll get a first look at the film and—fingers crossed!—a trailer. Maybe the film will even be ready by then?!

source: hollywoodcrush.mtv.com

Fan Art: Hunger Games Cast by Elontirien

Artwork by Elontirien via mockingjay.net

Katniss and Peeta Fan Art by Bleunite

Artist: Bleunite

Another "The Hunger Games" Fan Video

Vote: What was your favorite book of 2010?

Be sure to Vote for Mockingjay as Your Favourite Book of 2010! HERE

Mockingjay is in 2nd place!

thanks to The Hob's Twitter

‘Hunger Games’: How director Gary Ross got the gig

When vying for a coveted film project, directors pull out all the stops — they draft concept art, cut fake trailers and deliver vivid verbal pitches to studio execs. But it was an especially unorthodox strategy that helped earn Gary Ross the plum assignment to direct Lionsgate’s adaptation of “The Hunger Games.”

Ross wasn’t an obvious choice to helm the dystopian fantasy, the first from a series of bestselling books about a 16-year-old girl forced to compete to the death in a cruel arena game. His prior films as director are the 2003 horse-racing drama “Seabiscuit” and the arch 1998 comedy “Pleasantville.” But when Ross met with Lionsgate for the first time, he brought a persuasive piece of video — interviews he’d shot of his kids’ friends explaining why the books mattered to them, and what they loved about the series’ heroine, Katniss Everdeen.

“What was amazing was how insightful these kids were about this book and about Katniss as a character,” says producer Nina Jacobson. “It was so clear that Gary was interested in what the fans cared about.”

Ross brought another unique virtue to the race, which at one point also included “Revolutionary Road’s” Sam Mendes and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” director David Slade. “In terms of his understanding of Katniss, he has twin teenage children who are a boy and girl,” says Jacobson. “I felt he understood the duality of her character. She’s not a traditional heroine in that frequently heroines are interested in love first and foremost and other things are secondary. That’s the least of her concerns. And yet, she is a girl. She’s not a boy in a dress. He seemed to understand her impulse toward self-preservation and the preservation of her family.”

The series’ author, Suzanne Collins, also had input into Ross’ selection, according to Jacobson. “Although Suzanne doesn’t have contractual approval, we’ve worked closely together on this and it was really important to me that she be a part of every big decision. She was thrilled about the idea of Gary because he’s a fundamentally character-driven storyteller.”

Ross, who is also writing the “Hunger Games” script, will begin casting the role of Katniss in the new year, and is scheduled to start production on the film in the spring.

source: latimes.com

Hailee Steinfeld's career saddles up

It’s rumored she’s in the running for the lead role in the screen adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” the bestselling series of young adult novels by Suzanne Collins, though Steinfeld said she met only once with producer Nina Jacobson months ago.

source: latimes.com via mockingjay.net

Katniss manipulation

credits to : ana_br

"The Hunger Games" Movie Update: Who should play "Katniss"?

EXCLUSIVE: ‘The Hunger Games’ star search: ‘There are no front-runners yet’

Young actresses — and their agents — are notching their arrows. Their target is the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen, the hunter-heroine in Lionsgate’s upcoming adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” and casting begins next month.

“We’ll start auditioning fairly early in the new year,” says “Hunger Games” producer Nina Jacobson. “There are no front-runners yet.”

“The Hunger Games,” the bestselling series of young adult novels by Suzanne Collins, are set in a ragged, fictional future in a nation called Panem, which has sprung up in a North America that saw today’s countries crumble amid war. The government forces children to fight one another to the death on television. Sixteen-year-old Katniss, a capable archer who helps feed her family through illicit hunting, enters herself in the games to spare her younger sister from being put in the competition.

“We have so many great young actors right now whose representatives are interested, or who are interested themselves,” Jacobson said. “It really comes down to finding that person who can capture the physicality, the vulnerability and the toughness. She’s a paradoxical character and you need somebody who has the range to capture all of those dimensions.”

Any actress who plays Katniss has more responsibility than inhabiting a scrappy action heroine — she’s also the moral compass in a startling dystopian fantasy that has captured the imagination of mostly young readers around the world.

“The book takes on the collision of violence and entertainment and comments on it in a very compelling way,” Jacobson said.”That awareness is most embodied by Katniss’ point of view. In the book, you’re always in her head. She’s much more of a soldier drafted to duty than she is a character who has a great hunger for violence. She’s forced into it and so are the other kids in the games. She has fierce survival skills that are so effective that she almost feels guilty that her first instinct is to survive or to protect her sister rather than a sort of socially minded impulse. She has so much inner strength, but she’s a reluctant heroine.”

That reluctant heroine will have to reveal herself to the filmmakers fairly quickly once auditions begin — “The Hunger Games,” which will be directed by Gary Ross, is set to begin production in late spring.

source: latimes.com

'Hunger Games' director talks casting; Our picks for Katniss

Attention Tributes: The first "Hunger Games" casting news is in... Kind of. Not really. Well, it's better than nothing, right? Director Gary Ross talked about the movie's already much-debated casting in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, in which he revealed that he hasn't met with any actresses for the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen, but says those conversations will begin shortly. Excuse our dignity for a moment while we say, "Squee!"

Ross was quick to rule out that there are any favorites for the role of the dark heroine. "I've read in the press that there are frontrunners but that's not the case." He also said that they aren't ruling out casting an unknown for the role, something a lot of the book fans are pushing for. "We'll cast the right person for the part. Lionsgate has been great in the respect that they don't feel that this needs a movie star in Katniss' role," he says. "The greatest thing about the franchise and the books being the star is that we can cast whoever we want. So we all feel like we're just going to cast the right person."

2 Beautiful Hunger Games Trailer

The Hunger Games Movie Official Twitter!

Welcome to the Official Twitter for The Hunger Games Movie! Follow us for exciting updates on the production and fan exclusives.

Twitter.com/TheHungerGames

'Hunger Games' exclusive: Director Gary Ross talks about casting Katniss

The rumors are true. Director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) will direct the Lionsgate adaptation of The Hunger Games, the first installment of Suzanne Collins’ brilliantly urgent dystopian trilogy. In his first conversation anywhere about the film, which Lionsgate told EW will likely go into production in the late spring of 2011, Ross was funny, passionate, and sounded as deeply impressed and moved by heroine Katniss Everdeen as the trilogy’s ardent fans.

Ross revealed that he hadn’t yet met with any actresses but would begin those conversations shortly. Admirers of Katniss, District 12′s dark and resilient “Tribute,” can rest assured that the director won’t dumb the character down or cutesy her up for the movie. “I’ve talked to Suzanne extensively and I feel like I understand the character really, really well,” he said. “I feel like I know who that girl needs to be.”

Ross dispelled the notion that there are already leading contenders for the role. “I’ve read in the press that there are frontrunners but that’s not the case.” There has been much clamoring online to cast an unknown, a possibility Ross hasn’t ruled out. “I honestly don’t know,” he said. “We’ll cast the right person for the part. Lionsgate has been great in the respect that they don’t feel that this needs a movie star in Katniss’ role. The greatest thing about the franchise and the books being the star is that we can cast whoever we want. So we all feel like we’re just going to cast the right person.”

And just who Katniss should be, says Ross, has nothing to do with an actress’ heat or whether she’s a great beauty by Hollywood’s exacting standards. “I don’t think that’s the main criterion for Katniss,” Ross insisted. “What makes Katniss attractive is her strength and her assuredness and her defiance and ultimately her compassion. And I don’t mean just physical strength. I mean a real strength as a human being. She knows her own truth. She feels deeply and fiercely. And this is something that the actress has to bring with her.”

Was Ross ready to reveal whether, say, Robert Downey Jr. or Hugh Laurie would step into the vomit-stained shoes of our beloved Haymitch? “No,” he said with a laugh. “But I’ll tell you very soon. I promise. It would be wrong I think to announce it before we’ve actually cast them or spoken to them.”

source: ew.com

Hailee Steinfeld On 'Hunger Games' Role: It 'Would Definitely Be An Honor'

If you're a teenage actress with brunette locks and plenty of pluck, it's likely your name has been thrown into the metaphorical arena for the role of Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of Suzanne Collins' YA novel "The Hunger Games," which is being adapted for the big screen. From Kaya Scodelario to Hollywood Crush BFF Malese Jow, there is no shortage of candidates for the much-talked about part. One of the newest actresses gaining buzz is 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld, who stars alongside Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges in the upcoming Western "True Grit." When MTV's Josh Horowitz sat down to chat with the young actress, he just had to find out what she thought about a role in "The Hunger Games."

As it turns out, Hailee is already a fan of the post-apocalyptic series. "I read the first one—I was in the middle of the second one, and I kind of felt like—I kind of have to read it every time I have a spare moment—and I kind of felt like I was missing something. So I'm rereading the first one just so I can make sure that I get everything. But they're kind of an incredible book series," she said.


When Josh pressed about what Hailee thought of fans recommending her for the role, she said she hadn't even heard the chatter! "That's definitely an honor," she said. "I didn't even realize that people were mentioning my name. And, again, it's every actor's dream to be recognized for something that they love to do, and to get recognized for that is pretty amazing. I thank the people out there who think that. That would definitely be an honor."

While Hailee is a couple years younger than 16-year-old Katniss, we think she's certainly a great option for the role. I mean, if you can go toe-to-toe with Matt Damon onscreen, wielding a bow and arrow should be no sweat!

Source

Fan Artwork: ‘Had to Do That At Least Once..’ by Graysee

Artwork by Graysee

Lachlan Buchanan Talks about THG!

Rue's Lullaby with voice and guitar by Elly

Lyrics taken from The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. wait for the harmony! I like harmony. I'm just a fan who thought it would be fun to interpret what that song would sound like as more than just lyrics.

One night I just sat down and it didn't take too long to throw some chords together. I didn't record more than a couple times so I realize it's not perfect. It's my first video (well not really video) but I hope that you enjoy it. If you don't enjoy, then go read the hunger games and enjoy that instead, and if you don't enjoy that... well.....then I just don't understand you.

Lyrics! :

Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your eyes
And when they open, the sun will rise

Here it's safe, and here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet--
--and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away

Here it's safe, and here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet--
-- and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

Here is the place where I love you.

Katniss & Peeta Fan Videos

'The Hunger Games': Taking the book world (and Hollywood) by storm

Move over, Bella Swan. Katniss Everdeen is the new tween It Girl. The tough-as-nails teenage heroine of Suzanne Collins’ best-selling trilogy The Hunger Games already has her own Facebook page and Wikipedia profile. This summer, Mockingjay, the third and final book, moved more than 450,000 copies in its first week. “Book 3 was the breakthrough book for Harry Potter and Twilight, too,” says HG editor David Levithan, Scholastic’s executive editorial director. “We’re hitting right on schedule.”

The Hunger Games takes place in a bleak, postapocalyptic world where, every year, 24 children are randomly selected and forced to battle to the death on television. And while the saga — which kicks off when Katniss volunteers for the bloodfest in order to save her sister — hasn’t yet reached the cultural saturation of Stephenie Meyer’s megahit, comparisons are inevitable: Both are addictively readable young-adult series about a female teen in a complicated love triangle. But the similarities end there. HG is more thoughtful and much, much darker. The books (which hide a compelling antiwar message behind the veneer of a tween thriller) are exceptionally well written and expertly paced, with near-constant suspense. And unlike Twilight‘s passive, angsty Bella, Katniss is a self-possessed young woman who demonstrates equal parts compassion and fearlessness.

With a protagonist as appealing as Ms. Everdeen, it’s no surprise Hollywood has come courting. Besides, with both the Harry Potter series and 
The Twilight Saga winding down, the studios desperately need a new young-skewing franchise with a rabid fan base. Luckily for Lionsgate, it optioned the Hunger series back in March 2009. Veteran scribe Billy Ray (Shattered Glass) recently turned in a draft, and director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) is in negotiations for the first film. If all goes well, the studio hopes to be in production by next spring.

But despite its vividly cinematic language, The Hunger Games won’t be easy to adapt. EW has seen an early copy of the script, which includes a note-by-note retelling of the Games. How can the studio show brutal kid-on-kid violence and still pull off a PG-13 rating? “It’s always going to be an intense subject matter, but you can tell the story with some restraint,” says producer Nina Jacobson, who praises the books for appealing to both girls and boys. “The only people these books are not for are those under 12. The movie will be the same.”

source: ew.com

Lyndsy Fonseca Possible Hunger Games Gig

Outside of her Nikita assignments, Fonseca is said to be on the short list of actresses to possibly star in a movie adaptation of The Hunger Games book trilogy. Though she was sent the script in October, she says there is “nothing to report” yet regarding her possible audition for the lead role of post-apocalyptic teen Katniss Everdeen. In the meantime, Fonseca is busy pouring through the young adult-oriented sci-fi series, which she raves is “so good.”

Source: MovieLine

'The Hunger Games': How reality TV explains the YA sensation

The Hunger Games is an incisive satire of reality television shows. It’s easy to compare Suzanne Collins’ series to earlier “totalitarian government/media bloodsport” stories like The Running Man and Battle Royale. But there’s a key difference. In those earlier most-dangerous-game stories, the bloodsports were essentially ghoulish game shows (the film version of Running Man made this explicit by casting Family Feud host Richard Dawson the villain.) But The Hunger Games was written in a very different media context. Collins has discussed how the initial spur for the series came when she was channel-flipping between war coverage and reality TV. Just consider how effectively Collins weaves so many reality TV tropes into her story:

The Makeover: One of the great running subplots on American Idol is the steady Hollywood-ization of the contestants over the course of a season. Remember when Clay Aiken had glasses? Or when Adam Lambert didn’t wear guyliner? Practically the first third of Games focuses on a similar makeover process, including a full-body wax.

The Dress: What’s a makeover without some new clothes? One of Katniss’ closest allies is Cinna, her Alexander-McQueen-esque stylist. In stark contrast to the flighty prep team, Cinna is a semi-heroic figure in Games. Cinna almost seems like a contestant on a fascist version of Project Runway, using Katniss’ outfits as a vehicle to express potentially dangerous ideas.

The Showmance: “Showmance,” in its most cynical definition, refers a fake reality-TV romance created to aid the two contestants’ gameplay. That’s a pretty apt summation of Katniss’ forced flirtation with Peeta in Hunger Games. (Sure, Peeta thinks the romance is real, but as everyone who’s ever watched The Bachelor can attest, a good showmance always needs a sap.) SPOILER ALERT IN QUESTION FORM: Since Peeta and Katniss win/survive two separate Games, are they basically Panem’s version Boston Rob and Amber?

The All-Star Edition: Catching Fire focuses on the Quarter Quell, a special edition of the Hunger Games, in which former winners come back and compete. Practically every major reality show has had an “All-Stars” edition, but the Quarter Quell most resembles MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge, the mash-up franchise in which old enemies and ex-lovers engage in sub-Wipeout feats of strength.

The Host: Caesar Flickerman is the ageless TV host who interviews all the tributes before they go into the arena. Crazy suits, perma-tan, smile etched in his face: He’s basically Ryan Seacrest in forty years. (Heck, he’s Ryan Seacrest tomorrow.)

Readers, did you spot other reality show tropes in The Hunger Games? Are the Gamemakers like the Judges? Does that make Plutarch Heavensbee Panem’s version of Simon Cowell?

source: ew.com

Why 'The Hunger Games' isn't the new 'Twilight'

It’s Twilight all over again.

How many times have I heard that in the two years since The Hunger Games came out? Too many too count. And I have to say, it continues to baffle me: These novels could not be more different. Stephenie Meyer’s is more of a traditional romance (populated, I grant you, by some pretty untraditional characters); while Suzanne Collins’ is a tale of war and survival.

Is it that both books star unforgettable women? I suppose you could say that in the most sweeping and general sense, Katniss Everdeen and Bella Swan are alike: Both have cores of steel. They know what they want, and they aren’t going to back down. But for me, any similarity ends there.

Forged by famine, disease, and unbelievable hardship, Katniss, 16, regularly slips beneath the electrified barbed wire fence to hunt and forage for her her family–a crime punishable by death. She’s not interested in romance. She’s not big on forgiveness (even when it comes to her own mother). And when her younger sister, Primrose, is selected by lottery to participate in the barbaric murder ritual called The Hunger Games, Katniss steps in and takes her place. Bella, on the other hand, has known sadness but not poverty or want. Arriving in Forks to live with her dad, knowing no one, she’s the shy girl, the outcast, who’s suddenly plucked from obscurity by the ravishingly handsome Edward Cullen. Hers is the stuff of classic fairy tales; she’s a princess who must be rescued, time and time again, by her one of her two prince charmings, either the vampire or the werewolf. Frankly, compared to Katniss, Bella is simply the more passive character: For the most part, things happen to her. Katniss, on the other hand, copes with disaster by strategizing–and bulldozing–her way through the situation. Does she ever need to be rescued? Absolutely. But she also rescues Peeta–a real or feigned love interest?–more than once along the way.

That brings me to the love triangle issue. Could it be that people compare the two books because their heroines must choose between two men? Again, I don’t find this valid. Bella, it seems to me, never wavers in her love for Edward, despite Jacob’s devotion. In contrast, I’m left with the feeling that Katniss may very well not know what love is at all. She may have been too badly damaged by war, by deprivation, by emotional and physical torture to ever be able to love fully and normally. Whatever she feels for Peeta or for Gale, it isn’t the headlong devotion Bella has for Edward. More importantly, the question of whom Katniss will end up with isn’t what drives the narrative. In other words, the question isn’t, Which one will she marry? The question is, Will she live until the end of the book?

So weigh in, Shelf Lifers. Do you think Twilight and The Hunger Games tread the same territory?

source: ew.com

Suzanne Collins on writing a 'Hunger Games' movie: 'You have to let things go'

A gutsy bow-and-arrow wielding 16-year-old rules the best-seller charts these days — Katniss Everdeen, the tough-as-nails star of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy. The series’ first book (Hunger Games) alone has more than 2.9 million copies in print and spent over 100 consecutive weeks on the New York Times list. Collins (one of EW’s 2010 Entertainers of the Year) dreamed up Games a few years ago while channel surfing, when images of reality TV and the Iraq war melded in her head. Her books’ dystopian world features a government that does whatever it takes to control its citizens, even holding an annual lottery that pits the unlucky winners — all children — against one another, fighting to the death in an outdoor arena while the country watches on TV. Collins, who’s gotten some flak for the kid-on-kid violence in the three books (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay), has responded by pointing to the powerful anti-war message in her story. And she also notes that not everyone sees the books as war novels. “People view the books differently — as romance, as dystopian, as action adventure, as political,” she tells EW. “So there seems to be more than one way into the story.”

If somehow you still have not heard of Katniss and her District 12 cohorts, you will soon. Now that the book series is finished (with Mockingjay‘s publication in August), all eyes are on the upcoming Hunger Games movies. The first film, which will be helmed by Seabiscuit director Gary Ross, isn’t due out until 2012, but fans are already arguing feverishly over who should play Katniss on the big screen — Kaya Scodelario? Alexandra Daddario? Emma Watson? Fortunately, Collins, a seasoned scriptwriter with several kids’ shows under her belt, wrote the first draft of the screenplay herself and says Lionsgate, who acquired the books, has “established a dialogue with me, making me feel my input was valuable and welcome.”

“Obviously, you have to let things go,” she says of the process, “but it’s more than a question of condensation. You want to preserve the essence while making the film stand on its own. It’s an art in itself.”

source: ew.com

Hunger Games Movie – Auditions and Writing

The word is that auditions have started for The Hunger Games movie. The Hunger Games Trilogy fansite posted on their facebook page this morning that they’ve had confirmation that casting is underway. But they also say that it seems that if you do want to audition you’ll need an agent. Hopefully we’ll be able to bring you more information as soon as possible.

In the meantime Entertainment Weekly has spoken to Suzanne Collins about The Hunger Games movie. Ms Collins defends the kid-on-kid violence in the three books, pointing to the powerful anti-war message in the story. She also told EW that she recognises that not everyone sees the books as war novels.

“People view the books differently — as romance, as dystopian, as action adventure, as political,” she tells EW. “So there seems to be more than one way into the story.”

Ms Collins wrote the first draft of the screenplay herself and explained that while Lionsgate acquired the books they established a dialogue with her, to get her input and feedback. “Obviously, you have to let things go,” she says of the process, “but it’s more than a question of condensation. You want to preserve the essence while making the film stand on its own. It’s an art in itself.”

myhungergames.com

Fan Art by Bleunite: Peeta, Katniss & Gale

beautiful!!
Artwork by Bleunite

David Slade Predicts Hunger Games Movie Will Be “Huge”

Having been so immersed in this [Twilight] world, do you have a good sense of what makes a series this sticky? Can you predict the Next Big Thing for this audience?

“Hunger Games” is probably going to be huge. I was actually very interested in directing the film of that. I met with Lionsgate to talk about it, but it didn’t work out.

I’m a big, big fan, a big supporter of fan subcultures. I think they make things bigger than they are and they allow younger people — sometimes older people– to interact in positive ways …they’re good things in society, while there are a lot of bad things in society. And the things that drive great successes are things that people just identify with.

Since there’s obviously a precedent for switching directors with every movie in a franchise, we’d like to officially throw our support your way for the “Hunger Games” sequel.

Aw, well. Let’s see how things go. Who knows. I was in talks early on with “Hunger Games” but it didn’t go and I moved on to the next thing. I don’t tend to attach myself to a lot of things — I generally kind of pursue something to the point at which it becomes a reality, then I start talking about it. I’m very close — but there are four things and they’re all very, very different.

Source: NextMovie via mockingjay.net

Suzanne Collins on 2010 Entertainer of The Year List!

There’s a new girl in town, and her name is Katniss Everdeen, the savvy, gutsy, bow and- arrow-wielding heroine of the bestselling Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay). Katniss is the brainchild of Suzanne Collins, 48, the children’s-book author who dreamed up Games a few years ago while channel surfing, when images of reality TV and the Iraq war melded in her head. From that flash of inspiration, Collins fashioned the dystopian world of the Hunger Games, where an authoritarian Capitol forces its districts to hand over two “tributes” each year—teens who must fight to the death in an outdoor arena while the country watches on TV. If that sounds graphic, it is, and Collins has been criticized by some for the kid-on-kid violence. But the privacy-loving author, who granted EW a rare interview, believes the books pack a powerful antiwar message. “My dad was career Air Force, a Vietnam vet, and a doctor of political science,” she explains. “He felt very strongly about educating his children about war. And in turn, I feel drawn to creating stories for kids that might help them understand it.”

All three books have burned up the charts. The Hunger Games alone has more than 2.9 million copies in print and spent over 100 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Now that the series is finished (Collins says, definitively, that Katniss’ story “was concluded in Mockingjay”), all eyes are on the upcoming movies. Lionsgate optioned The Hunger Games, and Collins, a seasoned scriptwriter with several kids’ shows under her belt, wrote the first draft of the screenplay. “Adapting a book into a two-hour viewing experience is a challenge,” she says. “You want to preserve the essence while making the film stand on its own.” With the script completed, fans are arguing feverishly over who should play Katniss—but the film, tentatively scheduled for 2012, hasn’t been cast. And though Collins has yet to meet Games’ director, Gary Ross, “we’ve spoken twice on the phone, and I think he’s going to be terrific. He’s full of genuine excitement; when he talks about a scene, you can’t help visualizing it. I can’t wait to see his vision come to life on the screen.”
source Entertainment Weekly - via mockingjay.net

Click HERE to view a PDF of this page in the magazine!

'The Hunger Games': Celebrities tweet their love

A few weeks ago, Kristen Bell professed her love for Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy on Twitter. But it seems she’s not the only celeb to give The Hunger Games love in 140 characters or less. Here’s a sample of other celebs who can’t get enough of the books:

Elizabeth Banks: (actress, most recently seen on 30 Rock as Avery Jessup)

• “MOCKINGJAY!!! Clearing three days of my life to devour this book. 3rd in Hunger Games trilogy. Read these!”

John Gallagher Jr.: (actor, Broadway star of American Idiot)

• I just finished The Hunger Games and must IMMEDIATELY get to a book store to procure the second entry! Now reading… http://twitpic.com/2cbf0s
• 1st copy fresh from a just opened shipment box. Thanks Book Court! http://twitpic.com/2ef1nf
• Finished Catching Fire of the Hunger Games trilogy. Don’t know how most fans of the series waited a whole year for 3rd book.
• It’s release day for Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins! Get your copy today! No I’m not working for the PR team. Just a really big fan/dork.
• Had to put down Janis Ian for this. 100 pages in. It’s a nail biter! http://twitpic.com/2ipxyz
• Just landed in LA. I spied several castmates reading The Hunger Games on the plane. It’s spreading!

Jodelle Ferland: (actress, most recently seen in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse as Bree)

• @ZoeyActress Have I read them? Like 5 times! haha Im totally obsessed with them they are AMAZING! Being Katniss would be a dream come true=)
• Hm….wonder where I could get a bow and arrows…I think I know who I wanna be for Halloween
• @JoMarie15 I was Gale before…but then I was converted to Peeta after Mockingjay! (gale was a bit of a jerk in it)
• I got the Mockingjay pin! =) http://twitpic.com/2nl5y4
• BTW I got my Mockingjay pin at Borders while I was at the airport (it’s US only store) & it’s actually a keychain, gonna turn it into a pin!

Melinda Doolittle:

• “@SpunkyC 3rd installment of The Hunger Games series!” and “@gavincreel If you like fiction, you should read The Hunger Games! “

And if showing love via Twitter isn’t enough, CBS Style named the trilogy one of this fall’s must-haves to carry around. And at a recent trip to a bookstore, President Obama’s daughters Sasha and Malia picked up titles from the trilogy.

source: ew.com

The Next Big Movie Franchise: The Hunger Games

Now that the cast is set for the American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy (Daniel Craig and newcomer Rooney Mara), Hollywood has turned its collective attention to the next big book adaptation: The Hunger Games.

The three book series by author Suzanne Collins tells the story of a future dystopia where teens are forced to fight to the death. The third book, Mockingjay, went on sale last month and sold 450,000 copies in its first week. There are 6.2 million copies of the books in print in the U.S. The books have been licensed to 40 other countries. The first book, The Hunger Games, was on the New York Times bestseller list for 100 weeks straight.

Granted those aren’t Twilight numbers. Those four books have sold a total 100 million copies. But The Hunger Games series is still a major hit.

Lionsgate nabbed the worldwide movie rights to the books last March. The first movie is scheduled to hit theaters in 2013. The studio has had a hit franchise with the Saw movies but The Hunger Games could do for Lionsgate what the Twilight movies did for Summit Entertainment, provide a ton of cash to help offset other failures (and maybe eventually get Carl Icahn off of their backs).

Franchises are now crucial to studios’ fortunes. Harry Potter has brought in $5.4 billion at the global box office so far with two movies still to go. The Twilight movies have earned $1.7 billion.

But young adult books, even best selling ones, aren’t always guaranteed to be hits. Just look at the His Dark Materials trilogy. The first film, The Golden Compass earned only $70 million at the domestic box office. Even though it did better abroad ending its run with a total $372 million globally, plans for sequels were quietly scrapped.

So Hollywood is all abuzz about the choices Lionsgate is making for the film. Deadline Hollywood is reporting that director Gary Ross is the front-runner to helm the film. Ross is best known for movies like Pleasantville and Seabiscuit but according to Internet Movie Database, Ross hasn’t directed anything since 2003.

The choice worries some fans. Perri Nemiroff at Cinematical says she was pulling for director David Slade who has experience with darker material, like 30 Days of Night, and teen-friendly franchises. He directed the most recent Twilight film, Eclipse.

Speculation over the cast is also heating up. Entertainment Weekly recently held an online poll to see who fans thought should play heroine Katniss and her friends Peeta and Gale. The top choices, I’ll admit, were actors I’ve never heard of. Kaya Scodelario earned 39% of the vote to play Katniss. The actress was also in Clash of the Titans.

But of course no one had ever heard of Daniel Radcliffe before he was cast as Harry Potter. Now he is one of the top-earning actors on our Celebrity 100.

source: forbes.com

"The Hunger Games" Fan-made Trailer

'Mockingjay' nominated for multiple 2010 GoodReads Choice Awards

VOTE HERE!

The folks at GoodReads, the social networking site for book readers, have announced the nominations for the 2010 GoodReads Choice Awards -- and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins is nominated in multiple categories -- including Favorite Book of 2010.

Mockingjay, the third and final book in The Hunger Games trilogy, is facing some stiff competition from popular authors like Charlaine Harris, Stephenie Meyer, Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stiefvater, Jonathan Franzen, Jodi Picoult, Justin Cronin, and Stieg Larsson.

Still, Mockingjay was easily one of the year's most-anticipated releases and one of the most well-received. It debuted at number one on multiple best-seller lists.

Besides Favorite Book of 2010, Mockingjay is also nominated in the categories for Young Adult Fantasy, Favorite Heroine (for Katniss), and Favorite Hero (for both Peeta and Gale).

Voting is open now on GoodReads (you must register as a user first -- it's free & easy). Besides choosing from the different nominees, there is also a write-in vote option for any other book published in 2010.

The winners will be announced January 5th.

source: examiner.com

David Slade Confirms He Was in the Running to Direct ‘Hunger Games’

via mockingjay.net

Fan-made 'Hunger Games' clip gives a taste of what might be

Tired of waiting for news on The Hunger Games movie? Anxious for a glimpse of Katniss in costume? Some people might tell you that patience is a virtue, but luckily the fans and aspiring actors behind this homemade, and surprisingly well done, mini-adaptation don’t believe that. Take a look below, but be forewarned: It’s the scene between Katniss and Rue and, even out of context, it packs an emotional wallop right to the most wallop-vulnerable part of your heart.

Sure, the actress playing Rue is fair-skinned and blond, but, other than that, I thought it was pretty impressive. What do you guys think?

source: ew.com

'The Hunger Games' movie to have a $60 million budget?

Kickstarting a movie franchise based on a bestselling book series is tricky business. For every Harry Potter, there’s an Eragon (and a Percy Jackson, and a Series of Unfortunate Events). The filmed version of The Golden Compass cost close to $200 million — a huge expenditure that didn’t pay off. It looks like the makers of the upcoming Hunger Games movie are taking a slightly more conservative approach: according to a report on the Baseline Intel blog from the American Film Market, the film will have a budget of roughly $60 million. That’s about $20 million more than the budget of the first Twilight, but hey, the first Twilight didn’t feature a lavish future metropolis. Do you think it’s enough?

Speaking as a proud limousine Marxist, I tend to think smaller budgets are better — they prevent bloat, and force the filmmakers to get creative instead of just throwing money at the screen. And, if you think about it, the first book doesn’t necessarily require much in the ways of set design or special effects. You’ve got District 12 and the Capitol, sure, but it’s not as if you see very much of either place. (Remember, Katniss spends most of her time in the Capitol training.) And the bulk of the story takes place in the forest of the Arena. So basically, we’re looking at a movie that’s 75% The New World, 15% October Sky, and a mere 10% Blade Runner. $60 million sounds about right!
What do you think, Hunger Games fans? Is this the end of our Downey-as-Haymitch dreams?

source: ew.com

WELCOME!