'The Hunger Games' Countdown: Set Pictures, Shooting Schedule Breakdown and Potential Story Additions

For the first time in months, there is no Hunger Games casting news to report. Well, there was that itemclaiming that Tim Taylor snagged a part as a Gamemaker, but as Lionsgate has yet to confirm the news, we’re going to let that one be for the time being. So, for two weeks, The Hunger Games has gone without adding any new faces and, well, that’s the nature of filmmaking. Now that we’re beyond the casting stages, there’s other items pouring in, namely reports from the set.

For the past few weeks production has been hot and heavy in Shelby, North Carolina. About a month ago, the crew began invading the town, throwing up roadblocks left and right and since, we’ve been fortunate enough to catch glimpses of Panem coming to life.

Much of the Shelby filming seemed to revolve around the portions that play out in Katniss and Peeta’s home district. One of the first notable images to hit the web was of a structure labeled “District 12,” right beside some train tracks nonetheless. Sure enough, an image of a train car branded with the Capitol logo surfaced soon after, which leads me to believe the rumors are true; Shelby was the shooting location for the reaping scene after which poor Katniss and Peeta board a train to the Capitol for the Games. Also falling in line with this supposed shooting schedule is the appearance of Elizabeth Banks in full Effie Trinket attire. Unfortunately, Lionsgate requested that both the shots of Banks as Effie and the Capitol logo be tucked away for the time being, but if you were lucky enough to catch them while they were live, you know that the production is moving in the right direction – visually at least.

In other exciting Shelby news, apparently they’ve actually constructed a Capitol hovercraft and the vehicle was the focus of a scene that was shot about a week ago. Now that’s something I’d love to see an image of.

Meanwhile, over at the Henry River Mill Village, an abandoned town in Hildebran, there was quite a bit of talk about a supposed explosion. While there is one notable explosion in the arena, should Henry River Mill Village be a District 12-specific shooting location, the only possible scene this explosion could be associated with is the one that took the life of Katniss and Gale’s fathers during the infamous mining accident. We never actually see the incident play out in the book; we only know of it through Katniss’ memories and the scars it left behind. It looks as though the film version could offer a firsthand look at the tragedy, albeit perhaps a slightly altered version as the structure that went kaboom was a house rather than a mineshaft. Down With The Capitol actually has a very interesting and plausible theory on the topic, which you can read about here.

Now that the production has wrapped in both Shelby and Hildebran, the latest location that must make way for The Hunger Games is Dupont State Forest, the reported site of the arena scenes. Little has come out of that set just yet and as this is a more secluded forest rather than a populated town, odds are, Lionsgate will have a better shot at keeping things under wraps.

In non-set news, a recent Life & Style story has fans up in arms over potential plans to beef up the romantic elements of the story. In the book, Katniss spends most of her time with Peeta in the Capitol and the arena while Gale remains home in District 12, almost entirely absent from the story except for Katniss’ recollections. What’s a love triangle when one party isn’t present to fight for the romance? According to the article, “scenes have been added in to give the heartthrob a larger role on-screen and make the love triangle steamier and a bigger aspect early on in the franchise,” that heartthrob being Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Click right here to read more about this issue in our recent article, Fans Weigh In: Should 'The Hunger Games' Play Up The Love Triangle?

Meanwhile, speaking of the story, one item that didn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserved was a message from the author of the series herself, Suzanne Collins. Collins took some time to clear the air and break down the adaptation process. It’s brief, but still worthy of your attention as it details who actually had a hand in the script. Check out the letter in its entirety here.

We’ve also got some exciting news out of the International Licensing Expo (via Coming Soon). Not only does the film’s very first teaser poster rock the iconic Mockingjay symbol, but it reveals the film’s official tagline, “May the odds be ever in your favor.” In other promotional news, albeit unofficial news, a group calling themselves The Gamemakers created a viral campaign of their own, almost. They launched sites through which you could sign up for tesserae, one called “Government of Panem” featuring a countdown clock and the message “See you in October” and another called “Mellark Bakery” where you could order loaves of bread. According to DWTC, the tesserae site once had this disclaimer: “Please know that PanemOctober is a fan-made ARG for the Hunger Games upcoming film … This website is in no way affiliated with Scholastic, Lionsgate Films, Suzanne Collins or any HG-related officials.” Well, apparently that wasn’t enough because as of late last night, the Gamemakers of Welcome to Panem had to put an end to their effort at the studios’ urging.

Lastly, we’re in the midst of a naming revolution. A slew ofHunger Games fan sites are working on an effort to top the Twihards and Potterphiles by coming up with something far more charming and bold for fans of The Hunger Games. I’ve come across a bunch of incredibly appropriate suggestions like The Mockingjays and The Rebels as well as some I’d rather not adopt like The Buttercups and The Hungries. Of all the suggestions, I’m leaning towards The Tributes as it’s deeply rooted in a central element of the story, bears a great deal of depth and is quite simple. And apparently many other fans are in agreement. The options that made it to the final six are Tributes, Mockingjays, Jabberjays, Hunger Gamers, Rebels and Hunger Games Fans (HG Fans).

The Fan Sites Weigh In – Scenes Not In The Book That Could Be Suitable For The Film

Adapting a beloved book for the big screen is a testy venture. If you stick too closely to the source material, you run the risk of alienating non-book fans as well as potentially working with a story that simply isn’t fitting for the film format. Then again, should changes be made, filmmakers could also feel the wrath of fans desperate to keep the story intact.

Of course we want the film to do the book justice, but there’s no harm in finding a happy medium. In fact, The Hob and Theresa of Down With The Capitol have narrowed it down some prime parts missing from the book that could make for fantastic big screen moments.

1) Flashback to Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen Meeting (Maybe one detailing how Peeta's father was in love with Mrs. Everdeen, too.)

We think this one is important because it will shed some light on the relationship between Katniss' parents, driving home exactly why Mrs. Everdeen fell into such a deep depression after her husband died, which led Katniss to resent her and having to be the primary caregiver of her family. If we see some flashbacks between her parents, it will really show readers how in love they were and why it destroyed Mrs. Everdeen so immensely that she couldn't even pull out of the depression for her own children. (The Hob)

2) Family Interviews

It’d be interesting to see the interviews with the friends and families of the final eight tribute in the arena. I’m curious to see how The Capitol interviewer spins the happenings in the arena for the audience. (Theresa)

3) Flashback to Haymitch in the Games

We don't think this is likely as they will probably merely state that as the District 12 mentor, he’s a previous victor, while the effects will be visible through his behavior. His back story comes into play more in Catching Fire, but it would be nice to show Haymitch as a likable person and not just the drunken, rude, brash guy that Katniss first meets. (The Hob)

4) The Audience, Family and Gale’s Reaction To What’s Happening in the Games

This will show what impact the games make on those outside of the arena, how difficult it is for their families to be sitting at home watching this on TV and how heart wrenching it must be for a mother and father to watch their child be killed for entertainment. It would also be interesting to see some of the Capitol citizens' reactions. Are they really as okay with all this as the government of the Capitol makes you think? Perhaps they go along with the fanfare because they’re afraid of the consequences of going against President Snow, but maybe in the privacy of their own homes, they find it just as appalling as the family members and citizens of the districts. For those that actually enjoy it, it would be interesting to see how brainwashed and out of touch they are with humanity. This would be a great place for Suzanne Collins to step in and tell us a side to the story that we weren't privy to at all in the books. (The Hob)

The whole idea of pulling back and seeing the audience responses is an important one that I hope they undertake. Not only would it add interesting scenes, it also reminds the audience that what is happening in the arena is being televised and that we, as a theatre audience, are watching people watching screens. We, in essence, are the Capitol audience. I’d also really like to see The Gamemakers and President Snow's reactions to what is going on in the arena. (Theresa)

5) Seeing Haymitch Interact with the Sponsors

Are there negotiations playing up your Tributes to gain favors and gifts? Can someone like Haymitch, who won the games and is wealthy because of it, use his own money to purchase things, or is that not allowed? What tactics does he use to "sell" his tributes to sponsors? (The Hob)

Before I wrap up this edition of The Hunger Games Countdown, I’d like to draw your attention to a project that not only has great appeal for diehard fans of the series, but could be the perfect way for Hunger Gamesnewcomers to catch up on the goods. Today, Down With The Capitol kicks off its Hunger Games Read Alongand will continue to discuss three chapters of the book every Wednesday until the final page of The Hunger Games. Click here to check out the details. I know I’ll be following along!

The Hunger Games Countdown runs here on Movies.com every other Wednesday. There's 281 days until release.

By Perri Nemiroff at source Movies

Collider Weighs In: The Hunger Games Movie Adaptation

Collider.com has a new article up examining how the Hunger Games novel will translate onto the silver screen. The piece, which discusses everything from casting Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, to the Twilight comparisons, to the PG-13 rating, gives a good overview of what will work on screen, and what might need to change.

"But toning down the violence and tweaking the costumes isn’t a big deal. While they do help color the world, they’re not essential to the plot. A larger question is can a director like Ross introduce the brutality and bleakness required of the story. His specialty up to this point has been feel-good pictures like Pleasantville and Seabiscuit and The Hunger Games doesn’t live anywhere close to those two movies. That’s not to say he isn’t capable of doing a strong adaptation, but it will most likely be completely unlike anything we’ve seen from him before.

The biggest challenge is the romance between Katniss and Peeta. The two tributes know they have to put on a show of romance for the viewers and sponsors, but Katniss’ internal monologue lets us know that she’s actually starting to fall for Peeta. But because this is a movie, how will Ross make the distinction between Katniss playing towards the TV cameras and playing towards the real camera? My first thought is to cut between a “TV feed” when she’s faking and the actual movie when she’s being authentic, but that approach may be a little too obvious and distracting."

You can read the rest of the article here
via hungergamesdwtc

Will The Hunger Games be at Comic Con? Lionsgate Responds

San Diego’s Comic Con convention, which is held July 21-24, is coming up quick and the inevitable question is still being asked. Will the Hunger Games be promoted at the popular convention? Sara Gundell from the Hunger Games Examiner reached out to Lionsgate for more information

“Our Comic Con plans aren’t locked yet,” Lionsgate tells The Hunger Games Examiner. “But we will be sure to keep everyone posted.”

We already know Lionsgate will be at Comic Con promoting the remake of Conan the Barbarian and Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner. Let’s hope we hear official word from Lionsgate soon! On a side note our own Admin Arianna will be attending Comic Con so she will keep a watch out for the Hunger Games at Comic Con.

read more at Hunger Games Examiner

via hungergamesdwtc

The Hunger Games Gets UK Release Date: March 23, 2012

source @LionsgateUKPR

Jennifer Lawrence Records Original Song for "Hunger Games" Film

T. Bone brought actress Jennifer Lawrence in to sing a haunting song he had written. The day they came in was the first day of shooting for the film but T. Bone had been working on the music for some time. He was one of the nicest, most genuine people we have had the pleasure of working with. I drove him to Best Buy and he talked candidly about making music, about the music industry and where it’s going. I was in total nerd glory. I got back to find out the director of the film had hit my car in the parking lot. I guess if you’re going to have someone hit your car, it might as well be the guy who directed Seabiscuit and Pleasantville, right?

If the music is any indication of how the movie is going to turn out, it’s going to be fantastic. And it’s filming for the next two months in Asheville, so hopefully we’ll get the pleasure of working with Jason and T. Bone again.

source echomountain via mockingjay.net

Hunger Games Trilogy Makes USA Today’s Top 100

USA Today released their list of the Top 100 Best Selling books of 2010, and the three books in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy were among them: Catching Fire (#31), Mockingjay (#16), and The Hunger Games (#14).

The list was calculated by collecting sales data from booksellers representing a variety of outlets: bookstore chains, independent bookstores, mass merchandisers and online retailers.

Here’s another fun fact– over half (eleven) of the top twenty best selling books of 2010 were YA or Youth titles.

USA Today via hungergamesdwtc

Funny Email: Mellark Bakery Order

You can order bread from the bakery at http://www.hungergamestesserae.com
This is the email you get:

thanks wolfio at themockingjay

‘Hunger Games’ Movies will be ‘Steamier’ than Books

There’s endless talk and hype surrounding the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games novels, and the new Life & Style story reporting that there’s going to be even sexier scenes written into the movie surely won’t quell the fever.

In their story, L&S reports that to make the first movie a bit more interesting, “scenes have been added in to give the heartthrob a larger role on-screen and make the love triangle steamier and a bigger aspect early on in the franchise.” That will surely make the love triangle between hotties Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth that much more fun to watch.

Even with all of the hype, the set and details of the Hunger movies have been somewhat slim aside from casting news. During an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman recently to promote X-Men: First Class, Lawrence — who landed the lead role as Katniss — joked about the movie, even taking a jab at Twilight, saying: “It’s a very violent futuristic movie where kids are selected from their home districts to fight in an arena to the death … but we don’t drink blood. That’s sick.”

source celebuzz

The Hunger Games Filming Updates: Shelby Wraps, Dupont State Forest Up Next

Thanks to local sources, Russ Bowen and Graham Cawthon, we now know that filming in Shelby has officially wrapped and the cast and crew are headed to Dupont State Forest, as we reported last week.

source The Hob via girl-on-fire-12

Tim Taylor Cast as a "Gamekeeper"?

GeekTyrant.com is reporting that Tim Taylor has been cast as a “Gamekeeper” in The Hunger Games movie.
Here’s the excerpt:
"The Hunger Games casting continues with the addition of Tim Taylor (Possum Walk, Archaic Redemption), who joins the already incredibly huge cast as the Gamekeeper in the story. The Gamekeeper is described as the computer techs that control the action during the games.
The movie is being directed by Gary Ross, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing some of the first footage of the film, which I hope happens at Comic-Con."

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Cast Gets to Work on The Hunger Games Set

Paula Malcomson as Mrs.Everdeen

source popsugar via themockingjay

Suzanne Collins Talks About The Movie Script

Lionsgate just posted this on the official Facebook page:

Now that the filming of The Hunger Games has begun, I've been getting a lot of questions about the script, so I thought I might share a little of my experience with you. Back in early 2010, Color Force and Lionsgate began the process of adapting the book to the screen and I wrote the first draft of the script. After that, we brought on veteran screenwriter Billy Ray to further develop the piece. Not only has he written and directed excellent films like Shattered Glass and Breach, he was a complete pleasure to work with. Amazingly talented, collaborative, and always respectful of the book. His adaptation further explored the world of Panem and its inhabitants. As though I wasn't lucky enough, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gary Ross, known for his wonderful works such as Seabiscuit and Pleasantville, came on board.

As part of his creative process, he wrote a subsequent draft which incorporated his incredible directorial vision of the film. And then he very generously invited me in to work with him on it. We had an immediate and exhilarating creative connection that brought the script to the first day of shooting. Of course, the piece will naturally continue to evolve through the filming, as the actors bring the characters to life, as the entire crew brings their significant talents to the piece, as the editors work with Gary to best realize his vision. The final draft will be on the screen next March.

So that's been the script process, and as an author, I'm truly grateful for the journey.

May the odds be ever in your favor!

Suzanne Collins

source the-hunger-games

New Pics on the Set -- Peacekeepers First Look!

via girl-on-fire-12.livejournal

Lionsgate Confirms: FOUR Movies in the Hunger Games Franchise’s Future

As reported earlier by Deadline, a Lionsgate Executive told Wall Street Analysts that The Hunger Games series would be brought to the screen as four action films. That raised a lot of eyebrows in the fan community today, would our beloved trilogy really be turned into four films?

While, Deadline is usually a very reliable source, our allies at The Hob went straight to Lionsgate and received confirmation on the report:

"We can confirm we have a deal that encompasses four (4) movies for THE HUNGER GAMES.
When we responded back to inquire if one of the books would be split, or if there was a potential for a prequel, we received this response. We cannot confirm any details beyond the below [the previous response
listed above] at this time. "

via thehob and hungergamesdwtc