The Hunger Games Gets IMAX Banner and Two New TV Spots; Director Gary Ross Calls Adaptation "Faithful"
Posted 02.22.12 by Ryan
Today, advance tickets are on sale for the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. In case fans forget that the movie will open in IMAX as well, the studio has released a new banner poster that shows protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) taking aim with her bow and arrow. Lionsgate clearly hopes the movie is on target to be a massive hit so it can greenlight Hunger Games sequels.
The story is set in a dystopian future where "tributes" from the 12 districts are randomly selected to participate in The Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death. Elizabeth Banks, who plays District 12 escort Effie Trinket, told MTV that she was "excited to see the actual Games." She also admitted that the Reaping, the ceremony where Effie publicly selects tributes, was the most difficult scene to shoot.
The Reaping is amazing. We get so see a heroine step forward and show herself for the first time and come to life, and it was a really remarkable scene to shoot. It was difficult to shoot under insane conditions, about 105 degrees the couple days we shot it. We had all these young kids there dropping like flies. It was madness, and it’s also the only time we spend in District 12.
The Reaping scene is largely the focus of two new TV spots for The Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games was adapted by Collins and screenwriter
Billy Ray (
State of Play). Director
Gary Ross (
Seabiscuit) recently told
MTV that he and Collins worked on the last draft of the
"very, very faithful" script.
We collaborated. We were in a room together! We locked ourselves up in a room and literally wrote the last draft of the script together. It was a blast. It's very, very faithful in the literal sense, but it's even more faithful in the tonal sense. My job is to give you that same visceral feeling you felt when you read the book. [I want you] to feel that same kind of urgency, feel that same uncertainty she feels, to feel uncertain about Peeta's (Josh Hutcherson) motivations — that's essential.
That has to be good news to the book's rabid fans, who are anxiously awaiting the movie's premiere in only 30 days. (Don't forget to enter our for your chance to win a trip for two to the premiere.)
The Hunger Games cast includes Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Willow Shield as Primrose, Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove, Jack Quaid as Marvel, Jacqueline Emerson as Foxface, Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh, Leven Rambin as Glimmer, Alexander Ludwig as Cato, Amandla Stenberg as Rue, Paula Malcomson as the mother to Katniss and Primrose, and Donald Sutherland as President Snow.
Next Showing: Hunger Games opens March 23