Hunger Games Movie
Netflix Will Have Access to Stream ‘The Hunger Games’ 90 days after EPIX
May 16th
As we told you earlier this month EPIX has gained the exclusive streaming rights to The Hunger Games film when it is finally released on DVD/Blu-ray. This deal means that other streaming services will have to wait for access to the film, including the much used Netflix. According to Home Media Magazine, this means that the popular service will not have the film in it’s library until 90 days after it is released on EPIX.
Netflix gets streaming access to the year’s biggest box office hits, The Hunger Games and The Avengers, beginning in early 2013 — but only 90 days after their releases on disc and Epix, reps for Netflix and the multiplatform pay-channel confirmed.
Online scuttlebutt had suggested that since Netflix and Epix signed an exclusive streaming deal in 2010 — an agreement that doesn’t expire until September — Netflix could have SVOD access to The Hunger Games as early as this fall and The Avengers in early 2013.
The movies’ impressive theatrical runs portend successful retail releases both physically and digitally. That prospect puts lower margin SVOD on the low end of the distibution foodchain.
Earlier this year it was announced that ABC Family had also purchased rights to air The Hunger Games, but their showing is scheduled to begin some 30 months after it’s theatrical release.
No home entertainment (i.e. DVD/Blu-ray) release date has yet been announced for The Hunger Games, but it has been rumored it may be released at the end of summer or early fall, possibly in August or September. This could mean a potential release on Netflix before the end of this year depending on timing.
Lessons Book Adaptors Can Learn From The Hunger Games Movie
May 9th
Overall, the reactions from The Hunger Games movie have been really positive. It has even worked its way up high in the charts to prove its success. So, how has it come to be so successful? Well, Next Movie had weighed in with a list of 12 lessons future book-to-film adaptors could learn from The Hunger Games
Here are a few:
Lesson #1 – Go For a Property With Real Movie Potential
Just because a book is popular doesn’t always mean it’s movie material. “The Hunger Games” boasted a plethora of desirable traits for a good movie — action, romance, suspense, drama, twists, turns, you name it — and that came through on-screen. If the book’s not edge-of-your-seat or otherwise all-consuming, a movie based upon it will probably fall flat.Lesson #2 – Involve the Author, Maybe
Director Gary Ross and author Suzanne Collins teamed up to put the trimmings on the working draft of “The Hunger Games” script. It’s a rarity, of course, that an author has a history of screenwriting (Collins had a heavy dose of TV scripting experience before writing books) but if and when that is the case, whip out the spire because it’s a must-tap resource.Lesson #7 – It’s Good to Have Some Fans on Staff
Having a few castmates or crewmembers who fancy the book in question can’t hurt. Elizabeth Banks, for instance, was such a huge fan of “The Hunger Games” that she admitted to calling in every connection she had in Hollywood to get an in (lucky for her, she’d already worked with Gary Ross on “Seabiscuit”). It’s easy for fans to root for someone when they share their enthusiasm for a series, and this proved quite clear with Banks as Effie Trinket.Lesson #9 – Engage the Book Fan Community Creatively
If there’s one thing “The Hunger Games” studio Lionsgate was effective at, it was marketing to the existent fanbase. Using countdown events and working directly with fansites and sites (like ours!) that had openly declared their love of the source material, they created an impressive and thoughtful digital presence to bring the web community together and nimbly direct fans to the ticket booth.
See the rest of the list here.
These are definitely some important lessons to learn. They really picked out some of the ideas we loved most about this movie, from the director to the cast to the hype leading up to it, and even to the timing. But don’t take our word for it. Do you agree with this list? Do you think they left something out? Let us know what you think!
Source: Next Movie
Showtimes and Tickets Available for ‘The Hunger Games’ Rerelease in IMAX
Apr 26th
If you missed out on seeing The Hunger Games in IMAX, get those ticket purchasing fingers ready because here’s your chance to see the arena larger than life. The film rereleases in IMAX theaters tomorrow, April 27th and tickets are available now.
You can check out showtimes and purchase tickets through:
Remember, this is a limited one week run, so don’t miss out.
Will you be heading to see The Hunger Games in IMAX? Let us know in the comments.
New TV Spot: 4 Weeks
Apr 17th
Lionsgate has just released a new TV spot celebrating that The Hunger Games has been #1 for 4 Weeks in a row!
Source: Hunger Games
Unanswered Questions of The Hunger Games
Apr 11th
Fans that had read the book before watching The Hunger Games in theaters knew all they needed to know about the world of Panem that they were able to identify what was missing, what was changed, etc. However, because the film was created to appeal to a wider audience than the pre-existing fans, many moviegoers walked into theaters not knowing what to expect and were just taken for the ride. So it may come as a surprise to some hardcore fans that some that watched the movie without reading the book thought the film left many unanswered questions about The Hunger Games, so much so that they thought it really harmed the quality of the overall experience.
Forbes recently compiled a list of questions that viewers had after watching The Hunger Games, and narrowed them down to the top 16.
Why were the tributes working together when the object of the Hunger Games is to kill everyone?
Districts 1, 2, and 4 have “career tributes,” known as “Careers.” They’re trained their entire lives to fight in the Hunger Games, and for them, it’s an honor to be picked. The Careers naturally band together, even in the cafeteria before the games begin.
Why did they let Peeta join their pack?
The Careers were jealous that Katniss scored an 11 in her pre-game rating—the highest of all the tributes. They let Peeta live because they believe he has information to help them get to her.
Why do all the District 12 people give a Nazi-style salute when asked for a show of hands?
I’ll take it directly from the book:
“[A] shift has occurred since I stepped up to take Prim’s place, and it now seems I have become someone precious. At first one, then another, then almost every member of the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen a funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love.”
Is the arena a real place or a Holodeck?
It’s real. It’s an outdoor arena, enclosed within a forcefield. After the game ends, the arena is preserved as a tourist destination. Collins writes, “You can even take part in the reenactments.”
If the entire district is fed if Katniss wins, why didn’t they say that in the movie?
The movie also didn’t mention the Victor’s Village or the Avox or the many other details that make this book an excellent read.
Did you catch that? That was a hint that you should read The Hunger Games.
Be sure to head on over to Forbes for the rest of the questions. Did you watch the film without having read the book first? Let us know any questions you had in the comments below!
Source: Forbes
Photo: New ‘The Hunger Games’ Movie Poster from Taiwan
Apr 10th
The Hunger Games fever is a global phenomenon, check out this fantastic new poster for the film released in Taiwan.
CatchPlay, which is the distributor for ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise in Taiwan, revealed this new online only poster recently. This poster features Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen along with both Chinese translated versions of “May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour” (top) and “The World Will Be Watching” (bottom of poster) taglines. Besides that, “adapted from global best selling novel” was also written at the top of ‘The Hunger Games’ logo in Traditional Chinese text.
And here is the same poster translated into English:
What do you think of this new promo image featuring Katniss? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks to Hunger Games Trilogy for the tip!
‘Hunger Games’ Segment filmed in Hildebran Expected to air on Today Show Friday Morning
Mar 29th
The media cannot get enough of The Hunger Games (and neither can we 
). News crews have descended on North Carolina to check out the areas where the blockbuster movie was filmed. Representatives from The Today Show, The Sun, and PBS were all on hand at the Henry River Mill Village Thursday to get footage from the heart of District 12. The Today show crew even journeyed into the Dupont State forest, venturing into the arena itself.
On Thursday, a handful of fans stopped while the “Today” show was there filming. Shepherd (who owns the Village) has said he doesn’t mind fans driving through and even walking on the property but they need to stay on the sidewalks and pavement, not on the grass. He said holes in the ground make the property dangerous for visitors.
Shepherd is the only person the show talked to on camera for the segment. The entire segment on “The Hunger Games” will be three minutes.
“For the whole thing,” Shepherd said about the length of the segment, “and we’ve been here an hour and 40 minutes.”
But Shepherd, 83, seemed to take it all in stride as he stood in a suit and tie near the old village store that was transformed into the Mellark Bakery for the movie. Shepherd said when he first agreed to allowed the movie to be filmed at the old village he never thought it would attract all of the attention it has.
“Absolutely not. I wish I had stuck to my insistence of a percentage (of ticket sales),” Shepherd said with a grin.
Whether the location will be used for filming for the remaining films in the trilogy is anyone’s guess. Robinson said she asked someone on the film crew for something from the movie for Hildebran’s history museum.
“They didn’t exactly promise,” Robinson said. “They said contact us when we’re finished filming, and we’ll see what we can do.”
She hasn’t contacted them yet but what was relayed to her leads her to believe Lionsgate, the movie company responsible for “The Hunger Games,” is not finished with filming at Henry River.
You can check out the full article at the Hickory Daily Record.
The segment may only be 3 minutes long, but we are eager to see it on The Today Show, as well as to see the features The Sun and PBS are putting together. We’ll update with footage when it becomes available.
Video: The Man Behind the Mockingjay Whistle
Mar 29th
Film composer Michael Wandmacher is the official man behind the whistle heard in The Hunger Games. He talks about creating the sound and the success of the whistle from the trailers to ringtones.
Okay, raise your hand if you have the whistle as a ringtone or alert on your phone.
Thanks to Hunger Games Trilogy for the tip!
Video: Sounds of ‘The Hunger Games’
Mar 28th
It’s not only the visual action on the screen that draws you into The Hunger Games film, it’s also the music and sounds. In this fascinating video, Gary Ross and his sound team discus their approach to creating the sounds of The Hunger Games.
SoundWorks Collection: The Sound of The Hunger Games from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.
Source: Soundworks Collection via The Hob
Hutcherson says Suzanne Collins Made The Difference In Hunger Games
Mar 25th
KXYL.com recently posted an article featuring an interview with Josh Hutcherson about The Hunger Games. Josh discussed how book-to-movie changes are often necessary for a successful adaption. Josh also goes on to say that having Suzanne Collins so involved with the project was great for him and fans of the series as well.
Tim Lammers, StrictlyCinema.com -
The clock is rapidly ticking down to the start of “The Hunger Games,” and fans worldwide will finally see their visions of the book come to life on the big screen. And while the expectation level is undoubtedly high, the last thing the film’s cast and crew members want — especially Josh Hutcherson — is for the fans to be disappointed.
After all, Hutcherson — who stars as Peeta Mellark — proudly said that he’s as big a fan of “The Hunger Games” as anyone.
“I think one thing people forget is, we all love the book as well, and it means a lot to us to make a very true-to-the-book version of the story,” Hutcherson told me in a recent interview. “I think that was on everybody’s minds, from the actors to the guys running the cameras on the set.”
Still, Hutcherson pointed out, it was a well-known fact going into the project that there would be differences between book and the film no matter how faithful the filmmakers were to the story.
“There are things that have to grow and change from a book into a movie to make it work, cinematically. For instance, in the book, Katniss has an internal monologue going on the entire time and expresses what’s going on inside her mind; but in a movie, you can’t have that much of the narrator. It was not at all the kind of movie we wanted to make,” Hutcherson explained. “So artistically, we had to find a way to convey the emotions, thoughts and ideas through the scene, situation and dialogue without it being expositionist garbage.”
Instead, Hutcherson said, the film freely explores other characters’ minds and places without always being tied to Katniss’ (Jennifer Lawrence) thoughts.
“I think the movie allows for exploration outside of what the book allows. In the movie, you’re able to get in other characters’ heads and step away from Katniss and have a scene without her. That way you can see, for instance, what (Katniss’ best friend) Gale (Liam Hemsworth) is going through during the games, instead of it being just through Katniss’ perspective.”
Directed by Gary Ross, the movie is set in Panem — the dystopian future land of what was once known as North America — where the sadistic rulers of the evil city known as The Capitol annually selects a teen boy and girl from each of the country’s 12 Districts to participate in fight-to-the-death competition known as The Hunger Games.
The “Tributes” (as the competitors are known as) representing the poor mining community of District 12 is Katniss Everdeen, a brave, intuitive hunter who volunteers to participate in the games in her 12-year-old sister’s place; and Peeta, a strong baker’s son who has long harbored feelings for his counterpart.
One of the biggest things going for “The Hunger Games,” Hutcherson noted, was author Suzanne Collins’ direct involvement with the film. Since Collins co-wrote the screenplay with Ross and scribe Billy Ray, the actor is hopeful fans will be excited with the evolution of the story into a movie.
“What was great for me was Suzanne wanted to be involved. She wanted the screenplay to grow from the original story she had written,” Hutcherson recalled. “That to me meant a lot, to have the writer understand that we’re making a movie, not making a book. To have her blessing in that sense was great.”
Better yet, Hutcherson added, was that Collins, who penned three “Hunger Games” books, personally endorsed his casting.
“I know when I was first getting cast, she had made a few comments to the press that I was extremely flattered by,” Hutcherson said. “It meant a lot to me to have that, because when the fans hear that the writer of the books is 100 percent behind the cast that’s been hired, then the fans are like, ‘OK, then were are, too.’ There’s kind of the sense that, ‘Oh, she wrote the books so she knows better than anybody else. If she’s OK with it, then we should be, too.’”
You can read the rest of the article here. Do you think that Suzanne Collins involvement was necessary for the book-to-movie changes? Let us know.
Source: KXYL.com
