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The Hunger Games (film)

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The Hunger Games
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGary Ross
Screenplay by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTom Stern
Edited by
Music byJames Newton Howard
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
  • March 21, 2012 (2012-03-21) (Belgium, France,
    Netherlands, Philippines)
  • March 23, 2012 (2012-03-23) (North America)
Running time
142 minutes[1][2]
CountryTemplate:Film US
LanguageEnglish
Budget$78 million[3]
Box office$533,629,253 [4]

The Hunger Games is a 2012 American science fiction action drama film directed by Gary Ross, based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The film was produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, with a screenplay by Ross, Collins, and Billy Ray. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland.[5]

The story takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future in the nation of Panem, which consists of a wealthy capitol surrounded by 12 less affluent districts. As punishment for a past rebellion against the government, the Capitol initiated the Hunger Games–a televised annual event in which one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts are selected in a lottery as "tributes" and are required to fight to the death in an arena until there is one remaining victor. When the protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) hears her younger sister's name called as the female tribute for their district, she volunteers to take her place in order to save her from having to participate. Joined by her district's male tribute Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson), Katniss travels to the Capitol to train for the Hunger Games under the guidance of former victor Haymitch Abernathy (Harrelson), expressing resentment for both the Capitol and its populace for forcing her and her fellow tributes to fight to the death for their own amusement.

The film was released on March 21, 2012, in France and other countries[6] and internationally on March 23, 2012,[7] in both conventional theaters and digital IMAX theaters.[8] After its release, the film set the record for the third best opening weekend box office sales of any movie ($152.5 million) in North America behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($169 million) and The Dark Knight ($158 million)[9] and is the biggest box office debut for a non-sequel.[10] It is the first film since Avatar to remain in first place at the box office for four consecutive weekends.[11]

The Hunger Games was well-received by critics, who praised its themes and messages, as well as Lawrence's performance as Katniss. Like the novel, the film has attracted criticism for its similarities to other works, such as the Japanese novel Battle Royale and its film adaptation as well as the American short story "The Lottery". It is noted, however, that Collins' novel and screenplay possess key differences by drawing on sources of inspiration such as the myth of Theseus, Roman gladiatorial games, reality television, and the Iraq War.[12] The Hunger Games has been the subject of varying interpretations, including allusions to feminist, political and religious allegory.

Plot

Further information: Plot of the novel

At an unspecified point in the future, the nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve poorer surrounding districts. As a punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol by the districts, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery (known as the "Reaping") to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an arena controlled by the Capitol until only one remains alive. Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from the coal mining region of District 12, volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Peeta Mellark, a baker's son who once gave Katniss bread when her family was starving, is also selected.

Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, where their drunken mentor, former Games victor Haymitch Abernathy, instructs them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes, especially the "Careers," who have been trained from birth to compete in the Games. During a pre-Games interview with TV personality Caesar Flickerman, Peeta unexpectedly reveals his feelings of love for Katniss. Katniss is outraged, believing this to be a ploy to gain crucial audience support for themselves, as audience members may "sponsor" tributes with gifts of food, medicine, and tools. The Games begin with half of the tributes killed in the first 8 hours, while Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. Peeta forms an alliance with the "Careers", including Cato, Clove, Marvel, and Glimmer, to track Katniss, whom they pursue into the woods. Katniss develops an alliance with District 11 tribute Rue, who points out a tracker jacker nest, which Katniss uses to kill Glimmer. The alliance is short-lived; Rue is killed by District 1 tribute Marvel, whom Katniss kills in return with an arrow. Katniss sings Rue a lullaby as she dies, then spreads flowers over her body. When this is televised, it sparks a riot in District 11.

With Katniss and Peeta established as "star-crossed lovers" - and the Gamemakers trying to avoid inciting further riots - a rule change is announced midway through the Games, stating that two tributes from the same district can win the Games as a pair. Upon hearing this, Katniss searches for Peeta and finds him, wounded by a sword. As Katniss nurses Peeta back to health, she portrays herself as deeply in love with him to gain audience favor and sponsorship. When Katniss tries to retrieve medicine for Peeta, Clove attacks her, but District 11 tribute Thresh kills Clove for Katniss in memory of Rue. An intelligent and resourceful tribute, Foxface, accidentally kills herself by eating highly poisonous nightlock berries stolen from Peeta, who did not know they were poisonous. A pack of vicious hound-like creatures are released, killing Thresh and forcing Katniss and Peeta towards the Cornucopia, where they encounter Cato. After an intense fight and a shaky speech from Cato, Katniss shoots Cato with an arrow to save Peeta's life. Cato falls to the hounds, and Katniss shoots him again, killing him to spare him a prolonged death. The Gamemakers then reverse the rule change in an attempt to force Katniss and Peeta into a dramatic duel, where one must kill the other to win. Katniss, betting that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than none, reveals a cache of nightlock berries and gives Peeta a portion. 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 is treated to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has now become a political enemy after such a public defiance of her society's authoritarian leaders. As Katniss and Peeta return to District 12, President Snow ponders what to do about the joint victors and the feelings of rebellion that they may have inspired.

Cast

Jennifer Lawrence was ultimately cast as Katniss, and dyed her hair brown for the part.
See also: List of The Hunger Games characters

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.[3][23] On March 16, 2011, it was announced that Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence of the indie film Winter's Bone landed the coveted role.[24] Though Lawrence was 20, four years older than the character,[25] 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.[26] 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."[27] Lawrence, a fan of the books, took three days to accept the role.[3] Lawrence was initially intimidated by the size of the movie and what it might mean for her fame.[3][28]

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.[29] Other actors considered for the role of Gale included David Henrie, Drew Roy, and Robbie Amell.[29] 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.[30] The following month Lionsgate announced that the role went to Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson.[15]

Production

Lions Gate Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights in March 2009 with Nina Jacobson's production company Color Force.[31][32] Collins adapted the novel for film herself,[32] and her script was revised by screenwriter Billy Ray.[33] Collins anticipated the film to have a PG-13 rating.[34] 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."[35]

Gary Ross became the director in November 2010.[36][37] 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.[38]

With an initial budget of $75 million,[39] principal photography began near Brevard in Transylvania County in Western North Carolina in May 2011[40] and concluded on September 15, 2011, with a final budget reported as between $90 and $100 million, reduced to $78 million after subsidies.[1][3] Steven Soderbergh served as a second unit director.[41] The movie was shot on film as opposed to digital due (in part) to the tightness of the schedule; as Ross said in a interview with The New York Times, "I didn't want to run the risk of the technical issues that often come with shooting digitally — we simply couldn't afford any delays."[42]

Lawrence dyed her blonde hair brown for the part of Katniss.[43] She also underwent extensive training to get in shape for the role, including archery, rock and tree climbing, combat, running, parkour, and yoga,[44] 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.[3] Lionsgate hired archer (and Olympic bronze medalist) Khatuna Lorig to teach Lawrence how to shoot.[38]

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".[2] 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".[45] In the United States, the movie was granted a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)[46] for "intense violent thematic material and disturbing images - all involving teens".

Music

Soundtrack

Main article: The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond

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.[47] The first single from the film's companion album, "Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars, was released on December 23, 2011.[48] It reached number one on the iTunes overall charts in 12 hours.[citation needed] 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,[49] Neko Case,[50] Kid Cudi[49] Academy Award winner Glen Hansard,[49] The Low Anthem,[49] Punch Brothers,[49] Birdy,[49] Maroon 5, Jayme Dee,[49] and Carolina Chocolate Drops.[49] The soundtrack was released on March 20, 2012.[51] 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. It is actually one of just 16 soundtracks to grace the top slot in the history of the Top 200.

Score

Main article: The Hunger Games: Original Motion Picture 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.[52] However, due to scheduling conflicts, Elfman was later replaced by James Newton Howard.[53] The score album was released on March 26, 2012.[54]

Arcade Fire also contributed to the movie's original score. The group composed the grand, fascistic-inspired, ominous Panem national anthem, entitled "Horn of Plenty", an important and signature leitmotif appearing throughout the film.[55][56] "We were interested in making music that would be more integral in the movie, just as a mental exercise," Butler, who co-wrote the song with Chassagne, explained. "And there's an anthem that runs throughout the books, the national anthem of the fascist Capitol. So as a thought experiment, we tried to write what that might sound like. It's like the Capitol's idea of itself, basically."[57][58] He further added that "it's not a pop song or anything. More of an anthem anthem that could be playing at a big sporting event like the [Hunger] Games. So we did a structure for that, and then James Newton Howard made a movie-score version of it that happens in several places in the film."[59][60] Arcade Fire's Panem national anthem has received strong reviews. According to Spin Mobile, ""Horn of Plenty" pulls off the neat feat of sounding both exactly like Arcade Fire and exactly like a futuristic anthem. It still has one foot in the band's uncorrupted neighborhoods, but another is up on the podium at the end of Star Wars accepting an Olympic gold medal or something. Horns blare, a choir booms, strings swell, the martial percussion steals the show, and we just realized how much we love Big Brother."[61]

The film also featured a rather obscure analog track from the 1970s composed by Laurie Spiegel for its "cornucopia scene."[62]

Themes

Interpretations of the film's themes and messages have been widely discussed among critics and other commentators. In his review for The Washington Times, Peter Suderman expressed that "[m]aybe it's a liberal story about inequality and the class divide. Maybe it's a libertarian epic about the evils of authoritarian government. Maybe it's a feminist revision on the sci-fi action blockbuster. Maybe it's a bloody satire of reality television", but concludes the film only proposes these theories and brings none of them to a reasonable conclusion.[63]

Feminism

Observers have made arguments in favor of, and against the film's representation of feminist ideology. The fact that The Hunger Games emerged as a box-office hit with a female lead represents a dramatic shift for the action film genre. Historically, among the "top 200 worldwide box-office hits ever ($350 million and up), not one has been built around a female action star."[64] Manohla Dargis saw Katniss Everdeen as a female hero following in the lineage of "archetypal figures in the literature of the American West" such as Natty Bumppo, as well as characters portrayed by American actors such as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.[65] Katniss is also seen as defying gender role due to the fact that she exhibits both masculine and feminine traits equally.[65] Dargis expands by stating: "Katniss is a fantasy figure, but partly what makes her powerful — and, I suspect, what makes her so important to a lot of girls and women — is that she's one of the truest feeling, most complex female characters to hit American movies in a while. She isn't passive, she isn't weak, and she isn't some random girl. She's active, she's strong and she's the girl who motivates the story."[65] Similarly, Shelley Bridgeman of The New Zealand Herald wrote that because the characteristics of "athleticism, strength, courageousness and prowess at hunting" are not given to a male protagonist, but to Katniss, her character is an abrupt departure from the stereotypical depiction of women as being innately passive or helpless.[66] Mahvesh Murad of the The Express Tribune said that the film's triumph is "a young female protagonist with agency", comparing her with Joss Whedon's Buffy Summers.[67]

Kate Heartfield of the Ottawa Citizen did not share views that present the film or the books on which it is based as an example of feminism. Despite being a blockbuster film with a female lead possessing masculine characteristics, it fails to challenge patriarchal or orthodox paradigms.[68] She points to the fact that Katniss is torn between her feelings for two male love interests, a trait she shares with Bella Swan of the The Twilight Saga, with whom she is often compared.[68] Heartfield states that while Katniss may be an exceptional character, "she isn't threatening to our social order. There's no controversy over women taking up archery or martial arts. There is controversy these days in the United States over access to birth control. The relationship between female power in The Hunger Games and the real feminist battles of 2012 is comfortably remote."[68]

Politics

The film has drawn varying interpretations for its political overtones, including arguments in favor of left-wing, right-wing, and libertarian viewpoints. Bob Burnett of The Huffington Post observed the film displays a general distrust of government, regardless of the audience's political party affiliation.[69] Steven Zeitchik and Emily Rome, in the Dallas Morning News, also stated that some viewers formed an opinion about The Hunger Games as a parable of the Occupy Wall Street activity.[70] The Huffington Post reported that Penn Badgley, a supporter of Occupy Wall Street, saw the film as a social commentary on the movement.[71] Burnett also states that "Collins doesn't use the terms 1 percent and 99 percent, but it's clear that those in the Capitol are members of the 1 percent and everyone in the Panem districts is part of the 99 percent".[69]

Religion

Steven Zeitchik and Emily Rome, in the Los Angeles Times and the Dallas Morning News reported that, among other disparate interpretations, some viewers saw The Hunger Games as a Christian allegory.[72][73] While Jeffrey Weiss of the Star Tribune has remarked on what he saw as the absence of religion in The Hunger Games universe,[74] Donald Brake from The Washington Times, as well as Jessica Groover from the Independent Tribune, wrote that the film has Christian themes, such as that of self-sacrifice, which is found in Katniss' substitution for her younger sister, analogous to the sacrifice of Jesus as a substitute for the atonement of sins.[75][76] Brake, as well as another reviewer, Amy Simpson, both find that the film also revolves around the theme of hope, which is exemplified in the "incorruptible goodness of Katniss' sister, Primrose."[77] She also describes that Peeta Mellark is "a Christ figure" in the film.[78] Similar to the events in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, in the Games, Peeta is stabbed and left for dead after saving Katniss' life—taking the wound that was initially meant for her—and is then buried in the ground and placed in a cave for three days before emerging with a new lease on life.[79] Moreover, the Christian image of the Bread of Life is used throughout The Hunger Games; in the film, Peeta shows up "bearing a warm loaf of bread," and Katniss slowly comes "back to life."[80] A news video starring Jonathan Morris aired on Fox News discussed the religious themes in the film further.[81] In addition, many pastors have written Bible studies discussing the Christian allegories in the film.[82][83]

Reception

Critical response

The Hunger Games was positively received by critics. Based on 248 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 84% "Certified Fresh" rating and an average score of 7.2 out of 10. The film earned an 80 percent score from "Top Critics". The site's consensus reads "[t]hrilling and superbly acted, The Hunger Games captures the dramatic violence, raw emotion, and ambitious scope of its source novel".[84] On Metacritic, the film has a 67 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on reviews from 44 critics.[85] Many critics have praised Jennifer Lawrence for her portrayal as Katniss Everdeen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lawrence embodies Katniss, "just as one might imagine her from the novel".[86] 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."[86] Several critics have reviewed the film favorably compared with other young-adult fiction adaptations such as Harry Potter and Twilight. Justin Craig of Fox News rated the film as "[e]xcellent" and stated: "Move over Harry Potter. A darker, more mature franchise has come to claim your throne."[87] Rafer Guzman of Newsday referred to The Hunger Games as being "darker than 'Harry Potter,' more sophisticated than 'Twilight'."[88] David Sexton of The Evening Standard stated that The Hunger Games "is well cast and pretty well acted, certainly when compared with Harry Potter's juvenile leads."[89]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, praising the movie as "effective entertainment" and Lawrence's performance. Despite being a largely positive review, he criticized the film for being too long and noted that the film misses opportunities for social criticism.[90] 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".[91] Film critic David Thomson of neo-liberal magazine 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".[92]

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."[93] The film received some criticism for its shaky camera style, but it was said to "add to the film in certain ways".[94] The violence drew commentary as well, Time critic Mary Pols considered that the film was too violent for young children, even though the violence had been toned down compared with the novel,[95] while critic Théoden Janes of the Charlotte Observer found it too edulcorated.[96] Both Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were praised for their portrayals as Katniss and Peeta. 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.[97]

Many critics praised Isabelle Fuhrman's chilling portrayal of "Clove", making her a break-out star.[98] 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."[99]

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.[100] David Sexton of The Evening Standard compared The Hunger Games unfavourably to Kinji Fukasaku's Japanese film Battle Royale, as did several other critics;[89][101][102][103][104] the novel had earlier faced criticism for its similarities to the novel Battle Royale by Kōshun Takami.[105] 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."[106]

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.[107] 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."[108] Steve Rose of The Guardian refers to the film as "think Battle Royale meets The Running Man meets Survivor."[109] 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.[110] For her part, author Collins cites the myth of Theseus, reality television and coverage of the Iraq War as her inspiration.[111][112][113]

Box office

The Hunger Games has earned $339,629,253 in North America, as of April 18, 2012, and $194,000,000 in other countries, as of April 18, 2012, for a worldwide total of $533,629,253.[4] It made the largest worldwide opening weekend for a movie not released during the summer or the holiday period, earning $211.8 million, which was just ahead of Alice in Wonderland's previous record ($210.1 million).[114]

In North America, it set many box-office records. 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.[115] In the week leading up to its release, the film sold-out over 4,300 showings via Fandango and MovieTickets.com[116] 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.[117] 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.[118] On its opening day, it made $67.3 million (including midnight showings). This set 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).[10] The film also achieved the fifth highest opening-day and single-day grosses of all time.[119][120][121] On its opening weekend, the movie grossed $152.5 million, topping Alice'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.[122][123][124][125] Its opening weekend gross was also the largest for any film released outside July and the third-largest of all time overall behind Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($169.2 million) and The Dark Knight ($158.4 million).[126] After two days of release, it became Lionsgate's highest grossing film ever.[122] It is the first film since Avatar that remained in first place at the North American box office for four consecutive weekends.[127][128][129]

Outside North America, on its opening weekend, the film topped the box office in most countries, earning $59.25 million from 67 markets.[130] The country where it had the largest opening weekend was Australia ($9.48 million).[131][132]

Controversies

During the film's opening weekend, controversial statements about various members of the cast arose, sparking open dialog about issues of racism, sexism and unrealistic body image. In a Jezebel 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 "[i]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. [Amandla] Stenberg 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."[133] 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."[133] 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.[134] 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 [they] are so shockingly ignorant even by the standards of the fringes of the internet, have kicked up a storm."[135]

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.[136][137][138] 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!"[137] 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, "[r]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."[139] 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."[140] Dayo Okeniyi was quoted saying "I think this is a lesson for people to think before they tweet" and "It's sad... We could now see where society is today. But I try not to think about stuff like that."[141]

A number of critics expressed disappointment in Jennifer Lawrence's casting as Katniss due to the fact her weight did not represent a character who has suffered a life of starvation. Manohla Dargis, in her review of the film for the The New York Times stated "[a] few years ago Ms. Lawrence might have looked hungry enough to play Katniss, but now, at 21, her seductive, womanly figure makes a bad fit for a dystopian fantasy about a people starved into submission."[142] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter said that in certain scenes, Lawrence displays "lingering baby fat."[143] These remarks have been rebuked by a number of journalists for pushing unrealistic body image expectations for women.[144] L.V. Anderson of Slate states that "[j]ust as living in a world with abundant calories does not automatically make everyone fat, living in a dystopian world like Panem with sporadic food access would not automatically make everyone skinny. Some bodies, I daresay, would be even bigger than Lawrence's."[145] Since none of Lawrence's male co-stars have come under the same scrutiny, Anderson concludes complaints about Lawrence's weight are inherently sexist.[145] MTV asked for responses from audiences on the controversy and reported that most found criticism of Lawrence's weight "misguided."[146] One response pointed to Collins' physical description of Katniss in The Hunger Games novel which reads "I stand straight, and while I'm thin, I'm strong. The meat and plants from the woods combined with the exertion it took to get them have given me a healthier body than most of those I see around me."[147] Los Angeles Times writer Alexandra Le Tellier commented that "[t]he sexist commentary along with the racist barbs made by so-called fans are as stomach-churning as the film's cultural commentary, which, in part, shines a light on the court of public opinion and its sometimes destructive power to determine someone else's fate."[148]

Screening of The Hunger Games has been delayed indefinitely in Vietnam.[149] The film was to be released on March 30, 2012, but, according to a member of the Vietnamese National Film Board, the Board considers the film to be too violent and unanimously voted for the indefinite delay. The Vietnamese government receives frequent criticism for internet censorship, especially of sites and materials that challenge the authoritarian regime.[150]

There have also been comparisons between The Hunger Games premise of children killing each other, and the child soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony in the midst of the Kony 2012 campaign.[151][152][153]

Accolades

Award Category Result Recipient Source
CinemaCon Awards 2012 Breakthrough Performer of the Year Won Josh Hutcherson [154]
NewNowNext Awards 2012 Next Mega Star Won [155]

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.[156] 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.[157]

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.[158] 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.[3]

In April 2012, reports surfaced that Ross and Lionsgate had not yet made a final agreement for him to return as director over Ross's demand for a paycheck larger than the $3 million he was paid for The Hunger Games. Also, Lawrence is under contract with 20th Century Fox for a sequel to X-Men: First Class. It was later confirmed that Catching Fire will begin production in the summer of 2012, with the First Class sequel shooting in January 2013, allowing Lawrence to appear in both films.[159] Gary Ross will not return to direct Catching Fire, stating "As a writer and a director, I simply don’t have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule."[160]

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.[161]

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External links

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