About this time last year, Jennifer Lawrence was suffering from pneumonia and fearful she wouldn’t make it through awards season. Now, her American Hustle director David O. Russell, worries the 23-year-old star he directed to a Silver Linings Playbook Oscar, is close to pushing herself over the edge again. He blames The Hunger Games franchise.
“I personally think they should give her a bit of breathing room over there because they’re printing money,” Russell exclusively told Confidenti@l at Friday’s Australian Academy’s AACTA Awards held in Los Angeles. “But she’s a very alive person.”
“I’ll tell you what it is about that girl — talk about 12 years of slavery, that’s what the franchise is. And I’m going to get in so much trouble for saying that.”
Russell further compared The Hunger Games to a “hamster wheel,” claiming Lawrence takes on more artistic roles as a “vacation” of sorts. The franchise has produced two films over the past two years with another pair on the way.
From complex.com via bossip.com
Let me preface this by saying that other than “director/writer of award winning movies Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle,” I really do not know much about David O. Russell.
Except that he seems to be a diiiiiiiiick.
Obviously I cannot speak for Jennifer but I honestly do not think she feels like being on set of The Hunger Games movie is something akin to slavery because… well she said so. I do not have the exact gifs/interviews in hand, but she has talked about how much fun it was/is and how she enjoys working with people she considers her best friends. Also, the fact that she is making millions doesn’t hurt either. I’m sure it’s physically/emotionally challenging and hectic, but she has also talked about how she had thought long and hard before accepting the role of Katniss (something we are eternally grateful for) because she knew what came with it.
Also, let’s talk about Lionsgate. Considering how incredibly nice and generous they are to us (as fansite runners and fans), I am sure they do everything in their power to make sure that the cast (and most especially the star of the movie) is well taken care of and comfortable during filming.
I’m mostly confused as to why David O. Russel would shit on the Hunger Games movies in general. The Hunger Games was really big in 2012. Catching Fire was the #1 movie of 2013. No one can deny the fact that Jennifer gets most of her recognition as Katniss, which undoubtedly affects HIS movies, considering she stars in them. I myself went to go see Silver Linings Playbook because Jennifer Lawrence (who I loved in the first Hunger Games movie) was in it.
This statement can potentially damage his relationship with Jen not only professionally (obviously) but also personally. They seem to be pretty close, considering he seems to care for her, but it is pretty impossible not to take what he’s been saying personally. Awwwwwwkward (at the very least!)
IN CONCLUSION: David O. Russell said shitty things about things that he probably knows nothing about and I hope that a.) people more important than me read what he said b.) he gets shit for it, and, d.) he issues an apology (though to be honest it is probably more likely that he will claim he was misquoted - but how can you spin that?)
- Janine
P.S. What do YOU think about this?