This party ain't over yet, son! Bet you thought you'd seen the last of us, haha! Nope, we're still here creeping in the shadows grieving over the conclusion of our franchise. But we come back to you now to share with you some cool news: The Official Hunger Games Coloring Book!
Entertainment Weekly debuted the first images of The World of The Hunger Games Coloring Book which fly onto shelves September 27th. Finally, The Hunger Games joins fandoms such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones in the world of adult coloring books. Check out the pages that EW debuted today:
Scholastic posted a letter from our OG fearless leader Suzanne Collins thanking everyone involved with the Hunger Games movies. Read it below and get teary eyed with us!
A Thank You to The Hunger Games Film Team
Having spent the last decade in Panem, it’s time to move on to other lands. But before I do, I’d like to say a tremendous thank you to everyone associated with the film franchise. I’m thrilled with how this quartet of films, which I find both faithful to the books and innovative in its own right, has been brought to life on the screen.
In an earlier letter I credited director Gary Ross for his wonderful rendering of the first book, but now I turn to Francis Lawrence who has so amazingly helmed the rest of the franchise. Creating three big budget films in three years, that’s a feat in itself. But I doubt many could do it with his incredible visual style, edge-of-your-seat action sequences, and hardcore commitment to difficult themes. Thank you, Francis, for showing up, for staying, for always hearing me out, for your unfailing good nature, and for bringing your remarkable talent to these films.
Billy Ray, Gary Ross, Simon Beaufoy, Michael Arndt, Danny Strong and Peter Craig, gifted writers all, thank you for sharing your pens, brains, and wealth of experience as we transformed three books into four scripts. A screenplay is a very different animal than a novel, and it was a pleasure and an education to work with you and watch you weave your magic.
There’s no Hunger Games without Katniss. I hoped for someone good enough, and I got someone who exceeded all my expectations. Jennifer Lawrence, your emotional depth, luminous presence, and sheer power carry this story and I will always be grateful to you for opening the door and allowing it to come into your life. And for the rest of the cast, if I had a chance, who would I replace in these films? No one. I don’t think there’s a weak link in the chain, and what an exquisite chain it is. I still can’t believe half of you came on board. You blow me away with your ability to bring out the humanity of these characters from under outlandish wigs, while fighting lizard mutts, pumped with tracker jacker serum, waging war and so much more. Thank you for volunteering for the Games and inhabiting these characters with such texture, color, humor and pain.
Much thanks to our masterful Production Designer Phil Messina and the many top-notch designers who signed on. It has been a delight to watch you fashion and expand the world of Panem, whether by hand-crafted or computer-based means. From the excess of the Capitol to the claustrophobic hive of District 13 to the violent scenes of civil war, you have taken the ball and run with it in fabulously detailed and thoughtful ways, grounding the fantastical, and fusing disparate elements into a cohesive reality. And to composer James Newton Howard for his moving and evocative scoring of the franchise, which so hauntingly reflects the heart of the story.
For my producers, Nina Jacobson of Color Force, who was there from the beginning, and Jon Kilik, who joined us soon after, thank you both for bringing your dedication, energy, and many talents to this huge project. I can’t emphasize enough how grateful I am to you and the excellent team at Lionsgate for protecting the work, for not swerving away from the harder moments, and for allowing the themes and narrative of the books to play out as originally conceived. And sincere appreciation to Tim Palen for his brilliant marketing campaign, Julie Fontaine for her stellar PR, and the entire gang at Lionsgate for tirelessly presenting the franchise to a global audience.
Thousands of people have worked on these films in a myriad of ways, prepping, shooting, in post production, and promotion. Please, anybody seeing them, take a few moments to watch the credits and acknowledge the enormous collaborative effort that goes into making a franchise.
For me, The Hunger Games Trilogy is part of a larger goal to introduce the ideas of just war theory to young audiences, but how much wider and more varied an audience came with the films, and the credit for that goes to all of you who contributed so much to this project.
Finally, to all the readers and viewers who have accompanied Katniss on her journey, thank you for playing a role in The Hunger Games, you are truly a vital part of the experience.
*Spoilers! Well, I don't say it outright but just to be safe...
If there is any chapter that defines what this series is truly about, it is Chapter 24 of Mockingjay. In it you will find some of the most gruesome and horrifying scenes ever to grace the pages of a young adult series. When I started getting into The Hunger Games, I read somewhere that Suzanne Collins doesn't write kids books, she writes about war for kids. War and PTSD was something she dealt with as a child, and wanted to give kids an idea of what war is truly like especially for those in need of understanding it. Not just the horrible unimaginable stuff, but aftermath, closure, PTSD, grief, guilt, and frankly, reality. This is what these books are about, and it is this chapter that fully encompasses what a battlefield is truly like.
Before shots are fired, Katniss and Gale are disguised and walking with displaced refugees towards Snow's mansion. Funny how five years after Mockingjay was published the current relevancy of this scene. Katniss then slows down because she catches the eye of a little girl in a lemon coat. This little girl repeatedly sticks in Katniss' mind, which is something I too always remember most about this scene. I've always thought the girl in the lemon coat was a nod to the little red coat girl in Schindler's List. Seemed oddly appropriate given the themes of war and oppression in The Hunger Games. It's this reference (which I'm not even sure was done on purpose) that inspired my above graphite drawing. The lemon coat girl is an omen for Katniss. She is scared that this little girl knows who she is and their cover will be blown. Actually, it is this precise moment that the rebels break through and cause the gun fire and panic. They're not shooting people on purpose, they are aiming for the peacekeepers. But the casualties are tremendous. The battlefield has begun and the innocent civilians are caught in the middle. The lemon coat girl bends over her companion who has been shot. As Katniss sees this, the girl is gunned down and the image of her little lemon coat covered in her own blood is a horrifying image that Katniss has trouble shaking repeatedly. The constant implication that the rebels are not the good guys, that this little girl probably reminds her of Prim, and the societal truth that Panem is covered in the blood of its children are all things that run through Katniss' mind in this moment. Unfortunately, it's just the beginning.
After the gunfire, three pods go off in succession as Katniss and Gale are traversing through the streets as fast as possible. The first is a boiling hot substance that basically liquefies everyone in its path, and the second occurs right when Katniss and Gale turn a corner, which they narrowly miss. It's a purple light that causes people's blood to explode out of their orifices. Actually, it's not too far off from chemical warfare. Lastly, right before Katniss reaches the City Circle the ground gives way. Katniss describes the smell as many corpses on a hot summer day, and anyone not smart and/or strong enough to hold onto doorknobs fall helplessly into the abyss. As Katniss finds refuge on a light post, that's when she sees the shield made of Capitol children. The hovercraft, the parachutes, the “undersized body parts”, the medics, HER, and then the snare trap. And it's over.
How will Francis Lawrence deal with all this gruesome violence and war? As accurately as a PG-13 film in 2015 will allow is my guess. Francis is a big believer in honoring the text Suzanne wrote and he understands the importance of the story of war being told. This chapter is understandably upsetting, but it is sadly the reality of war and these kinds of things have happened. The scores of rotting corpses, chemical warfare, refugees, civilian casualties, these are all real. Francis will honor the books without being too gratuitous, but I think the horror and violence portrayed will be enough to serve its purpose.
Courtney:
If you've followed us for a couple years, you'd know that Mockingjay is personally my favorite book (Well, #2 to The Silmarillion). We spent one year in 2012 researching and plotting out the Mockingjay split to prove to fans of the potential. Then these past couple months we examined the first half of Mockingjay chapter by chapter. I was overcome with intense emotion after watching Part 1 to realize that the film follows our graph pretty closely. I've always thought our graph had a little too much in it, and was quite sure at least half of it would go by the wayside. THIS IS NOT THE CASE!! Mockingjay Part 1 is a film, at long last, made for fans. So stop worrying about what the critics are saying because if you love Mockingjay you will love this film.
I felt like most of the scenes I was saying all the lines along with the film, that is how close to the book it is. If they left something out, it was because it would have disrupted the tone of the film. Anything they might have left out is very forgivable because of how close it is to the book. It is DEFINITELY the best Part 1 film I have seen as far as action. I am seeing a lot of reviews mentioning the lack of action, and maybe this is because I am a super fan, but I think I watched a completely different movie. This has the most action in a part 1 I have seen, and they did a great job with the pacing all the while explaining story. As for the ending and feeling "unfinished", Francis made an effort to make it feel as complete as possible. I mean, is it any different than the ending to a movie that is going to have a sequel? So, bottom line -- this is a film for THE FANS. A true book adaptation.
Stay tuned for my score analysis. More than any THG film, there are moments in the score that reference the story HEAVILY. Specifically that last doozy of scene.
Tiffany:
As a reader of the books, you think you know what you’re getting into with Mockingjay, but even from the first scene, you don’t fully realize the gravity of the situation that Katniss is in until you see it for yourself. The beginning of the movie hit like a punch in the stomach, and it set the mood for the rest of the movie.
Being a long time fan of the books will reward you with lines of dialogue word for word from Suzanne Collins. But fans of the books won’t be bored. While the payoff of seeing scenes jump from our imagination to the movie screen is amazing, there are plenty of additions that take the story from Katniss’s head to the world outside of District 13.
I was so impressed with how the story translated to film. Part 1 movies struggle to maintain a distinct and complete story, but this one seems to have achieved it.
Janine:
Mockingjay Part 1 was everything I thought it would be - everything I’d imagined - but infinitely better. It was suitably dark (unapologetically so for a movie based on a young adult novel. It didn’t compromise the storytelling in an effort to be more kid-friendly or to appeal more to the younger audiences) and very accurately captured the feeling of bleakness and the intensity of war (or the beginnings of it). So much so, that it pulls you in and clenches around your heart, and doesn’t let go. The storylines were translated incredibly well from the book to the movie and so much of the dialogue was straight out of the book, which says a lot about both Suzanne Collins’ writing and Francis Lawrence’s storytelling. None of this would be possible without the incredible talent everyone in the cast. I was never nervous about the new cast additions for this movie, but I was still pleasantly surprised by every new character we were introduced to. Jennifer Lawrence has said in the past that the audience would be pissed about the ending. Having seen the movie, I understand why people would maybe react that way, but I am not at all pissed. I loved the ending and I loved the movie and I’m excited for everyone else to see it so that we can all talk about it!
Denise:
I was completely enthralled with the movie from beginning to end. The editing and writing that the film did was phenomenal. They cut out scenes in the book that didn't directly tie into Katniss' emotional state and added scenes to enhance the story. The uprise of the rebels was the most moving and uplifting thing I have seen in cinemas in years. All the most important lines that you act out yourself when you read the books made it in and my mouthing "if we burn you burn with us" to myself at ten at night while reading the book like a crazy person holds nothing to watching Katniss' inspiring first propo.
I was particularly pleasantly surprised by Julianne Moore as Coin. Though biased as you are being on Katniss' side, Coin does draw you in and inspires you as the head of District 13. I was much more sympathetic to her performance in the movie than I had been when reading the books.
The hands down most heart wrenching moments were watching Peeta's condition deteriorate. Josh shines in this movie more than any other. From the first two films we are moved by his acting as he is very lovable, but watching him go from healthy and whole through to the end of the film is extremely hard to watch. Every scene of his was brilliantly acted as it is probably one of the most important roles in the film.
Elizabeth Banks as Effie was just wonderful. I loved her addition to the story. Her reactions to the way of life in District 13 are a nice bit of comic relief to the overall somberness of the film.
Haymitch's entrance to the movie is WONDERFUL. Every bit of him was just amazing and a scene between him and Katniss had me crying in both laughter and sympathy towards his plight.
Philip Seymour Hoffman was such a gem to have in the movies. His brand of lightheartedness sprinkled with his genius in making this revolution take place is irreplaceable.
Sam Claflin was so wonderful in this film. Watching him was heartbreaking as you see him try not to fall apart. I was so happy to see so much more of the real Finnick and not the Finnick in the arena. I love the friendship between him and Katniss because they are the only ones in that situation that really understand each other.
The addition of the characters of Boggs, Castor, Pollux and Cressida were incredible. Boggs is an inspiring leader. Castor and Pollux are so great together and Pollux especially shined to me. Natalie Dormer is so great as the focused director Cressida. Prim is all grown up and now acts as the older sister to Katniss. The love between the two sisters is shown more than ever in this film.
Jennifer Lawrence completely commands this film from the first scene to the last. From seeing her try to hold it together to accepting her position as the Mockingjay to realizing Snow's plan, I was so grateful to have such a talented actress play out these scenes I had imagined and dreamed about so perfectly.
My favorite moments in the movie were the time in District 8 and The Hanging Tree. You will be singing The Hanging Tree to yourself for days. The scene along with her singing is probably the most inspiring moment of the film. Also Katniss trying to film the first propo as the best comedic scene in the series.
My expectations were SO ridiculously high for this film and somehow they still exceeded them. If you leave this movie and you are not happy, I will want to do experiments on your brain because I will not understand at all. Francis Lawrence blew my mind with Catching Fire so I couldn't stop myself from thinking that this one would be even more amazing seeing as it is my favorite book.
ALSO stay until after the credits as there is ANOTHER logo change!
"...Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen is such a fierce and noble hero..." - Lionsgate Marketing Chief Tim Palen
View the rest of the gallery (with bonus commentary from Tim Palen) here
‘Hunger Games’: Can ‘Catching Fire’ Burn Brighter Than the Original?
Here are some highlights:
In the upcoming “Catching Fire,” Katniss returns for another fight to the death after her Hunger Games victory has sparked a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.
“She really is the reluctant hero,” Lawrence says of her character. “She’s brave, but she’s also scared, and she knows that things may wind up being far worse.”
“She’s not a diva — she’s the anti-diva,” she says of Lawrence. “One of my favorite moments is where she has the wedding dress on for the interview (scene) in ‘Catching Fire.’ It’s a big cumbersome dress, and she fell down, so we played that over and over on the monitors. There’s such a lack of pretense with Jen; she’s more than happy to laugh at herself.”
Suzanne Collins Breaks Silence to Support ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’
“I’m thrilled with the work Tim Palen and his marketing team have done on the film,” Collins told Variety via email. “It’s appropriately disturbing and thought-provoking how the campaign promotes ‘Catching Fire’ while simultaneously promoting the Capitol’s punitive forms of entertainment. The stunning image of Katniss in her wedding dress that we use to sell tickets is just the kind of thing the Capitol would use to rev up its audience for the Quarter Quell (the name of the games in “Catching Fire”). That dualistic approach is very much in keeping with the books.
At Book Expo America, Suzanne Collins stated she has plans for another young adult series.
Suzanne Collins, author of the best-selling The Hunger Games trilogy, plans to write another teen series but isn't ready to reveal more. First, she says, she's consulting on the scripts for the third and fourth film adaptations of her dystopian series that has more than 50 million copies in print.
For Suzanne Collins' next YA series, what are you hoping for?
Entertainment Weekly has unveiled the new look for Gregor The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins!
Before The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins not only wrote for TV shows like Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo,
but she also dreamed up another literary world for a slightly younger
set of readers with The Underland Chronicles. The five-book fantasy
series follows Gregor, a boy who discovers an underground city that’s
home to giant spiders, bats, rats, and cockroaches as he finds himself
on a search for his missing father. Like The Hunger Games,
Gregor’s adventures explore larger themes, like war, biological warfare,
and even genocide. If you missed The Underland Chronicles the first
time around, you can get a new edition this summer, and EW has the first
look at the cover art.
This is a long time coming, and dear oh dear how much we apologize for the extended hiatus! It's been more than five months since we analyzed the first section of Mockingjay Part 2, how embarrassing! If you're a newbie, no worries! You can catch up on the first post of Part 2 HERE. If you want to start reading our series (which would be very awesome of you) from the beginning, click away HERE. Now, a lot has happened since we last posted a Mockingjay Mockup, most important being that we know who the screenwriter will be for Mockingjay Part 1: Danny Strong! In case you haven't heard, Danny Strong has most recently won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for writing and producing Game Change, HOLY HOVERCRAFT! It is curious though, in a recent interview with Francis Lawrence he mentions Strong writing Mockingjay Part 1. I think most of the fans are assuming/hoping he'll be writing Part 2 as well because, well, isn't two writers for two halves a little weird? We're hoping he'll be writing both parts. We have absolutely no doubts that he will deliver a script that honors the book as well as the severity, political themes, and realness of the story. Not to mention we are quite certain he is as geeky as we are, and have yet to hear any negative opinions of him as a screenwriter for Mockingjay. Anyway, onto the analysis!
Behold the whole Part 2 timeline!
Continuing where we left off, we are at Turning Point I of Part 2 which is the second war room scene of the film. In this scene, Katniss and Finnick are shown the hologram of the Capitol pods, the very same they have seen in the arena. We do hope they keep in the part when Katniss finishes Finnick's line,"Let the 76th Hunger Games begin!" and laughs quickly in the war room. So hilarious, so inappropriate, so Jennifer Lawrence. Another note here would be to have a lack of Katniss/Coin conflict in the film. Why? Oh, you'll see. ::laughs maniacally::
Johanna's Role
Now, here's a question to answer. What happens to Johanna? Does her character get promoted to the Star Squad? Does she stay behind as in the books? On one hand we get more Johanna, huzzah! But on the other we have faithfulness to the books, and something of a reveal. Will the movies have shown us Johanna's time in the Capitol's clutches? Or perhaps the audience knows nothing making a huge reveal that that's why she's not in the war room scene because she failed the S.S.C. (another reason to keep that scene in) due to her fear of water all this time. That's how she was tortured. A horrible gut wrenching reveal, but that makes us feel for her. Katniss saying goodbye to Johanna is a touching scene as well when she gives her the gift of pine needles that remind her of home. Now that's some good stuff right there. But keep in mind none of that can happen if Johanna's character is upgraded to Star Squad. Though if Suzanne, Francis, and Danny Strong wanted to be sneaky they could totally put that reveal in another moment. Which begs another question, will Johanna survive?
There would have to be one more important scene before Katniss and the others depart for taking on The Capitol. Katniss saying goodbye to her family, which will definitely be a tear jerker. The way Katniss portrays the situation to her mom and Prim is that she will return safely. This scene will be short, but will make our hearts drop into our stomachs. Katniss says goodbye to a teary Prim who strongly says, "Next time we see each other, we'll be free of him." To which every Hunger Games fan will seizure and yell, "MY EMOTIONS!!" because we all know what happens there. Meanwhile the nonbelievers will be probably be thinking Katniss will be the one not coming back. Well that's what they get for not reading the books.
Let's move on shall we? The next set of events will probably move quickly (honestly the whole movie will probably be that way) so likely there will be one location for the war tent on their journey to the Capitol, at least before all hell breaks loose. Two things need to happen: Peeta's unexpected return and Boggs and Katniss' conversation. First Peeta arrives unleashing confusion among everyone. Katniss and Boggs then have a private conversation in the woods about Coin sending Peeta. In this scene, Katniss starts to understand (and the audience) that her use to Coin is much better dead than alive, which is why it'd be nice for there to be no kind of noticeable conflict between Coin and Katniss in the beginning of Part 2. We see it a zillion places in part 1, but that's just enough for the audience to forget about it when WABAM! A wild Katniss-murdering-Peeta appears! A special moment happens between Katniss and Boggs we also hope will make it. Boggs says, "I'm planning for you to have a long life." After everything Katniss has been through she asks Boggs why he's sticking his neck out for her to which he responds, "Because you've earned it." Let's hope they cast someone really cool and talented for Boggs because he is one mega awesome character.
Try and Remember
When they return to camp during dinner, Katniss is in a sort of rage and almost egging Peeta on in her general anger. Whether Haymitch is there at the camp or through the phone (like in the book), this conversation changes Katniss' POV on the whole Peeta situation. What it is it that changes her mind? Haymitch says, "You and me, we made a deal to try and save him. Remember?" When Katniss has no response Haymitch hangs up after he says, "Try and remember". So then Katniss takes her first watch over Peeta. It's a scene in the books that is a heart wrencher especially for Peeta fans. It's the first good conversation between Katniss and Peeta since he was hijacked. This is also the part in the books where the real/not real game is established which makes great sense in a recovery mindset, but for the pay off at the end of the book is questionable. It cannot be denied that real/not real is a staple of the franchise, yet from a screenwriting aspect can be seen as cheesy. I guess we'll see what approach Francis Lawrence will want to take. Oh, and I guess there should probably be a scene with Gale and Katniss talking about her plans of stealing the holo and going off on her own killing Snow all by herself. That's probably important too.
The Worst Mistake Ever
Now, we get into the nitty gritty. What seems to be a harmless "mission" for Star Squad 451 footage ends up going from everything is totally cool to complete catastrophe to full on sprint to President Snow's mansion. Oh, and Peeta goes insane with tracker jacker insanity and murders Mitchell and almost kills Katniss. The scene of all hell breaking loose is questionable indeed for a PG-13 rating. Nina Jacobson's statement of staying true to the severity of the books and keeping the rating low for their target demographic will be interesting to see. It's seems more likely that Peeta won't end up murdering anyone and I don't think we'll be seeing Bogg's legs being blown to pieces either. Which also gets us thinking, will they shy away from what the Capitol actually did to Finnick? As a huge fan of this series, it would not be okay if the films softened any part of Finnick's backstory. It's that way for a reason. But that's a little off topic. Back on track we go...
This next span of events will likely be much shorter than in the books mostly because action scenes tend to be that way. That, and if this version of the film starts with the nut, we have little room to get to the midpoint of Part 2 which, I might add is a DOOZY. We're willing to guess that from escaping the triggered pod street to the sewers may be a quick transition for time. We're also curious to see if Katniss' eulogy montage will make it in. Surely it's important because we now know what Coin truly wanted for Katniss' role as the Mockingjay, not to mention the reaction all over a revolting Panem. But one could also argue it disrupts the flow of the panic to get down in the sewers. Once down there, Snow releases the hounds-- I mean mutts. Oh boy, scary reptilian peacekeeper gazelle-leaping lizards! I'm sure the visual effects team will have a great time with that one. Unfortunately, we have reached our MIDPOINT. An event that shocked readers, and will shock and teary audience members to little bitty emotional pieces. Finnick's death no doubt will be a big moment, though it will probably happen just as fast as it does in the book. It's definitely a change warranting the midpoint of the book, just like any major character's death is in a film.
Once on the surface, the team takes refuge with Tigris. This will allow a break from the madness, and a nice character scene. Peeta's line "I'm so tired" speaks more than just a lack of sleep will be followed by a final dialogue between Gale and Peeta reflecting on Katniss as their common interest. We hope those gems make it because they are extremely important for their character development. Then, finally… to the City Circle!
Pre-Climax #1
Almost where The Hunger Games began, Gale and Katniss (and maybe even Peeta if they decide to change it) make their way to the City Circle and to Snow's mansion. Should they keep in the rebels arriving and being horrible shots? We think so because it's how Suzanne wrote it. You bet the same goes for the poor innocent girl in the lemon coat. Fans have drawn comparisons to the likes of the little girl in the red coat in Schindler's List, and even Gavroche in Les Miserables. It seems Suzanne was trying to say something with the girl in the lemon coat and we agree for this reason it should not be left out. The City Circle/rebel invasion we are labeling as the pre-climax that precedes turning point II which is the biggest catalyst in the whole trilogy: Prim's death.
Get ready for those feels!
As we teased in our last installment, this is our deviation from the basic movie plot structure we have introduced you to in the beginning of our Mockingjay Mockup series. We mentioned before that Danny Strong will probably adopt a structure plan much more sophisticated than this one. This is because 1. Danny Strong is an award winning screenwriter, 2. Mockingjay's story structure as a book is very complex, and 3. it's so complex we even had to deviate from the simple formula (we made more than one attempt to plot it out). According to our outline, we have TWO pre-climaxes. This is because the book has TWO very pivotal scenes involving the ending of the war. Continuing on to our final turning point, often referred to as "hero's darkest hour", is the event of Prim's death (events leading up to this are labeled as the first pre-climax). Yes, we are hoping and praying that the details in the book containing the barricade of children, the hovercraft, and the parachutes going off twice, and the necessary scene earlier with Gale and Beetee's brainchild will all make it in. The very reason the books touch us like they do is because of Katniss' supreme love for her sister. Prim is the only person Katniss is certain she loves and the reason for all her actions in the past three books is to protect her. The final turning point mirrors the inciting incident of the series in which Prim's name is drawn from the reaping ball (dare I say we might see a flashback?), cuts to the core of each and every one of us. It is the worst tragedy that could possibly happen in the story, and yet says so much about the realism of war. Will Katniss get closure on Prim? Do they get a final moment together? We're gonna have to wait and see. We're not even sure which way we would rather have it.
Dream Sequence
The very reason plotting the second half of Mockingjay was so difficult aside from the structure is because so much ends up happening after the war is over. As far as the book goes, there's still a lot to be read from here. Therefore, the resolution will take a little longer than typical to get there, but that doesn't mean the action is even close to being over. First off, will they keep in Katniss' dream sequence? Films seem to like having dream sequences for some reason so it's possible they will keep this one in, but maybe something not as fantastical. What if it was a dream that had not only Prim but Rue, Thresh, Cinna, even Katniss' father? There's an idea. Go ahead Lionsgate, that one's for free on us ;).
If only it was as less depressing and ridiculous as this dream sequence.
How to honor Mockingjay
Should Katniss look as burned as she is in the books? Why not? At least they should show some visible trauma to the ordeal she has just gone through. No doubt she should wander off immediately and stumble upon the rose garden and Snow. Audience questions need to be answered! To stay completely true to Mockingjay, it should be inferred the rebels, or rather Coin sent that disguised hovercraft. Mockingjay CAN NEVER be truly be Mockingjay without the blurred lines. There is no good side and there is no bad side.
A Changed Effie
The next scene up is execution day. With Snow's comment constantly nagging at the back of Katniss' mind we get many surprises, the first one being Effie. Now we are not sure what Francis Lawrence and Suzanne's plans are for Effie, but it was discussed on the most recent episode of HG Fireside Chat how Effie's character in the film may end up sort of representing the prep team characters in the book. It could be very interesting and no doubt Elizabeth Banks can nail it. It is inferred (more like spelled out) that the Capitol did take Effie prisoner and tortured her like the other tributes. Suzanne left the rest very blank and mysterious but perhaps Francis Lawrence or Danny Strong will fill in the rest for us. Will we see Effie in those scenes involving Peeta and Johanna being tortured? That is, if the PG-13 will allow it. Maybe at this point in the story we will see a changed and enlightened, but slightly damaged Effie.
Closure?
Two more important scenes before the execution, the first being Katniss and Gale's goodbye scene. If the film sticks to how it is in the book with a lack of closure (which we defend because if life has taught us anything it's that you don't get closure on a relationship or loved one, that's why Suzanne wrote it that way) it will be a heartbreaking scene for both characters. There's the sort of unknown fact of who the hovercraft belonged to and Gale might have accidentally had a hand in the exploding parachutes. Gale of course had no idea what that was to be used for, yet it still happened and he is a constant reminder of that tragedy. Katniss wants to make it work, but it's so horrifyingly tragic she cannot bring herself to. It's also gonna depend on how the Katniss/Gale scenes will be in Catching Fire and what Francis Lawrence chooses to do with that relationship that will determine how this scene will go.
Almost there...
Next up we have the all important Mockingjay Deal meeting. All surviving victors (protected by The Mockingjay Deal) are gathered around to decide if there will be a final Hunger Games to satisfy the citizens of Panem's rage for blood. This is CRUCIAL. The nature of this scene cannot be changed in any way or fans will be starting a rebellion of their own. Katniss finally realizes what Snow was saying and also realizes that neither side is the good guy here. They will never change. Katniss' "yes" to throw off her scent makes the motion go through so Coin thinks everything fine and dandy. An immediate cut to the execution ceremony should be underway. Hopefully Francis Lawrence will illustrate a way to explain to the audience everything that has happened considering Coin, how she too is a villain and must be stopped. This is what Katniss thinks is her final moment ("I no longer feel any allegiance to these monsters called human beings, despise being one myself"). She has nothing to live for, and if she's going down by golly so is the devil. Snow is coughing up blood and dying anyways so as Coin falls dead from the balcony Katniss goes for her suicide pill. She is stopped by Peeta. Katniss yells, "Let me go!" to which he says, "I can't." A moment we hope will stay because it says everything about their relationship and how since reaping day they have been sort of bound together, each one in turn saving the other.
Pre-Climax #2 - Climax
That whole action scene is all part of our second pre-climax. It is a pivotal moment for the true ending of the war, but the following events in the books decree that Katniss is not out of the woods yet. Katniss has a trial as a war criminal. Though she has done the whole nation the biggest favor EVER, she has committed a serious crime in the eyes of the rebels, mutiny even. Unfortunately, we don't get to see what specifically happens in the book, but I think that is a huge opportunity for Francis Lawrence to make something great. Make Katniss' trial something of inspiration and epicness, all the while seeing the country's reaction to Katniss singing beautiful songs in truly her most darkest hour. Trial scenes can get really intense, and with great writing it could really add intensity to the film.
Wrapping it up
When Katniss get released, the conversation with Haymitch and Plutarch in the hovercraft on the way to 12 is a great dialogue. Plutarch goes on to say perhaps this is the time when it truly "sticks", and perhaps people have changed ("Maybe we are witnessing the evolution of the human race. Think about that"). There is something kind of inspirational about it, and it's the first step the film can take to wrapping things up. Perhaps we see Katniss coping, and maybe even Peeta comes home with her which is a deviation from the book, but it certainly saves time. Before we truly start ending the story, there is a scene that absolutely has to happen with Katniss' character. Katniss has to come to terms with Prim's death. This scene is very intense for Hunger Games fans, and can be argued as the most difficult to read. It's a stage of losing of a loved one that everyone goes through no matter where you come from. Some of us still struggle with it. Suzanne wrote this scene (and the whole trilogy) to help young people deal with war, it's damage, cost, and the loss of human life. It is something that should stir something in all of us, and we hope that point gets nailed down. Because Katniss goes through this, she gets an idea to commemorate everything that happened using her family plant book. This could be a really great moment to wrap up the film and all that happened. Tiffany and I (Courtney) are Lord of the Rings aficionados. We watch/read it frequently, and there's one part that always hits home because it reminds me of The Hunger Games trilogy, specifically the end of Mockingjay. It is a scene toward the end of The Two Towers, and it is Sam's moving speech:
How can the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened? Panem is in a very similar situation, and the book that Katniss makes commemorates all that happened for future generations and also helps Katniss and Peeta cope. This could be a great ending to the film because as they remember through the book, so we remember everyone that was lost since Katniss' first Hunger Games. Some of the tributes may have been seen as enemies at the time, but they were also victims. Another route to take for wrapping it up (aside from Katniss and Peeta growing together) is to have a similar "Sam" moment that brings everything around and sort of bringing the country of Panem together. Although among the rebel officials Katniss is seen as a military figure gone completely insane, Katniss exists in the hearts of the citizens of Panem, on posters everywhere, even statues raised in her honor. The ending should also include how Peeta is still after many years coping with his hijacking injury. This says a lot about the long term effects of war, something Suzanne was also trying to impart in her books.
EPILOGUE!
Though the paragraph above is a good way to end the trilogy, but we haven't even discussed the whole Katniss-and-Peeta-have-children thing. We have no idea how they are handling Katniss' and Peeta's relationship in Catching Fire or Mockingjay. It's possible they could end the film similar to above and have the two of them coping together and end it there. But If there is no epilogue involving Katniss and Peeta's children, some fans might not be so happy. The ending to The Hunger Games trilogy means and affects different fans in different ways. Some deem the epilogue not paramount, but then there are some who were utterly touched by the hope of Katniss and Peeta having children, something Katniss always swore she would never do because all she knew was a society that held a Hunger Games year after year. This also may be the only place a Katniss voiceover would be totally appropriate. No matter how the trilogy ends we hope it will leave us with a positive message in a world where so much bad happened, but most importantly, a message of hope.
Epilogue to the epilogue
Mockingjay as a whole is a lot of information. This is why we set out to make The Mockingjay Mockup series. It was during a time when the fate of Mockingjay was up in the air and we wanted convince fans who didn't think two movies were warranted that it's not just an option IT'S NECESSARY. If you've read all of our installments so far (thanks so much!) or are just generally familiar with Mockingjay's plot you probably have a good idea why these movies are being split. We just didn't think Mockingjay had a chance to be honored for all it stood for in just one movie. Luckily, we don't have to worry about that anymore! The movies are being split, so there's nothing for us to do now but wait patiently for three more movies. Catching Fire will answer some of the questions we've posed about certain story lines in the trilogy, and Mockingjay Part 1 will answer even more questions. Even after cutting many scenes, the ones we have proposed might even be too much for a 2 and a half hour movie. We are just really big fans who really love movies and want The Hunger Games trilogy films to live up to their potential. We feel your pain, Francis. Good luck with figuring out what will end up on the proverbial cutting room floor! We salute you, for when we needed someone to take over you were there. Now you are in for the long haul and we are trusting you to honor the books and turn them into the great films we've always hoped them to be.
We will close Mockingjay Mockup next time with our final installment to be entitled, Cinematic Delusions of Grandeur Part 2!
May your bread be toasty and your arrow fly straight, Courtney & Tiffany
We know that Suzanne has said that she doesn't write children's books, she writes about war for children. Suzanne based The Hunger Games on a lot of her own experience of what she knew from her Father's experience of the Vietnam War. Scholastic has announced that they are publishing her autobiographical picture book about this time in her life. Check out the press release below!
New York, NY — November 29, 2012 — Scholastic, the global children’s
publishing, education and media company, today announced the publication
of Year of the Jungle (September 10, 2013), an
autobiographical picture book by Suzanne Collins, author of the
worldwide bestselling The Hunger Games trilogy, with illustrations by
James Proimos. Scholastic also announced plans to publish the trade
paperback edition of Catching Fire (June 4, 2013, ISBN:
978-0-545-58617-7, $12.99), as well as repackaged paperback editions of
Collins’s bestselling The Underland Chronicles, a five-book series about
Gregor the Overlander, featuring all new cover art (Summer 2013).
Scholastic will publish and deliver the books through all of its
distribution channels.
Year of the Jungle ($17.99, ISBN:
978-0-545-42516-2), to be published on September 10, 2013, is an
autobiographical picture book for ages 4 and up, based on the year
Suzanne Collins’s father served in Viet Nam. The book is illustrated by
James Proimos, an acclaimed picture book author-artist and television
writer/animator. Longtime friends, Collins credits Proimos for initially
suggesting she write books for children while they were working in
children’s television together.
In Year of the Jungle,
when young Suzy’s father leaves for Viet Nam, she struggles to deal
with his absence. What is the jungle like? Will her father be safe? When
will he return? The months slip by, marked by the passing of the
familiar holidays and the postcards that her father sends. With each
one, he feels more and more distant, and when he returns, Suzy must
learn that even though war has changed him, he still loves her just the
same.
“The Underland Chronicles, with its fantasy world and
eleven-year old protagonist, Gregor, was designed for middle readers,”
said Suzanne Collins. “The Hunger Games Trilogy features a teen
narrator, Katniss Everdeen, and a stark dystopian backdrop for the YA
audience. Year of the Jungle attempts to reach the picture book
readers by delving into my own experience as a first grader with a
father deployed in Viet Nam.”
“One of the things Suzanne has done
so masterfully in The Hunger Games and The Underland Chronicles is to
give readers an honest portrayal of the effects of war,” said David
Levithan, VP, Publisher & Editorial Director, Scholastic. “Now she
has done it for a younger age group, in a way that is sympathetic rather
than scary, relatable rather than raw. This is something that Suzanne,
as a military child, lived with for many years, and it’s something that
all families will be able to share, whether they have a personal
connection to the military or not.”
About the origins of Year of the Jungle,
Collins explains: “For several years I had this little wicker basket
next to my writing chair with the postcards my dad had sent me from Viet
Nam and photos of that year. But I could never quite find a way into
the story. It has elements that can be scary for the audience and it
would be easy for the art to reinforce those. It could be really
beautiful art but still be off-putting to a kid, which would defeat the
point of doing the book. Then one day I was having lunch with Jim and
telling him about the idea and he said, ‘That sounds fantastic.’ I
looked at him and I had this flash of the story through his eyes, with
his art. It was like being handed a key to a locked door. So, I just
blurted out, ‘Do you want to do it?’ Fortunately he said yes. That
afternoon, on the train ride home, the book started unfolding in my
head. There’s a natural humor and sense of fun to his drawing style that
makes the story approachable. As the emotional life of the main
character evolves into darker places, the pictures beautifully keep pace
with it, but they never lose that Proimos quality. His art made telling
the story possible.”
“I had decided that I would not draw a
single thing for a year and concentrate only on my writing,” said James
Proimos. “In fact, I told this to Suzanne only minutes before she asked
me to illustrate her next book. How could I refuse? The idea she laid
out over burritos and ice tea during our lunch was brilliant and not
quite like any picture book I had ever come across. The writing is
moving and personal. What Suzanne does so well here is convey
complicated emotions through the eyes of a child. The art had to do the
same. We did not want this to be the kind of book that grownups put on a
shelf, but instead be the kind of book that a kid would want to read
again and again. Luckily, my brain is very much in touch with my first
grade self and my art skills have never left that general vicinity.”
We're really thrilled about this project. It has always been intriguing how Suzanne has tapped into her personal experience creating The Hunger Games, so we will be interested to check this one out when it releases in 2013.
Real or not real? According to the Lure restaurant Facebook page (located in Atlanta), Suzanne Collins had dinner there Sunday night! Which of course means, production should be very imminent if Suzanne is on the scene! That is, if all this is true. Fingers crossed!
Lionsgate's film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling
young-adult novel grossed $10.8 million on Monday -- the best showing
ever for a Monday outside of holidays, the Christmas stretch and summer. Hunger Games has amassed $163.4 million in only four days of
play at the domestic box office, suggesting the film could easily gross
$350 million or more in North America.
The pic, opening to $152.5 million during the weekend, shattered a
number of records in scoring the third-highest debut of all time behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($169.2 million) and The Dark Knight ($158.4 million), as well as the top opening outside of summer and the top opening for a nonsequel.
Hunger Games Examiner's Sara Gundell is the author of 'FAME: Suzanne Collins', a biographical graphic novel about the life of Suzanne Collins and what influenced her to write our favorite series The Hunger Games! Last month, we wrote a review of this graphic novel, and we loved what we saw. Order your copy here as these are sure to sell out!
The 40-page graphic novel retails for $7.99 and is also available for NOOK and Kindle.
In this Moviefone interview, Gary Ross talks about Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire, and Steven Soderbergh. We've included some cool parts of the interview here, *BUT BE WARNED* if you read the actual article on the Moviefone site there are MAJOR spoilers about one particular scene!
But you can feel free to read what we've put here, you'll find no spoilers in this post!
On Directing Catching Fire-
I'm attached to the next one. I'm looking forward to it. Simon Beaufoy,
["Slumdog Millionaire"] who's a writer I've been a fan of for a long,
long time, is doing the script. We had great meetings with him when he
was here in LA. And I'm really excited about that. I can't write the
"Catching Fire" script right now because I'm finishing ["Hunger Games"],
and we're on a schedule where the script has to get written right now.
So I'm unbelievably fortunate that someone like Simon is going to be
writing the script. That was the person I wanted to do it. One of the
great things about this is that you get to work with people that you
respect and you love and I think I'm at a point in my career where
that's exciting for me. Would it be great to have time to write the
script right now? Yeah. But I get to work with Simon Beaufoy. That's a
thrill. He's somebody that I respect and I just love his work.
Casting Donald Sutherland and Elizabeth Banks-
Donald I just thought was right for the part. He and Elizabeth Banks
both wrote me letters based on the book, where they said, "Listen, I
think I'd be great for this part for this reason." I'd worked with Liz
before [on "Seabiscuit"]. I was thinking of her already. So that was
easy. But with Donald, he wrote such a compelling case for who this man
was and what this kind of autocratic power did and the imposition of his
kind of authority and what this sort of fascism really was, that not
only did I cast him, but I ended up writing two more scenes based on
that letter. It was a really amazing story because I'd already cast him,
then he wrote me another letter about how he felt the character related
to this world. I was shooting it in Asheville in the woods and we were
by this beautiful lake. And I wandered down to the edge of the lake as
I'm reading his letter on an iPad and thinking, "Wow, this is so
intelligent and so sophisticated." It departed from the way he would
play his character into what the nature of this power really meant. And
there was a clearing by the lake and there was this one white folding
chair there and I thought, "Well, that's sort of a sign I should go sit
in this chair and think about this." And I did and I came up with these
two scenes that are really kind of pivotal in the movie as a result of
that email. That's what you want when you make a movie. You want these
happy accidents and you want it to be a conversation with the people
you're working with. That was kind of a sublime little moment.
Working with Suzanne Collins--
I would never give myself carte blanche to make changes. My job is to
faithfully adapt something I love and to get at the essence of what I
love about it. It's incredibly compelling. It's wonderfully urgent. It's
the beautiful evolution of a girl into a leader as she matures under
very extraordinary circumstances. So it wasn't so much about having
carte blanche, but finding the most deft way to get at the essence of
the story. So I wrote a draft of the script and then I sent it to
Suzanne. We'd talked about it a bunch and she responded really, really
favorably to the script. And then she came out to California so we could
talk further and she had wonderful thoughts about it. And we started
pitching back and forth and she was bringing a whole new layer in her
insight because she had obviously lived with these characters a long
time and before we knew it, we were working together. it wasn't like I
invited her in to work on the next draft with me, it just evolved. So I
said, "Well, this is crazy. You're not giving me notes, why don't we
just write the next draft together?" And she said, "Great." So we locked
ourselves up in a room and wrote the next draft of the script. Which
was great for me, because I hadn't had a writing partner since Anne
Spielberg on "Big." And I loved writing with someone again. That was a
fun, special, really unique experience.
The Violence in the Film-
I think that there's a way to be as urgent and as compelling as the book
is without being lurid or indulgent with the violence. If you tell the
story from Katniss's point of view, which is what the job is, then
you're in a perspective where you never become lurid or fetishistic
about the violence. It's a horror going on around her, but that can be
done in a way that is very precise and select and even sparing at times
without sacrificing any of the urgency or the immediacy of it. So no,
it's not done for the rating. It's pretty intense. I've had people see
the movie and they said it was more intense than they even expected. But
it's PG-13. It's not gratuitous in any way. It's just appropriate, I
feel.
You can read the rest of the article HERE, but READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! SPOILERS!
Check it out! Looks like things are on track for the Catching Fire script...
The second adaptation in The Hunger Games
book series by Suzanne Collins has already been completed by the
screenwriter. “I think she’s reading the first draft, right now,”
Beaufoy proudly stated. As collaborators go, the screenwriter reported
that the entire process with Collins has been pure bliss. “She’s been
fantastic.”
The screenwriter said that because of two aspects,
Collins has been an invaluable asset. She has written for TV and film
before, and therefore, helped make Beaufoy’s job easier. “She's done a
lot of the work for me already. They’ll cut my wage if you print that,”
he said and laughed. “But that’s what I understood when I got to grips
with it. She’d actually done a lot of my work for me already.”
“It’s
the one time I have not read the book twice and then put it to one
side. Usually, I never go back to them. With this one, I had to be a lot
more faithful because there’s such a fan base that are more than
usually keen that you get it absolutely right,” he added.
Normally
he has to go through and figure out what to pump up and what to weed
out for the big screen. But, Collins’ background in the visual has made
that job easy, especially considering the microscope with which this
particular page-to-screen effort will be under. “They have a Hunger Games
fan base that is passionate beyond anything before that I’ve come
across, and I would fear for my life if I got that adaptation wrong. If I
do it too free of that, I shall get firebombed,” he said and smiled.
“I’m being very careful with that.”
Beaufoy feels that Collins
may be the author he’s worked with who most understands her readership.
“She knows her audience brilliantly. She’ll tell me, ‘That bit, you just
can’t cut out because they’ll go crazy,’” he said. “Other bits, she’ll
tell me, that’ll be fine to change this. But, she really knows her
readers. Because she’s been in the film world, she understands about
adapting that things have to go, things have to change.”
In order to accurately get the second in the series correct, Beaufoy has had the rarest of opportunities. He’s seen The Hunger Games. “I had to. I’m not going to tell you what happens, but seriously… it’s brilliant,” he said. “It’s really good.”
It's no surprise! I(Courtney) read the Hunger Games Trilogy several times on my mom's Kindle before I finally got a set of my own. My mom had just received a Kindle and was quite astounded she could download Mockingjay at midnight when the book came out. In the weeks leading up to Tiffany reading them, I would ask quite frequently, "Are you gonna read the Hunger Games?" Imagine my relief when she finally said, "I have it downloaded! I just have to finish this book first". It seems the Kindle has been a big part of many Hunger Games fans' experience when reading the books. With Harry Potter not yet on the eBook market, it's no surprise that Suzanne Collins is the Queen of the Kindle.
Amazon does not release sales statistics for the Kindle, so the exact
number of copies sold is unknown. However, the three books in the Hunger Games trilogy -- The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockinjay --
hold the top spots on Amazon's Kindle sales chart for 2012. The print
version of the trilogy has sold about 23.5 million copies since the
first book was published in 2008.
Amazon also announced the 20 cities in which The Hunger Games books are most popular based on sales per 100,000 residents.
The list shows the broad appeal of the books but also reflects that the
series is most popular in West Coast cities with strong technology
economies and reputations as libreral hotbeds and sunbelt cities
perceived as more conservative. The top spots are held by high-tech
hotbed Sunnyvale, where Yahoo has its headquarters, and conservative
Salt Lake City, home of the Mormon Church.
"I just finished the first draft, literally a few days ago," screenwriter Simon Beaufoy told us at last night's L.A. premiere of his new film, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (out on Friday). "I'm waiting to see what everyone thinks."
Beaufoy said he's working closely with Collins on Catching, which will see the return of Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. They'll be sticking to the book for the most part, but there will be some tweaks here and there.
"Things always do have to change otherwise there's always something
very flat about very faithful adaptations," he said. "But on the other
hand, there's an extremely loyal fan base and readership and you just
have to be careful of how many liberties you do take.
"So fortunately Suzanne is here to help me," he continued. "She's
reading this draft at the moment and she'll tell me, 'You can't do
that. You must do this.' Because there are some things that are
sacrosanct to her readers and she knows them very well and she'll let
me know."
How unbelievably exciting! We are currently a full year and 8 months away from the release of Catching Fire, but it's so great to hear an update on the script!
I’ve just had the opportunity to see the finished film of The Hunger
Games. I’m really happy with how it turned out. I feel like the book
and the film are individual yet complementary pieces that enhance one
another. The film opens up the world beyond Katniss’ point of view,
allowing the audience access to the happenings of places like the Hunger
Games control room and President Snow’s rose garden, thereby adding a
new dimension to the story.
Director Gary Ross has created an
adaptation that is faithful in both narrative and theme, but he’s also
brought a rich and powerful vision of Panem, its brutality and excesses,
to the film as well. His world building’s fantastic, whether it be the
Seam or the Capitol. It’s amazing to see things that are suggested in
the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the
artistry of the designers.
And, my God, the actors. The cast,
led by the extraordinary Jennifer Lawrence, is absolutely wonderful
across the board. It’s such a pleasure to see how they’ve embodied the
characters and brought them to life.
So I’d like to sincerely
thank all the many people who devoted their time and talents to the
film, especially producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, and the
excellent teams at Color Force, Larger Than Life, and Lionsgate.
I hope you enjoy the film!
Suzanne Collins
This movie sounds incredible. Individual yet complementary? Hunger Games control room? Snow's rose garden? Faithful in both narrative and theme? I think we just fainted.
We're a little too excited about this game. Tiffany and I are big gamers, and on the go we are always pulling out our iPhones and iTouches asking each other what the other is playing. We are jumping up in down in our chairs over this game and can't WAIT for this to be released. If you're hungry like us for this game, check out some new behind the scenes details about the game:
It's a different world now, one in which the official tie-in video game
for a major motion picture is a game for phones, designed by a tiny team
of people best known for games they made without publishers. It's a
game with a deliberate retro aesthetic, as you can see in the new "pixel
poster" for the upcoming game (visible in full after the break). Author
Suzanne Collins even chimed in with suggestions. How on earth did this
all happen?
The rise of iOS gaming is a separate, and larger
topic, but pinpointing the design of this particular one was much
simpler. "From the get-go my inspiration and motivation for this,
aesthetically, has been to just pretend I am making a movie tie-in game
for the Super Nintendo, only actually fun to play," Saltsman told
Joystiq, explaining the look.
"So as far as the setting, and the story, and the things that are in the
game, these things are all sourced directly from the film, and by
extension the books, and we even got some guidance on specific ideas
from Suzanne Collins herself. But visually our inspiration comes from
classic Sega Genesis games, especially Treasure games, and even more
modern pixel art games like you see coming out of WayForward the last few years."
The use of pixel art helps cement Girl on Fire as a "game,"
separate from its source material. "I feel like if we're going to make a
video game based on a film," he said, "then it shouldn't pretend to be
anything else but a video game. Like to me intentionally using a
pixelated style of presentation is a maybe not-so-subtle way of saying
'this is its own thing.'" As its own thing, Girl on Fire takes place within the universe of the books, but covers new events.
The fact that they are trying to emulate the old Sega Genesis and Nintendo aesthetic makes us so excited about this, we can't contain ourselves. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iTouch, make sure you get this when it releases on March 23rd!
