Merchandise at Toys R Us!

I went to Toys R Us today to pick up the Katniss barbie, and amazingly they had more merchandise available, even more than they had before! Check it out:

Messenger Bags!

Pens! That's also a Mockingjay patch below it.

Mockingjay ring!

Hunger Games band bracelet

"Down With The Capitol" snap bracelet

Character buttons!

District buttons!

Hunger Games headbands?!

Composition books. Yea, I bought one.

Bandaids and where would you be without this Peeta jewelry box?

That's all I could find, and this particular store seemed to be ransacked. I imagine they will get more merchandise in, and this won't be the only place to get it! We've heard that Target will be the go to place for Hunger Games merchandise as we near the Hunger Games DVD release date! Happy shopping!

Fansite Special Features Screening at Lionsgate!

The Welcome To District 12 duo (that's Courtney & Tiffany for those who don't know) got invited to Lionsgate's The Hunger Games Blu-Ray/DVD features fansite screening!

Naturally both of us were very excited and bursting to tell you all once we found out what we would be doing. The day started off with getting our spiffy name tags, complete with our site URLs so we knew where everyone is from. Luckily we've met most of the other fan site runners already. Along with the two of us, in attendance were Aldrin and Arianna from Down with the Capitol, Amie from HGGirlOnFire, Erin from TheHungerGamesMovies.net, and Beth from Mockingjay.net (so sorry if we missed someone!) Even Kara Warner from MTV.com was there!

Aldrin: "COURTNEY THAT'S NIGHTLOCK! YOU'LL BE DEAD IN A MINUTE!"

We checked out all the Blu-Ray/DVD box sets that were laid out. We've got to say they're all pretty awesome and that it was really helpful to see them all together to compare them. So here we go readers, we present your awesome choices for Blu-Ray/DVDs:

COSTCO!!

This Costco Blu-ray comes in a really cool collectors box (the cover can be seen in the photo of the DVD package table) and comes with a District 12 arena bag, bracelet, and parachute necklace. Same special features as the normal Blu-Ray

BEST BUY!!

This edition is for collectors too! The Lionsgate team said that there are only about 40,000 made and comes with an acrylic Mockingjay thingamajig (we're not really sure how you would classify it. Who cares what it is? It's awesome. You want it on your desk). The box opens all fancy and all the discs come in a cool book (seen resting on box). What's cool about this set is you get both the Blu-Ray AND DVDs all in one. Same special features as the normal Blu-Ray.

Walmart!!

We were told this Walmart edition comes with 30 minutes of extra features you can't get anywhere else, and it comes with a Mockingjay pendant. 

Target!!

 Check out this BEAUTIFUL DVD box set! It's from Target and we are naming this A MUST BUY!! Not just because it's the most aesthetically pleasing, but because this has a bunch of extra features aside from the one the DVD has. You will be able to enjoy a special look at the tributes we've come to know and love: The Tribute Diaries.

Note: There will also be extra special features if you purchase the film on iTunes!

Courtney poses with DVD!

 Then we were ushered into the Lionsgate Screening Room where VP of Marketing TJ Moffet introduced the sneak peek to us. It was specially edited together for this event and featured our sites! They showed us several sections of the extras, including parts of the Target, Walmart and iTunes exclusives. We were all pretty impressed with what they had shown us and couldn't wait to get our hands on the full features!

Aldrin and Arianna from DWTC in the screening room!

Afterwards we were surprised by Foxface herself Jackie Emerson! She hung out with all of us while we had lunch, telling us funny stories and asking us about what it's like running fansites. We spoke with several members of marketing, publicity, and the Home Entertainment department, giving them feedback and answering some of their questions. 

Tiffany and Courtney with Jackie Emerson (Foxface)! She told us about self cleaning toilets!

Fansites with Jackie!!

 And then came the swag bags! It turned out that we wouldn't have to wait much longer to get our hands on the movie, not to mention TONS of Hunger Games merchandise! Thank you to Lionsgate, we were very surprised! Could there be some giveaways in the future?!


Overall we had a blast! We loved what we saw at Lionsgate and cannot wait to watch all the features. We're very much into DVD special features so we're incredibly excited! 


And look out for a full review of the features on Friday August 10!!!

Philip Seymour Hoffman Comments on Plutarch!!

Well, finally he talks! Hear what Philip Seymour Hoffman has to say about his new role in Catching Fire:

Why did the deeply serious, Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman want to join Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Donald Sutherland in the cast of the second Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire? “I liked the people involved,” says Hoffman, who recently signed on to play Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee. “It’s a great group of actors. It’s a great environment. And the character was something I was attracted to. It was just an interesting role. [SPOILER ALERT] He’s somebody who’s part of the revolution, but you don’t know it. The idea that somebody would be risking themselves in such an extreme way to join something that’s that dangerous because he thinks it’s the future…that’s interesting stuff, you know?”
Hoffman hadn’t read Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novels when he found out he might be up for a role, so he watched the first movie and is currently halfway through the second book. “It’s good,” he says. “I’ve read the script, which is true to the book — I kinda ruined it for myself. [Laughs] But I’m reading it anyway, because I really want to find out everything I need to know about this guy.”
As well known as Hoffman is, he’s only occasionally made his way into blockbuster-level movies, and Catching Fire will thrust him into one of Hollywood’s most closely scrutinized franchises. But the actor — who, if all goes according to plan, will also appear in Mockingjay — says he’s not too worried. “Things always pass over, you know? I don’t know what it will be like. But, you know, I’m not playing Katniss. [Laughs] I’m not in high-profile movies in that way too often, so it usually passes. I’m 45. I think it will be all right.”

Source: EW

Check out Tiffany's take on in over at Victor's Village!

Hunger Games BTS Sneak Peeks!

We got a couple more for you guys, one from EW about Jennifer Lawrence's tree climbing training and another very interesting video about the design process for The Capitol. Remember, the Blu-Ray/DVD comes out August 18th!!

Click HERE to see Jennifer Lawrence climb trees!

Source: EW

DESIGNING THE CAPITOL




Source: IGN

CASTING ALERT: Lynn Cohen Cast as Mags!

More casting news! Lynn Cohen has been cast as Mags!

LYNN COHEN CAST AS MAGS IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

Santa Monica, CA, August 2, 2012- Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that Lynn Cohen has been cast in the role of Mags in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire. A former mentor to Finnick Odair, Mags is an eighty year old Hunger Games victor from District 4. 

Known to New York theater audiences for decades of memorable roles, Cohen has also appeared in critically acclaimed films such as Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, NY, as well as commercial fare such as Sex and The City and its sequel. She can next be seen in They Came Together, with Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler. 

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.   Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts.  Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75^th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has sold more than 50 million books in print and digital in the U.S. alone.

Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.

Ongoing casting news and information for the film can be found at: www.CatchingFireCasting.com

Khatuna Lorig talks about working with Jennifer Lawrence and The Hunger Games

Olympian and Jennifer Lawrence's archery coach Khatuna Lorig spoke with Elle Girl and they got to talking about The Hunger Games!

EG: How do you think The Hunger Games and the Olympic Games are similar or different?

KL: Well for one, we’re not killing each other! Also, the Hunger Games are every year and the Olympics are only every four years. The main difference though is that during the Olympics the whole world is competing in peace and everyone gets along. I have plenty of friends on other country’s teams and we all get along. You know, we’ll practice and shoot against each other then go and hang out after. 

EG: What was it like working with Jennifer Lawrence?  

KL: Jennifer was a very fast learner and a good listener too. She has a fun personality and was easy to work with every day. She was good at acting like she had been shooting for years. 

EG: Were you proud when you saw her in the movie? 

KL: Yes, and it was weird too because I kept thinking, “Hey! I gave her that technique.” 

EG: What was a funny moment you guys had when working together in training? 

KL: I’d tell her that when I saw her in the movie I would tell everyone “that’s my student!” and she would say to me that when she saw me competing in the Olympics she would be the one telling everyone “that’s my teacher!” so we had a really fun time working together and we would laugh. 

EG: How do you feel about the new found popularity archery is gaining thanks to The Hunger Games? 

KL: I’m really thankful. The audience loves to watch archery because it’s such a unique sport. Age, height, and gender don’t matter; you can always have fun with it. All you need is skill and it’s great because you can go and pick up a bow and arrow anywhere, you don’t need to have a permit to go shoot at an archery range.

Read the rest of the article at the source! 

Another BTS clip from The Hunger Games special features

Check it out! Entertainment Weekly posted another exclusive clip from the behind the scenes features of The Hunger Games blu-ray!

Go here to watch as the video is not embeddable.