The Hunger Games may have ended, but Katniss’s fight for her nation’s liberty from the Capitol isn’t over – nor is Lionsgate’s biggest film franchise. Mockingjay Part 1, based on the third novel in Suzanne Collins’s colossally influential dystopian series, releases on November 21. Following in the footsteps of previous YA movie franchises Twilight and Harry Potter, the screen adaptation of the final book in the series (released by Scholastic in 2010) is divided into two separate films, which means a longer goodbye for fans and potentially the opportunity to expand on certain source material. Director Lawrence spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the final two films, saying, “For us it’s world expansion instead of changing things. I think it’s exciting for the fan to see certain things. So we’ve been able to open the world up in this and see some new places. We get to see some new districts this time and the scope gets quite large.”
Primary cast members Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, and Stanley Tucci all reprise their roles; new cast members include Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer. Francis Lawrence, who directed Catching Fire, also returns to the helm. Despite some signs of post-apocalyptic weariness among readers and viewers, and recent shifts toward realistic, contemporary YA fiction both on page and in movie houses, the loyal fan base behind the franchise is likely to ensure big box office numbers. The Hunger Games (2012) and Catching Fire (2013) both grossed over $400 million domestically.
Mockingjay Part 1 picks up where the previous film, Catching Fire, concluded, with Peeta (Hutcherson) imprisoned and controlled by President Snow, and with Katniss (Lawrence) selected to lead a revolution against the Capitol. The final novel in the trilogy is often cited as the darkest of the three books and also the most divisive. Katniss emerges as profoundly psychologically traumatized following her experience fighting twice in the Hunger Games. She steps up to battle the Capitol with some reluctance, which is perhaps a more realistic portrayal of a teenager suffering from post-traumatic stress. But the final book left some fans feeling disappointed by a Katniss more morose and bound by loyalty to her loved ones than stirred by the desire for justice and revenge.
In 2010, author Malinda Lo posted her reaction to the polarizing impact of Mockingjay, stating that, “Other reactions to the book have revealed that some readers are disappointed that Katniss did not become a heroic leader by the end. To some degree, I understand this disappointment, because I love a heroic girl in a leadership role. But thinking back on the books, I don’t think Katniss ever wanted to be a leader. Gale, yes. Peeta, maybe. But I think the only thing Katniss ever wanted was to keep her family safe.”
Buzz Builds for Big Release
As the release date approaches, expectedly, media buzz is growing louder, with trailer releases and the reveal of the film’s soundtrack, developed by singer-songwriter Lorde, who also performs the movie’s theme song. While readers will already know the answer (and the romantic elements of the Hunger Games franchise are not the story’s most central focus), the question of which love interest Katniss will choose – Peeta or Gale – will finally be resolved over the course of Mockingjay parts 1 and 2.
Marketing campaigns for the previous films have been ubiquitous and sometimes controversial – including tongue-in-cheek online Capitol couture advertisements leading up to the release of Catching Fire. Marketing for Mockingjay has followed suit. In two teaser trailers, President Snow addresses Panem on Capitol TV; the second telecast interrupted by District 13 rebels. Lionsgate and Google also teamed for a series called District Voices. The five episodes, which aired during the week of October 20, were intended to represent the sort of programming that Panem residents might view on Capitol TV. Other online media sites are booming with Hunger Games-related content: Pandora radio is running a commercial and banner ad campaign with 1.3 million impressions, while Hollywood.com and Movietickets.com are including e-blasts to Mockingjay ticket purchasers (the sites have garnered more than 1 million impressions). Advance tickets went on sale on October 29, coinciding with the release of the final Mockingjay Part 1 trailer, in which Katniss delivers a message to President Snow.
Before heading to the movies, readers may want to stop at the bookstore. In September, Scholastic released a Mockingjay movie tie-in edition and a boxed collection containing all three novels, potentially to be discovered by readers who were too young for the violent content of the books when they were first released.
While publishers and readers may be looking toward YA that features more realistic stories with non-dystopian themes, opening day will show whether the third installment of the seminal YA series is bullet-, er – arrow-proof.
