By Alex Starr

THE HUNGER GAMES

NARRATIVE & GENREGenre: • Sci – Fi, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Themes:• Inequality between rich and poor

• Suffering as entertainment

• Love and Betrayal

• Revolution and Uprising

Conventions:• Futuristic and adventurous props, costume and scenery

• Element of uncertainty (despite already being a book)

Current Affairs:• Similarities between what is happening in Afghanistan

• People are starving, which leads to revolutions

• Putsches against government

• Living under a Dictatorship

• Looking for Democracy

• Political similarities to foreign current affairs

News:• Controversial with the age certificate given to the the film

• 12A when released (a 15 certificate edition was available)

• Criticised heavily for amount of gore and graphic scenes

FUNDING & FINANCE• Budget: $80,000,000 (the film was completed under budget at $78,000,000)

• Domestic Gross: $408,010,692

• Worldwide Gross: $684,510,692

• Studio: Lionsgate, Studio Canal

• Originally had smaller budget, but used profits from novels and studio to boost the budget midway through production

Executive Producers:

• Robin Bissell: also know for Seabiscuit, Pleasantville

• Suzanne Collins: is the author of the Hunger Games Series, has had little experience in film (Santa Baby, writer)

• Louise Rosner: known for Mean Girls and Baby Mama

DEVELOPMENT• Screenplay: written by Gary Ross (Director) and Suzanne Collins (Novelist)

Gary Ross: Writing History includes Seabiscuit (2003), Pleasantville (1998), Big (1988)

Won BAFTA for best feature film (The Hunger Games, 2012)

Won Golden Satellite Award for best screenplay adaptation (Seabiscuit, 2003)

Won Razzie Award for worst screenplay (The Flintstones, 1994)

Won Saturn Award for best writer (Pleasantville, 1998)

Suzanne Collins: Writing History includes full Hunger Games Series (2012 – 2015), The Mystery of Shelby Woo (TV series), Ticket out (2011)

Won Blimp award for best book (The Hunger Games, 2013)

Nominated for Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (The Hunger Games, 2013)

Nominated for WGA Award for Best Animation (Santa Baby, 2003)

PRODUCTION• STARS: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Jenifer Lawrence:

Plays Katnis Everdean, the protagonist of the series Acting History: Silver Linings Playbook (2012), House at the end of the Street (2012), X-

Men: First Class (2011)

Won Golden Globe (Silver Linings Playbook, 2012, American Hustle, 2013)

Has won over 60 Awards across her whole career so far

Was paid $500,000 for The Hunger Games

Was paid $10,000,000 for the sequel

Famously fell over when collecting her Golden Globe

Locations: Entirely shot in USA

DISTRIBUTION• Certificate: 12A & 15 (there was controversy over the amount of gore and blood in the

film, especially with the children, so 12 and 15 editions were made).

www.thehungergames.co.uk

RELEASE DATES USA: 12 March 2012

UK: 23 March 2012

(Most countries’ release date was the 23 rd, including Italy, France, Australia and Germany)

• Multiplex release (probably also Arthouse)

• Box Office Takings (US) Opening Weekend: $152,535,747

Gross: $407,999,255

AUDIENCES www.hungergamestrilogy.net is a fanstie for the Hunger Games franchise, it includes

forums, updates, fan of the week and organised events for the fans

IMDB users gave a star rating of 7.3

Empire gave the film 4 stars (excellent)

Verdict: As thrilling and smart as it is terrifying. There have been a number of big-gun literary series brought to screen over the past decade. This slays them all.

QUOTES “May the odds be ever in your favour” – Katnis Everdeen

“Hope. It’s the only thing stronger than fear.” – President Snow

“A triumph of restraint” – Empire

“The action has to be compelling, urgent and it has to be in the first-person.” – Gary Ross