This weekend, The Hunger Games, based on the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins, smashed box-office records. The film raked in $155 Million. The Source Magazine was invited to see the film last week and we were blown away. It is an action/adventure story about a feisty 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen, who lives in post-apocalyptic America. This land is called Panem. Panem is divided up into Twelve Districts and a Capitol City. The people in each district slave away to produce goods for the dwellers of the Capitol, which rules with a Totalitarian fist under President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland). Katniss, played beautifully by Jennifer Lawrence, resides in District 12, which specializes in mining and coal. Many of the families are starving and in order to supplement her family’s income Katniss hunts illegally in the forest with her best friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth).
The Capitol created a dark competition called The Hunger Games after citizens tried to rebel many years before. Each year a boy on a girl from each district are chosen at random to compete to the death. There can only be one winner. When Katniss’ sister, Prim, is called to compete she sacrifices her life to save her sister’s and volunteers to compete in the games. The boy who was selected is the baker’s son, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). It turns out he has had a soft spot for Katniss all of his life, but she had no idea. Effie Trinket (Ellzabeth Banks), serves as Peeta and Katniss’ social secretary and Capitol Guide and the always drunk Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) serves as their mentor because he is the only living winner of The Hunger Games from District 12. The competition has an American Idol meets reality show feel. All of the phases of the competition are televised on large screens and in homes across the districts. If you are liked, sponsors will send you life-saving gifts. Lenny Kravitz, who we yearned to see on screen more, plays Katniss’ stylist. He makes sure that her first impression is stunning and designs all of her clothes. Katniss is a survivor, she knows how to tough it out in the woods, but she also has a heart. She teams up with Rue (Amandla Stenberg) and Peeta to try to win The Games. The Hunger Games is a tale that anyone can relate to and is an allegory on our society today.
The Hunger Games cast began their promotional tour on March 3 at the Westfield Century City mall in the Los Angeles area. Director Gary Ross and stars Lawrence, Hutcherson and Hemsworth were on hand to meet fans and media at the L.A. event. The weeklong tour, featuring different stars, also included stops in Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Minneapolis and Seattle. Then there were the premieres. There was a massive premiere hosted by Lionsgate, The Nook, and Entertainment Weekly in LA at the 6,000 seat Nokia Theater. The cast: Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Amandla Stenberg, Dayo Okeniyi, Isabelle Fuhrman, Alexander Ludwig, Donald Sutherland, Willow Shields, Leven Rambin, Director/Co-screenwriter Gary Ross, Co-screenwriter/executive producer Suzanne Collins, Producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik to name a few were all in attendance. Other guests included: Miley Cyrus, Sylvester Stallone, Garcelle Beauvais, Peter Facinelli, Benjamin Bratt and Kid Cudi.
Then there was the London Premiere at the O2 Arena. Stars like Melanie Brown aka Mel B and Stephen Belafonte, Liam’s brother fellow actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor) showed their support. Next the cast made a quick trip to Paris for more promotion and then there was a Berlin Premiere. Liam and Josh attended the Toronto premiere of the film and last, but not least they held a premiere right here in New York City.
The Cinema Society & Calvin Klein Collection hosted this premiere at the SVA Theater. Jennifer Lawrence (in Calvin Klein Collection), Josh Hutcherson (in Calvin Klein Collection), Liam Hemsworth (in Calvin Klein Collection), Stanley Tucci (in Calvin Klein Collection), Isabelle Fuhrman, director Gary Ross, Producers Nina Jacobson & Jon Kilik, Executive Producer Robin Bissell, co-producer Bryan Unkeless all walked the red carpet. Other attendees included: Seth Meyers, Steven Soderbergh, Clive Owen, Zoe Kravitz, Penn Badgley, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Lee, Lee Daniels, Gayle King, Vincent Cruz (NY Giants), Cuba Gooding Jr., S. Epatha Merkerson, Brad Richards (NY Rangers), Irina Shayk, Liya Kebede, Geoffrey Fletcher, Chrissy Teigen, Francisco Costa, Rachel Roy, and Cinema Society founder Andrew Saffir.
After the red carpet Jennifer and Josh made an appearance at Barnes & Noble where they signed books for fans, then they rejoined their cast at the after-party at The Top of The Standard where guests enjoyed Grey Goose cocktails.
The Hunger Games is now playing:
