The Hunger Games

[GeneChing]

Might as well get one started on this as it opens in a few weeks. And it's got archery. ;)

Hunger Games Star's Sultry Side (http://www.hulu.com/watch/335425/e-news-now-hunger-games-stars-sultry-side)

[doug maverick]

i liked it better when it was battle royale!!

[ghostexorcist]

i liked it better when it was battle royale!!

Me too. My niece and nephew have been reading the book series. When I learned about the plot, I made it a point to tell them about Battle Royale. This is such an obvious rip-off that I'm surprised the Japanese author hasn't taken legal action.

[doug maverick]

thats what i said....such a giant lawsuit...and nobody is even saying anything.

[GeneChing]

The Running Man was '87. Battle Royale was 2000. The Hunger Games has the game show element of RM, with the kids of BR. A lot of my kid's friends a very into the book series, so it's very highly anticipated.

HG only really came to my attention when I was interviewing Saoirse Ronan for Hanna.

HANNA: The Girl Who Kicked Ass (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=956)
Pleased to be part of rising bevy of girl fighters in film, Ronan believes that it is indicative of what film audiences want now - girls who are strong and can kick ass. "I went a screening the other night, which Joe wasn't allowed to go to because it was an 'all girls' screening. And there were women, some of them were mothers, they were all in their late 30s. And what they really got out of the film was a sense of empowerment and the fact that not even that she's young, but that she's female and has this strength over so many people. It's very exciting to see on screen. And I'm glad now that there's more characters coming out."

"It'll be great when Katniss from the HUNGER GAMES (slated for 2012) comes out at well. Not to go on to a different film, but I remember reading the book and thinking that this is a character that girls are going to look up to. And I think they're going to do the same with HANNA as well. The reason why I did was because she's weird. She's a bit of a misfit and she's got strength."

[doug maverick]

The Running Man was '87. Battle Royale was 2000. The Hunger Games has the game show element of RM, with the kids of BR. A lot of my kid's friends a very into the book series, so it's very highly anticipated.

HG only really came to my attention when I was interviewing Saoirse Ronan for Hanna.

the ny time put forth an article calling hunger games, straight up plagiarism...im trying to look for it online, but the article went point for point the similarities between hunger games and the 1999 novel battle royale. and its a wonder the royale will finally be getting an official blu ray release just before the hunger games premiere date.

[GeneChing]

The Hunger Games (2008) (http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20223443,00.html)
Suzanne Collins
Reviewed by Stephen King | Sep 08, 2008

EW's GRADE
B
Details Release Date: Sep 14, 2008; Writer: Suzanne Collins; Genres: Fiction, Sci-fi and Fantasy; Publisher: Scholastic Books

As negative Utopias go, Suzanne Collins has created a dilly. The United States is gone. North America has become Panem, a TV-dominated dictatorship run from a city called the Capitol. The rest of Panem is divided into 12 Districts (the former 13th had the bad judgment to revolt and no longer exists). The yearly highlight in this nightmare world is the Hunger Games, a bloodthirsty reality TV show in which 24 teenagers chosen by lottery — two from each District — fight each other in a desolate environment called the ''arena.'' The winner gets a life of ease; the losers get death. The only ''unspoken rule'' is that you can't eat the dead contestants. Let's see the makers of the movie version try to get a PG-13 on this baby.

Our heroine is Katniss Everdeen (lame name, cool kid), a resident of District 12, which used to be Appalachia. She lives in a desperately poor mining community called the Seam, and when her little sister's name is chosen as one of the contestants in the upcoming Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. A gutsy decision, given the fact that District 12 hasn't produced a Hunger Games winner in 30 years or so, making them the Chicago Cubs of the postapocalypse world. Complicating her already desperate situation is her growing affection for the other District 12 contestant, a clueless baker's son named Peeta Mellark. Further complicating her situation is her sorta-crush on her 18-year-old hunting partner, Gale. Gale isn't clueless; Gale is smoldering. Says so right on page 14.

The love triangle is fairly standard teen-read stuff; what 16-year-old girl wouldn't like to have two interesting guys to choose from? The rest of The Hunger Games, however, is a violent, jarring speed-rap of a novel that generates nearly constant suspense and may also generate a fair amount of controversy. I couldn't stop reading, and once I got over the main character's name (Gale calls her Catnip — ugh), I got to like her a lot. And although ''young adult novel'' is a dumbbell term I put right up there with ''jumbo shrimp'' and ''airline food'' in the oxymoron sweepstakes, how many novels so categorized feature one character stung to death by monster wasps and another more or less eaten alive by mutant werewolves? I say more or less because Katniss, a bow-and-arrow Annie Oakley, puts the poor kid out of his misery before the werewolves can get to the prime cuts.

Collins is an efficient no-nonsense prose stylist with a pleasantly dry sense of humor. Reading The Hunger Games is as addictive (and as violently simple) as playing one of those shoot-it-if-it-moves videogames in the lobby of the local eightplex; you know it's not real, but you keep plugging in quarters anyway. Balancing off the efficiency are displays of authorial laziness that kids will accept more readily than adults. When Katniss needs burn cream or medicine for Peeta, whom she more or less babysits during the second half of the book, the stuff floats down from the sky on silver parachutes. And although the bloody action in the arena is televised by multiple cameras, Collins never mentions Katniss seeing one. Also, readers of Battle Royale (by Koushun Takami), The Running Man, or The Long Walk (those latter two by some guy named Bachman) will quickly realize they have visited these TV badlands before.

But since this is the first novel of a projected trilogy, it seems to me that the essential question is whether or not readers will care enough to stick around and find out what comes next for Katniss. I know I will. But then, I also have a habit of playing Time Crisis until all my quarters are gone. B

The Long Walk was 1979.

[GeneChing]

He also did The Lord of the Rings and Narnia.


Stunt Coordinator/Stuntman, Allan Poppleton (http://teenink.com/nonfiction/celebrity_interviews/article/363302/Stunt-CoordinatorStuntman-Allan-Poppleton/)
By TheJust

"Did you guys have to go to boot camp [for the stunts]?"
"How funny would that be? Allan, like, 'Argh, get down!' That's funny!"

For anyone who loves the film series, The Chronicles of Narnia, the name Allan Poppleton is most likely a familiar one. Allan is the stunt coordinator for all three of these films. But Narnia is not the only place you'll know him from:

He has also worked on films such as Eragon, The Lord of the Rings and, more currently, (Freak out, girls!) The Hunger Games.

I was recently given the opportunity to interview this amazing stuntman for Teen Ink.

RH- Tell us a little about yourself.

AP- Born and raised in New Zealand. I'm married to Erika Takacs, [who is a] presenter, actress and singer. We have three amazing children: Tai, who is thirteen, Scarlett, who is three and a half and Maximus, who is one.

RH- How did you first become interested in

AP- To be honest, I've never went after it. The offer came my way. But once I started in the business, I never looked back. If you find a job that you love, you will never work a day in your life. I haven't worked in nearly eighteen years. I'm a very lucky man.

RH- You have been a stunt coordinator for all three of Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia adaptions; tell us about that experience.

AP- Yes, I was a stunt coordinator and fight coordinator on all three Narnias; I helped create the different fight styles for the creatures. I also doubled different characters in each film:

In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I doubled Peter Pevensie when his unicorn got taken out by an arrow, and he got thrown off.
In Prince Caspian, I doubled King Miraz when he fights Peter at the end of the film. (We shot the one hundred-thirty beat fight over eight days.)
In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I doubled Drinian for a stair fall on the ship, in the serpent attack.

RH- What has been your favorite Narnia stunt to choreograph?

AP- I think the battle sequences are the most demanding, but also the most rewarding; especially with Prince Caspian. That film had three large choreographed battles:

1. Night raid in the castle
2. Aslan's How, cisterns, and Miraz verses Peter
3. River god

RH- What is it like working with Skandar Keynes?

AP- It's been an absolute pleasure knowing, working with and watching Skandar grow into a young man. I first met him in New Zealand back in 2004.

He and his family are great; down to earth and would do anything for me or my family. My wife is part Lebanese, and Skandar's mum (Zelfa) has tried several times to take her back to Lebanon...Which one day we hope to take her up on that offer...

RH- How does choreographing a fight or battle scene for a fantasy film such as Eragon differ from those of a realistic film?

AP- They differ usually by props, costume, character powers...Normally fantasy films are just that...And we have to keep it real for contemporary films.

RH- Explain the process of creating a fight scene from rehearsal until filming close.

AP- It starts with script/treatment, which would outline the fight. I would gather information from different departments, like armory, costume, art, location, ect. From there, I throw in my intellectual property and then take that along to meet with the director.

From there, I will start choreographing; then teach the doubles or performers, and then film the rehearsals to then show to the director. Once he has signed off on the fight, I begin to teach the actors. Once they have learned it, I see it through on set with the filming of it.

RH- Has there ever been an accident during filming? Or something went awry yet ended up in the finished project?

AP- Through my career, there have been a couple of mistakes, that I have seen, that have been used in the finished product. Our job is a lot safer than what people think; risk management and risk assessing sequences is a big part of a coordinator's job.

RH- When working with animals such as horses, how do you collaborate with the animal trainers?

AP- I work closely with the horse masters and wranglers. Safety is paramount, and I have the job of making sure the actors, stunt performers and extras are safe in and around the horses, along with the wranglers. We also work together on making the action sequence safe and exciting.

RH- How has training in multiple forms of Kung Fu helped your career?

AP- Martial Arts has been my passion since I was twelve, and is how I got into stunt work. I still train in several different Arts (Muay Thai, Wu Shu, Krav Maga). Training in different Arts definetely helps. All shows are different and it is important to not overuse styles that don't suit the genre of the film that you are working on.

RH- Aside from The Chronicles of Narnia and Eragon, you have also worked on the film adaption of The Hunger Games; what can fans expect to see?

AP- Hunger Games is going to awesome! I am still working on it at the moment, so am unable to say anything about it...Sorry! But make sure you check it out!

RH- Tell us about your work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

AP- I did around eight or nine months on the three movies, over a period of three years. I was performing as an ogre, elf, gondorian, Urakai, along with other characters. I also did a little doubling and rigging on the show.

RH- What has been your favorite film to work on?

AP- The Narnias, Avatar, Kingdom of Heaven, 30 Days of Night, Spartucus...Sorry, I can't choose one. Every film/TV show I have done has allowed me to meet different people, go to different places, see so many different things and get to work with really cool stuff...

RH- Tell us about the project you're currently working on.

AP- I'm {working} on Hunger Games in North Carolina at the moment, and I'm still consulting on Spartucus: Vengeance in New Zealand.

RH- What advice do you have for aspiring stuntmen?

AP- If you're keen, get training! Join a Martial Art, start horse riding, bike riding, gymnastics, high diving, free running; anything that will help with body awareness, timing and conditioning. Try and get Extra work so you can start to understand how the filming process works. Have a play with making your own short films...

[GeneChing]

I know a lot of people headed to opening day tomorrow.

More than 2,000 Shows of ‘Hunger Games’ Already Sold Out
Fandango announces record numbers for the Gary Ross-directed film out Friday. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/hunger-games-tickets-pre-sale-2000-screenings-302182)
12:59 PM PDT 3/20/2012 by Jordan Zakarin
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/thumbnail_570x321/2012/02/The_Hunger_Games_4.jpg
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in the Crowd at the Reaping
Lionsgate

The Hunger Games is off to a killer start at the box office -- more than two days ahead of its release.

The wildly anticipated big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian best-selling novel has presold out nearly 2,000 screens, Fandango announced Tuesday. The company said that the film is garnering 92% of its daily sales and has already surpassed the first Twilight film's presales numbers.

Directed by Gary Ross and starring Jennifer Lawrence as the protagonist teen warrior Katniss Everdeen, the film is riding off a massive marketing campaign as well as more than 26 million books from the trilogy sold.

Tracking estimates put its box-office take at $85 million at the most conservative, with studio insiders saying that it could reach between $130 million to $140 million. That could put it higher than the opening $138.1 million taken in by Breaking Dawn, Part 1, the most recent Twilight film. The film is Fandango's most successful March presale ever.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I enjoyed Battle Royal, but can't see what the big deal about this movie is? The previews look mediocre at best, its another Hollywood retread....maybe I'm too far removed from the 13 year old demographic that Hollywood tries to appeal to. That's probably why they keep remaking the same thing hoping for a better result? 13 year olds don't have a long memory.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I'll wait for the porn parody.

[Hebrew Hammer]

Don't you always?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Don't you always?

Yes, yes I do.
:D

[GeneChing]

I enjoyed Battle Royal, but can't see what the big deal about this movie is? The previews look mediocre at best, its another Hollywood retread....maybe I'm too far removed from the 13 year old demographic that Hollywood tries to appeal to. That's probably why they keep remaking the same thing hoping for a better result? 13 year olds don't have a long memory.
Because when something scores with the tweener market, it scores big. Look at Twilight (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57648)or Harry Potter (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37539). I wish kung fu would appeal to the tweener market. If only, man, if only... :rolleyes:

[doug maverick]

Because when something scores with the tweener market, it scores big. Look at Twilight (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57648)or Harry Potter (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37539). I wish kung fu would appeal to the tweener market. If only, man, if only... :rolleyes:

its all about packaging and presentation...actually harry potter, didnt appeal to the tweener market...according to the stats, kids under ten and adults over 20 were the ones most into the harry potter movies...interesting combo.

[JamesC]

I'll wait for the porn parody.

I like where your head's at.

[GeneChing]

Do you see what the big deal about this movie is now, HH?


'Hunger Games' gorges on $214 million global debut (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/26/entertainment-us-boxoffice-idUSBRE82O0AS20120326)
By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES | Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:37am EDT

(Reuters) - Post-apocalyptic action movie "The Hunger Games" opened with a staggering $155 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices, beating Hollywood's lofty expectations and making history as the third-highest domestic film opening.

Internationally, the Lions Gate Entertainment drama about an oppressive society's teen death match added $59.3 million from 67 markets for a global haul of $214.3 million.

The massive U.S. and Canadian debut for the film ranked behind only last summer's "Harry Potter" finale and 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight," Lions Gate said.

The movie's success brings the first blockbuster franchise to Lions Gate, a smaller Hollywood studio best known previously for the "Saw" horror series and comedian Tyler Perry's films.

"Hunger Games" set records for highest opening of a non-sequel film and biggest debut outside the summer blockbuster season.

"The first movie in a franchise, to post a number like this, is really insane. There is no other word for it," said Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com.

"'Harry Potter' had seven movies before it got to that point, and 'Dark Knight' had years and years of building the Batman brand. This movie comes and hangs with them in the same league," Contrino said.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" opened with $169.2 million domestically over its opening weekend, while "Dark Knight" took in $158.4 million, according to Hollywood.com.

"Hunger Games" is an action-filled survival drama based on the first of three best-selling young adult novels by Suzanne Collins. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, a teen girl who fights in a televised battle-to-the-death ordered by her society's rulers. Everdeen becomes a beacon of hope for freedom against the totalitarian government.

Lions Gate executives got a sense of the huge appetite for "Hunger Games" when they ventured with director Gary Ross and producer Nina Jacobson to the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood late Thursday ahead of the first screenings just after midnight.

Fans packed the lobby for showings on multiple screens, with many of the book's devotees dressed as characters. Similar scenes occurred across the country. By Saturday evening, executives went to bed thinking the film would finish the weekend with about $140 million domestically. But sales held up stronger than expected from Friday night to Saturday night, dropping just 25 percent instead of the typical 40 percent or more.

"To launch a franchise like this is incredible. It's above and beyond our expectations," David Spitz, executive vice president of domestic distribution for Lions Gate, said on Sunday. "We're just going to enjoy the ride."

Going into the weekend, industry forecasters projected about $125 million in domestic receipts from Friday through Sunday. Box-office watchers compared the movie's drawing power to the "Twilight" vampire romance films, another franchise based on popular young adult books.

The "Hunger Games" blew past the domestic debuts for each of the first four "Twilight" films, which Lions Gate now owns after buying Summit Entertainment in January.

"Hunger Games" rung up an average of $37,467 at 4,137 domestic locations from Friday through Sunday.

Audiences applauded the film adaptation of the book, giving the movie an "A" grade on average in polling by survey firm CinemaScore.

"Hunger Games" appealed to more adults and more males than "Twilight," which banked a large chunk of its receipts from teenage girls, Contrino said. Fifty-six percent of the "Hunger Games" audience was over age 25, and 39 percent was male.

The movie cost about $80 million to produce after tax credits. The studio pre-sold distribution rights in foreign markets other than Britain to cut its cost to about $30 million. That reduced the risk but also limited the money Lions Gate will get from overseas sales.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING DRIVE

To reach the film's core audience of younger viewers, the movie's $45 million marketing budget made aggressive use of the Internet, including a game on Facebook, YouTube videos and a blog on the site Tumblr dedicated to the film's fashion.

Anticipation built among fans and on Wall Street, where Lions Gate shares jumped nearly 33 percent in the six weeks leading up to the film's Friday opening. Shares rose from $10.95 on February 8 to $14.53 on March 23.

Toy companies also are trying to score big off the movie. Teen retailer Hot Topic Inc said last week it had sold out some "Hunger Games" merchandise. Hasbro Inc and Mattel Inc also have licenses to market toys based on "Hunger Games."

To win the rights to make the film, Lions Gate beat out bigger and better funded rivals with personal appeals to Collins beginning in 2009.

At the same time, Lions Gate was simultaneously fending off investor Carl Icahn, who took a 33 percent stake in Lions Gate and launched an unsuccessful proxy fight to elect five board members to the studio's board of directors.

Icahn bailed out on Lions Gate in August 2011, selling his 44 million shares for $7 apiece and losing out on a $331 million profit based on Lions Gate's closing stock price on Friday.

Elsewhere this weekend, "Hunger Games" had little competition at the domestic box office. No other new movies were released nationwide.

Comedy "21 Jump Street" took second place for the weekend with $21.3 million, and animated "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" finished third with $13.1 million.

Rounding out the top five, Disney sci-fi adventure "John Carter" pulled in $5.0 million, and military drama "Act of Valor" grossed $2.1 million.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I did see the numbers and they are staggering, have yet to hear anyone praise the movie...just that they were going to see it.

Clearly another sign of the forth coming Apocalypse Gene.

Even when I was 13, I'd still rather go see the original Master of the Flying Guillotine any day.

[GeneChing]

I'm pretty neutral about THG having never read the books (I haven't read any YA since Harry (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37539)). I plan to see this eventually just because it's such a hit and for the connection to BR (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53911).
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/303329_379936185361373_100000349850172_1293904_209 6056076_n.jpg

The potential bump in the popularity of archery is intriguing, especially as THG will be followed by another heroine in Disney/Pixar's Brave (http://disney.go.com/brave/index.html), which looks quite promising.

Ready for the Guillotines redux (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62282), HH?

[doug maverick]

I'm pretty neutral about THG having never read the books (I haven't read any YA since Harry (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37539)). I plan to see this eventually just because it's such a hit and for the connection to BR (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53911).
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/303329_379936185361373_100000349850172_1293904_209 6056076_n.jpg

The potential bump in the popularity of archery is intriguing, especially as THG will be followed by another heroine in Disney/Pixar's Brave (http://disney.go.com/brave/index.html), which looks quite promising.

Ready for the Guillotines redux (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62282), HH?

did you fb jack me gene? lol...i posted this fb and was going to post it here but you beat me to it...either way this is hilarious. i think the first book is like battle royale but according to the girl im currently dating the other two books take on a different tone and feel...idk

[Hebrew Hammer]

I'm pretty neutral about THG having never read the books (I haven't read any YA since Harry (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37539)). I plan to see this eventually just because it's such a hit and for the connection to BR (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53911).

The potential bump in the popularity of archery is intriguing, especially as THG will be followed by another heroine in Disney/Pixar's Brave (http://disney.go.com/brave/index.html), which looks quite promising.

Ready for the Guillotines redux (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62282), HH?

Initially I was completely stoked about the Guillotines, imagine today's visual effects with the flying guillotine, it would have been awesome but then the release about not using the flying guillotine from the first movie cooled my jets. I haven't seen enough about the new film or trailers to reform my optimism.

Gene, I like archery have been reading some books about English archers and wonder why more films don't use it as the main characters weapons (aside from Legolas)...its completely lethal. There is a certain romance with the sword, although I prefer Hebrew Hammers, maces, morning stars, and Axes...HH like to smash, just my style. Have you seen the Korean film The War of Arrows?

[GeneChing]

dm - I did poach that off fb (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-Magazine/135964689362), but not from you. When you're an fb **** like me, your news is a constant stream of stuff like this. I saw your post there with this and thought you poached it from here. :p

HH - My latest ezine interview, Peter Lorge on CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS: FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Part 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1034), opens with a short discussion of archery, and embedded in it is this crazy vid of a Chinese synchronized archery competition. Check it out. There is definitely a trend towards archery now with this, Brave and The Avengers (which features Hawkeye).

I saw your post on WoA (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62677) but haven't seen it yet.

[kuniggety]

I'm still waiting to see it. I read the books but haven't seen the movie but my wife hasn't read the books and has seen the movie. She said that it was really well done and really liked it. I didn't feel that the books were tweeny and I don't think the movie is designed that way either.

[GeneChing]

Over $300 mill already.

This article caught my newsfeeds because of the title. Good ol' kung fu grip!

Warrior princess Barbie with kung fu grip (http://blogs.dailymail.com/nerdliving/2012/04/11/warrior-princess-barbie-with-kung-fu-grip/)
April 11, 2012 by ashleemaddy

http://blogs.dailymail.com/nerdliving/files/2012/04/Katniss2-202x300.jpg
Katniss Everdeen makes her Mattel debut.

Barbie, the iconic porcelain skinned, perfectly coiffed doll, is undergoing a Panem makeover. The unattainable hourglass figure will be donning the famous Mockingjay pin as the doll is re-imagined for battle in the Hunger Games arena.

No longer a perky blonde, Mattel’s Katniss doll includes Jennifer Lawrence’s hooded jacket and military style pants as well as her trusty bow and quiver –perfect for slaying diminutive Tributes.

Although I’m excited to see a 12-inch version of Katniss, I was a little surprised by Mattel’s partnership with the series. It’s hard to envision young girls who haven’t read Suzanne Collin’s books re-enacting the graphic battle scenes. Let’s face it, the Hunger Games arena is a far cry from the Pepto-Bismol pink of the Dream House. Given the mass popularity of the books and film, however, it’s a sound financial investment for the company and they have reiterated that the doll is intended for adult collectors. Rabid fans like myself will likely snatch up the doll quicker than supplies at the Cornucopia.

The doll led me to think of some other female characters that are unlikely to join Mattel’s lineup:

* Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace in “Pulp Fiction” complete with Jack Rabbit Slim $5 shake, adrenaline shot and bloodied nose.

* Hit Girl from “Kick-Ass” — a deadly pre-pubescent assassin complete with butterfly knife, guns and a smattering of potty-mouthed phrases.

* Lizbeth Salander — main character in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo– complete with Taser gun, bondage equipment and tattoo needle.

* Daryl Hannah’s character, Elle Driver, in “Kill Bill” would come with syringe, nurse’s uniform and with or without both eyes.

The Katniss doll made her debut April 9 and is already backordered until August, so evidently the retail sale odds will be ever in Mattel’s favor.

[GeneChing]

Hunger Games given China green light (http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/hunger-games-given-china-green-light)
By Patrick Frater
Sun, 06 May 2012, 19:15 PM (HKT)
Distribution News

Global blockbuster, The Hunger Games has received approval for an early June theatrical release in China.

Liongate, the indie studio behind the film which has already grossed $620 million worldwide, confirmed that the film will be released in conjunction with its promotional partner Talent International. And it confirmed that the film will be subject to the new rules which lift the ceiling on film rentals in China to 25% of gross revenues.

"We view China as an increasingly important market for our content in Asia," said Wendy Reeds, executive vice president of content sales & distribution for Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), Lionsgate's joint venture partner in Asia, in a statement. "The Hunger Games' approval for nationwide release in China is a major step in translating the enormous commercial potential of this huge market into reality."

The film grossed $380 million in North America and has so far earned some $240 million in the rest of the world, with Japan and China yet to release.

Although the source material, which involves teenagers in a fight to the death in an annual contest, could be interpreted as challenging Chinese content standards, Lionsgate has long been confident that a release in China would be possible.

Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 36.5 million copies in print in the US alone, has developed a massive global following. Wonder if it'll play Korea. They love archery there.

[GeneChing]

I found it entertaining, but it was all about Jennifer Lawrence. My wife saw Silver Lining Playbook and was quite impressed by her. It was my first exposure to J-Law's work and I can see what all the fuss is about. Without her, this film would have totally failed, mostly for the reasons everyone mentioned above. But J-Law has great screen presence, one of those actresses who makes the most of her impossibly long neck, and she elevated what would have been another fantasy-book-adaptation into something much more engaging. I look forward to seeing more of her, even if that means another face-plant at the Oscars. While there was no actual sword vs. sword fight, there was some sword choppin, an ok hallucination scene, some blood spitting (I think, the camera was jiggly), silly knife-tossin, silly camoflaging, but no Bollywood number (but wasn't the Capitol City parade just ripe for one? Maybe in part 2).

I really wanted J-Law to wind up with a frying pan for a weapon (That's a Battle Royale joke, in case you missed it :p)

[GeneChing]

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Exclusive Teaser Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyPnQw_Lqds)

It seems to be the day for posting trailers.

Our original Hunger Games thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63225).


The Hunger Games Explorer combines trailer, tweets and more (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2013/04/16/the-hunger-games-explorer-combines-trailer-tweets-and-more/)
Posted by Cara Kelly on April 16, 2013 at 1:05 pm

Fewer than 24 hours after the trailer for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” aired during the MTV Movie Awards Sunday night, Lionsgate released an interactive online destination for fans, a result of a partnership with Internet Explorer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/files/2013/04/hungergames.jpg
Screenshot The Hunger Games Explorer

The Hunger Games Explorer is a catch-all of videos (including the new trailer for the second movie in the series), Tweets, feeds from fan sites and official updates that will allow fans to “track every development in the franchise,” according to a release.

The site is the latest iteration of the entertainment company’s attempt to tap the large and engaged fan base for Suzanne Collins’ young adult trilogy. Prior to the release of the first film, Capitol Couture emerged as a showcase for fashion and style content focused on the film’s costumes and the high-end designers who created them.

The movie, however, should have little difficulty connecting with its audience. The first film made $155 million on its opening weekend. And the new trailer makes the upcoming film seem just as compelling, with scenes of riots and a glimpse of Philip Seymour Hoffman as the new game-maker, stating frankly that Katniss should die.

The camerawork also appears to be a bit more steady-handed. This may be a result of complaints that the last film’s rough, “Blair Witch”-style filming made viewers dizzy..

New director Francis Lawrence replaces Gary Ross, who passed on the second film, saying he could not complete in the time frame Lionsgate proposed.

In the sequel, Lawrence will explore the series’ political themes, which play a larger role in the second book than the games themselves.

[GeneChing]

It may not be a 'Chinese' theme park (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?62642-Chinese-Theme-Parks&p=1304443#post1304443), but it's Hunger Games (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?63225-The-Hunger-Games) and Twilight (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?57648-Finally!-A-Twilight-Saga-thread).


https://fortunedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/hunger-games-twilight.jpg?w=720&quality=85
MOVIES
‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Twilight’ Are Getting Their Own Theme Park (http://fortune.com/2017/08/16/hunger-games-twilight-lionsgate-movie-world/)
Mahita Gajanan
Aug 16, 2017
The studio behind popular film franchises like Hunger Games and Twilight has announced plans to open a theme park in South Korea.
The movie studio Lionsgate announced Tuesday that it will open Lionsgate Movie World, a 1.3 million-square-foot theme part that will comprise seven different "zones" dedicated to a different film from Lionsgate. The park, which is the first branded outdoor theme park for Lionsgate, will be a part of Jeju Shinhwa World, a resort located on South Korea's Jeju Island.
Each "zone" of Lionsgate Movie World will be focused on different blockbusters from the studio, including Hunger Games, Twilight, Now You See Me and the upcoming remake of Robin Hood. The zones will feature reproduced streets and towns from the films, rides that bring visitors to scenes from movies and themed restaurants.The movies inspiring the zones at Lionsgate Movie World have collectively grossed about $9 billion at the global box office, according to Lionsgate. The theme park is scheduled to open in 2019.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxW_X4kzeus