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Hunger Games Trailer: Nailed It!

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (80)

hunger-games-trailer.jpg

Gary Ross has done the unimaginable, at least based on the first full length trailer for Hunger Games alone: He’s captured the look and feel of the novel. It looks like a very literal approach, and why not? The book was tailor made for the screen, and the length is such that little would need to be condensed or excised. Jennifer Lawrence looks great as Katniss, and I have no complaints about Liam Hemsworth’s Gale or Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta. Elizabeth Banks’ Effie loooks amazing, Wes Bentley’s Seneca Crane is a wee over the top, but otherwise, I dig it. I dig it all.

This is a franchise we can be stoked about.









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Comments

Looks good to me, but I've read the books. I'd be interested to hear what someone who hasn't read the books thinks about the trailer. Not sure this would entice me if I didn't already know the source material.

Posted by: fenchurch at November 14, 2011 10:43 AM

Donald Sutherland as President Snow? Um, yes.

The entire cast list on IMDb looks amazing. I'm all for this and I haven't even read the books. (Yet.) My fascination with the series has mostly been stoked by the people I follow on Tumblr.

Posted by: duckandcover at November 14, 2011 10:47 AM

This just game me goosebumps. The trailer alone captures the suspense of the novel and that feeling of not knowing what will happen. I love that the Capitol people look as crazy as the book describes them.

Posted by: swellcat at November 14, 2011 10:47 AM

That looks amazing. I'm so excited.

Posted by: jamiepants at November 14, 2011 10:47 AM

I have to say as someone who hasn't read the books this trailer wasn't very exciting for me, a bit flat. However, I imagine it's going to be awesome based on how much people love the books.

Posted by: Alex at November 14, 2011 10:50 AM

Don't know squat about the books, but this looks absolutely thrilling.

Posted by: wojtek at November 14, 2011 10:50 AM

The moment that really seals it for me? Katniss volunteering. It's just PERFECT.

Posted by: KatSings at November 14, 2011 10:55 AM

Is that genuine excitement and, dare I say, hope that they actually got it right that I'm feeling? It's kinda itchy.

Posted by: jM at November 14, 2011 10:57 AM

I can't watch until I get home but I have had very specific ideas for what the trailer should, and shouldn't show. So I'm looking forward to checking it out. I'm really excited for The Hunger Games, but I'm even more excited for Catching Fire. I can't wait to see how they do that one.

Posted by: TylerDFC at November 14, 2011 10:58 AM

Haven't read the books yet, but this looks much better than what I was imagining after someone described the plot for me in detail.

Posted by: nosio at November 14, 2011 10:59 AM

Yes, yes, a million times yes.

Posted by: Lipton at November 14, 2011 11:22 AM

Oh it just looks PERFECT to me. Pretty much how i'd imagined everything in my head, I cried a bit watching it, as I am a bit hormonal and so crazy excited about watching it (now I know how the Twi-hards feel). My only gripe is Donald Sutherland as President Snow, but that's only because I think of him as a kindly grandfather type. I'm hoping that affection plus his general awesomeness will help to make him even more despicable. I agree with TylerDFC though, Catching Fire is the one that's really going to ring my bell. So glad it looks like this one is actually going to be a success, so the whole trilogy can get made (unlike the mess that was the attempt at His Dark Materials).

Posted by: Whatsyourbeef at November 14, 2011 11:29 AM

THAT'S NOT HOW THE LAW OF PROBABILITY WORKS!

Sorry, the TV was being stupid.

Posted by: Three-nineteen at November 14, 2011 11:35 AM

PERFECT. Everyone looks great, and it's exactly how I pictured it. I'm glad they stopped short of showing what actually happens during the games.

Is it March yet?

Posted by: Mel C. at November 14, 2011 11:37 AM

I actually got a lump in my throat when Katniss gave the fingers-to-mouth tribute to Rue's district. This looks pretty perfect so far. And I agree with the commenter above, the little shriek Lawrence delivers as Katniss volunteers is chilling.

Between this and Dragon Tattoo, is it possible Hollywood has finally figured out how to properly adapt books I love?

Posted by: heatseeker at November 14, 2011 11:38 AM

Whatsyourbeef, I got a little weepy too, especially after seeing Rue peeking shyly around a corner.

This movie is going to absolutely kill me!

Posted by: snapnhiss at November 14, 2011 11:38 AM

Ok, watched it on my phone. Not ideal way to watch, but I think they nailed it. Lawrence looks like she is playing Katniss with the rough edges intact. I was hoping the trailer would end with Katniss coming out of the ring and running for the cornucopia and that's exactly what happens. I hope they leave the Game itself out of any upcoming previews. Maybe a couple of shots of how much punishment Katniss and Peeta take to hint at how rough it gets.

The only thing I would have added was VO of Effie saying "May the odds be ever in your favor!" during the title screen. Like I said up top, I have specific ideas on what the trailer should be.

Posted by: TylerDFC at November 14, 2011 11:49 AM

Is that Lenny Kravitz at the 2:14 mark?

Posted by: Uncle Mikey at November 14, 2011 12:12 PM

Haven't read the books. You know, not in middle school.

With that said1 the trailer was pretty underwhelming. I don't know, looks like it'll be decent eye candy, I guess.

All in all, I'll pass. I honestly didn't even like the Battle Royale movie and yes, I know this is TOTALLY different...

But still, when an asinine plot that can promise clever and over the top deaths and yes even gratuitous sex scenes....

You better effin deliver.

Posted by: googergieger at November 14, 2011 12:17 PM

Uncle Mikey, yes it was. He is Cinna. Best character in the book.

Posted by: twig at November 14, 2011 12:24 PM

It's perfect. PERFECT! I loooooved this series and this captures precisely the feel and mood of the books. Jennifer Lawrence is a stellar casting choice for Katniss. She has the chops to carry the series for sure. I am really looking forward to this.

Posted by: Kari at November 14, 2011 12:25 PM

I didn't realize reading books was for middle schoolers. This changes so much of my life!

Posted by: Me at November 14, 2011 12:30 PM

As that is clearly what I said...

That's a good one!

Oh no wait, I didn't say that.

Shame.

Posted by: googergieger at November 14, 2011 12:32 PM

Not having read the books, my opinion is...I'm fascinated by the culture I'm seeing, and indifferent to the plight of the pretty young thing that has to shoot arrows and run around the woods.

She may prove my indifference wrong, of course, since I'll watch it for the chance to find out more about how such a culture came to be and what makes it keep going and where it's going next.

But if the movie is mostly running around the woods with Serious Face I'll probably be "meh" by the end.

Posted by: Foxeye at November 14, 2011 12:41 PM

SO EXCITED.

Posted by: PerpetualIntern at November 14, 2011 12:41 PM

Nails it? I'd say it's a miss like in the horrible Airbender casting misses. I guess with makeup there's no reason to ever cast people of color in movies or tv roles

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Some readers have expressed real frustration that white actors were cast in the roles of Katniss and Gale, who they felt were clearly described as biracial in the book. Do you understand or share any of that dismay Suzanne?

COLLINS: They were not particularly intended to be biracial. It is a time period where hundreds of years have passed from now. There’s been a lot of ethnic mixing. But I think I describe them as having dark hair, grey eyes, and sort of olive skin. You know, we have hair and makeup.


http://www.racebending.com/v4/blog/rue-wont-be-whitewashed-in-the-hunger-games/

Posted by: Whipple "Whip" Hoxworth at November 14, 2011 12:57 PM

I thought the books were pretty shallow, and I never came to love any of the characters. But the story was good, so I'm excited about the movie. These actors might really be able to sell it for me.

Posted by: Cree83 at November 14, 2011 1:01 PM

OMG, I watched it three times. I haven't been this excited for a movie in a long time.

Posted by: TWoPFan at November 14, 2011 1:01 PM

Wow...that looks like I it did when I read the book. Can't wait!

Posted by: phase10 at November 14, 2011 1:03 PM

As that is clearly what I said...
That's a good one!
Oh no wait, I didn't say that.
Shame.

What Me said wasn't an incorrect inference from your comment, grammatically speaking.

Posted by: Amanda6 at November 14, 2011 1:12 PM

I am still unconvinced by Lawrence as Katniss. Aside from the fact that she is so tall and strong looking (I feel like Katniss was described as small and scrappy, sort of like Buffy, which makes her survival and later ferocity so profound), she just doesn't seem...desperate or angry enough. I don't know. Maybe I need to re-read the books. But I trust her to be a good enough actress to change my mind.

Posted by: Donut Plains at November 14, 2011 1:18 PM

I hadn't thought of the biracial thing when I read the books, but for some reason her big blue eyes really bug me. I also had a somewhat diminutive twinkly Ron Rifkin in mind for the President, someone more dapper than Donald. But I'm still in.

Posted by: cinekat at November 14, 2011 1:32 PM

Huh. Looks better than the book. Which isn't saying a whole lot, but still.

Posted by: Samantha at November 14, 2011 1:37 PM

How...exactly...does this really differ from Battle Royale?

Bunch of kids thrown out in the woods by their nasty government and only one is allowed to survive...

How does that differ?

Posted by: DeistBrawler at November 14, 2011 1:43 PM

That was a darn good trailer. Too bad we live in the millenium in which almost all movies following those darn good trailers turn out to be shite.

Posted by: Rooks at November 14, 2011 1:53 PM

@DeistBrawler: This one has hot white girls in it.

Posted by: Socraz6 at November 14, 2011 1:59 PM

@DeistBrawler The Hunger Games themselves are fairly similar to Battle Royale. However, the landscape around the games (the fact that they are televised and used as reality TV style entertainment, as well as a way to oppress those in the Districts) and the effect that these Games make them very different tales. It's been said that there are only a finite number of stories in the world. Surely what sets any story apart from another is the way it's told and where it leads?

Posted by: Whatsyourbeef at November 14, 2011 2:00 PM

As someone who is distinctly not a fan of the way the books are written and hates the wasted potential in the prose, I'm pretty hopeful the movies will be able to smooth over everything I found eye-rolling and clumsy about the novels.

Posted by: Marc at November 14, 2011 2:09 PM

DeistBrawler, for one thing, Hunger Games is government-mandated child death for entertainment purposes, while I recall Battle Royale taking place as a secret government project. That's the main difference, and it's one that gives the series more legs than BR (as Woody Harrelson's character mentions in the trailer, Katniss has to make people care about her beyond just surviving the death traps.) Also, while Battle Royale shifted focus among various vignettes of teenagers meeting gruesome ends, Hunger Games is pretty squarely Katniss' story. Only a few of the other competitors get fleshed out (before they are, you know, de-fleshed.) Plus Hunger Games (as a series) has more space to describe the differences in their dystopian future, which gives it more texture than the island-bound BR.

I am a fan of Battle Royale, but I think Hunger Games is great in the same vein, only (slightly) less gory for younger audiences.

Posted by: The Wandering Parakeet at November 14, 2011 2:14 PM

@Marc: YES. What you said. SO much better than the manner in which I said it. Thank you!

Posted by: Samantha at November 14, 2011 2:20 PM

I just downloaded the first book since I've never read them and this trailer has me HOOKED. Even without the book, I'd still be dying to see this movie because the story is so fresh. The idea of the tributes fighting to the death...engaging.

Posted by: Ann Marie at November 14, 2011 2:21 PM

Nicely said Wandering Parakeet. One of my favourite aspects of the books was the culpability of the audience in their enjoyment of the games. In fact, I got much more of a vibe of Series 7: The Contenders than I did of Battle Royale for much of the book, as the 'Hunger Games as entertainment' aspect is so central to the story.

Posted by: Whatsyourbeef at November 14, 2011 2:23 PM

Whatsyourbeef, I *love* Series 7: The Contenders! That's a great little dystopian film.

Posted by: The Wandering Parakeet at November 14, 2011 2:29 PM

I'm so tired of trying to answer the Hunger Games vs. Battle Royale question. Read the books. You will see why it is different. I shouldn't have to do all the work for you. The end.

Confused by the comment about not being in middle school... was that supposed to make those of us who value quality reading regardless of the age group labels slapped on books by publishing marketers like, feel bad, or something?

Also, [small voice]does this mean you didn't read Harry Potter? I... I don't understand.

Posted by: heatseeker at November 14, 2011 2:32 PM

Also in defense of Battle Royale, the novel does make it more clear that the competition is both entertainment for the masses and a way of squashing out potential rebellion against a fascist government. So the comparison is pretty strong on a synopsis level, but the tone of both franchises is so far removed that it's like comparing apples to those unholy abominations of apples that they soak in grape juice. Sure, they look the same on the surface, but one of them tastes like goddamn grape juice.

I think I lost my metaphor somewhere.

Posted by: Marc at November 14, 2011 2:38 PM

I haven't read any of the books but this looks really interesting. The trailer gives some idea of the context of the story but I have no idea what the Games involve, and I intend to keep it that way until I see the movie.

Honestly, I'm just really excited that we finally get a franchise focusing on what seems to be a strong, intelligent, independent young female character as opposed to the helpless doormat that is Bella Swan. I want to see a girl kick ass and fight for survival, not mope around and beg her sparkling boyfriend for sex every other scene.

Posted by: LaRhue at November 14, 2011 2:47 PM

Fuck, yes.

'Nuff said.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at November 14, 2011 2:50 PM

I'm with you heatseeker. Anyone who dismisses a book because of arbitrary publishing labels, well, their loss.

Googergeiger, did you know that the success of Harry Potter led to a backlash of 'adult' authors? It stayed at the top of the NYT bestsellers and prevented the likes of Stephen King and others from getting that coveted #1 NYT bestsller label. So they created a separate list to track 'children's' books but really so the previous best selling authors could reclaim the top spot even though they weren't the best selling. Children/Adult...these are publishing labels designed for no other purpose than media games. Please don't declare you haven't read something because it's too young for you. You're buying a constructed idea and it will cut you off from so many great books.

Posted by: Koolickle at November 14, 2011 2:51 PM

Was a joke, as most kids that read those book seem to be in middle school. Actually my friends younger brother said they were reading it in one of his classes.

Quality reading eh? Alright. I'll take your word for it. Just like I take the author's word of her never hearing of Battle Royale until after she finished writing the book.

PG-13 by the way? Just wondering...

Posted by: googergieger at November 14, 2011 2:55 PM

Notice the hashtag for Twitter? Did they get rid of the cornucopia?

Peeta has more of a Woody Harrelson drawl than Woody does.

Donald Sutherland is great casting for President Snow. He's the epitome of creepy charming.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at November 14, 2011 2:57 PM

Not only didn't I know that! It also really had nothing to do with what I was getting at.

When I make jokes about not watching Home Star Runner cause I'm not in middle school, it has more to do with the last time I watched it was like in ninth grade, and less to do with, "Me better than people that like things that kids like too!".

Though really, if you have the Battle Royale type of deal going on, you better offer gratuitous violence and sex....

Do remember enjoying the manga of that, actually. Don't remember much about the book. Movie was arse.

Posted by: googergieger at November 14, 2011 3:01 PM

Idiosynchronic...I think the hashtag refers to getting to the square as in the town square where the reaping takes place. They've been doing a big viral campaign to sort people into different districts and I assume they will have a drawing for the participants at some point.

I think the cornucopia is there, they're just not showing it....they're all running towards something in the trailer at the end.

Posted by: Koolickle at November 14, 2011 3:05 PM

"Quality reading eh? Alright. I'll take your word for it." "you better offer gratuitous violence and sex...."

I think you may have vastly different criteria for what you consider quality content versus the ideas of most of the other commenters on this thread.

Spoiler alert, no boobs or Zack Snyder style slow motion gory kills for you here.

Posted by: Koolickle at November 14, 2011 3:42 PM

I asked that question before I realized the debate already existed. I haven't made it a habit of looking up stuff about this movie or book. However, I can now draw these comparisons.

Lottery based drawing-lottery based drawing
teens forced to kill each other-teens forced to kill each other
a cordoned off section of nature to have the game-a cordoned off section of nature to have the game
televised-televised
dystopian society-dystopian society
popular among the people-popular among the people

If I was to hazard a guess as to the ending I would say she figures out some way to cheat the system, along with at least one other person, and escapes. If that guess is correct...

Well, I'm just saying.

Posted by: DeistBrawler at November 14, 2011 3:53 PM

Looks cool. I am encouraged.

Posted by: DarthCorleone at November 14, 2011 4:04 PM

@Deist Brawler... You're guessing that at end of a book which starts a trilogy that the main character survives? Impressive deduction skills!

Posted by: Whatsyourbeef at November 14, 2011 4:16 PM

@googergeiger - yeah, those crappy books my middle school-aged son reads, like The Count of Monte Cristo, White Fang, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. All flash-in-the-pan dreck beneath the notice of proper adults.

Posted by: Kati at November 14, 2011 5:07 PM

"Holy fuck, that looks awesome." --My husband who hasn't read the books.

"Oh my God, they got it right." --Me.

One of those trailers that I actually got choked up because it was SO right. Thankful they at least don't appear to have fucked it up.

Posted by: MissAmynae at November 14, 2011 5:12 PM

Absolutely nailed it. This is EXACTLY how it looked in my head reading the books and I hope this shuts up all the people who couldnt see past blonde hair when they cast Jennifer Lawrence. Like most of the other comments, I'm just astounded at how perfectly adapted this looks. I'm really curious about how the rest of the series will go as things get even more elaborate and hard to adapt by the third book.

Posted by: valerie at November 14, 2011 5:30 PM

Holy

Shit

Posted by: Rachel at November 14, 2011 6:22 PM

DeistBrawler: It's where the series goes after the first book. I agree, the set up is similar to Battle Royale. And The Running Man. And Series 7. But the details set it apart, and the series as one large story ends up being a pretty unique saga.

Posted by: TylerDFC at November 14, 2011 6:47 PM

Koolickle: Not at all what I said or was getting at. Again, pretty tarded idea. That shows promise when it comes to violence and sex. Second you take that tarded idea and try to make it more than it is, with your effin, "it's a lot more than that. You see it's about how the man is always trying to hold the brother man down". Well you can eff right off. Though really, next time read what I said and reply to that.

P.S.

Move on Kati. Someone already tried and failed that route. Better luck next time.

Posted by: googergieger at November 14, 2011 7:09 PM

I'm glad you found the fight you were clearly looking for.

Posted by: Me at November 14, 2011 7:38 PM

Dear Patrons,

Don't feed the troll.

Thanks,
Management

Posted by: LaRhue at November 14, 2011 7:57 PM

Alright. Let's make a deal. From now on everyone agrees with everyone about everything. No negative comments about anything. Heck, no negative articles about anything!

I want to walk up the side of the mountain
I want to walk down the other side of the mountain
I want to swim in the river and lie in the sun
I want to try to be nice to everyone!

Posted by: googergieger at November 14, 2011 8:07 PM

Are those Rue's four notes at the end?

AAAHHH chills. And this is my fifth/sixth time watching.

Posted by: Erin S at November 14, 2011 8:13 PM

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! *passes out*


Another difference between Battle Royale and the Hunger Games - the victor of the Hunger Games brings honor back to his/her District, along with food and other desperately needed, scarce resources for a year, until the next games begins. In Battle Royale, I'm pretty certain they just killed each other because the government wanted to find yet another way to repress them - they didn't get any sort of economical or societal boon from their victories.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at November 14, 2011 8:29 PM

Dear googergieger, Pookie cannot be beat. But if you insist on trying, here's my advice: Less is more. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Posted by: VK at November 14, 2011 9:22 PM

So excited for this! I love the books and really wasn't expecting much from the trailer. My highest hopes for the movie were simply for it not to suck and to be an average two hours. This looks really good!
As far as similarities to other stories, that's just like trying to compare Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or Disney movies. There are some similarities between plots, but that doesn't actually matter. What matters is what the storyteller does with the story. Should people have stopped telling star-crossed lovers stories after Romeo and Juliet? Was the world set for eternity at that point?
No.
Stop objecting to good stories being produced; especially good stories that get teens (and a lot of other people) reading; ESPECIALLY stories that get teens (and a lot of other people) to read something other than Twilight.
Very excited to see if the movie can live up to the promises of the trailer!

Posted by: BiblioGeek at November 14, 2011 11:00 PM

I haven't been this excited about an adaptation since 'You Know Who' that got on my nerves after the third movie! At least with this series there would be four movies tops but I can't actually see them dragging out the third book, but then again it is hollywood. I'm excited!

Posted by: Candy at November 14, 2011 11:30 PM

I was super disappointed with the casting, but this just got me back on board. I would have loved to see them go with biracial actors for Gale and Katniss (it's how I saw them in the books), but Jennifer Lawrence does seem to capture Katniss's character. Ugh. Please don't just be a good trailer.

Posted by: Tits McGee at November 15, 2011 12:34 AM

So it's like a watered down American version of Battle Royale?

Posted by: j4x at November 15, 2011 1:19 AM

Alright. Let's make a deal. From now on everyone agrees with everyone about everything. No negative comments about anything. Heck, no negative articles about anything!
Posted by: googergieger at November 14, 2011 8:07 PM

But, then you'd never post. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Posted by: Brooke at November 15, 2011 2:01 AM

Hey, that sounded mighty negative to me! We can just ignore the part of it being awesomely predictable!

Posted by: googergieger at November 15, 2011 2:12 AM

The trailer looks just right, except Lenny Kravitz who I think is horribly miscast as Cinna. The Hunger Games was my favorite book of the trilogy, but Catching Fire ain't half bad either. I hope they will actually show Peeta's training exhibition in the next movie (CF) as opposed to just talking about it, made sense in the books since everything is written from Katniss's point of view but since the movie can break away from that, I think it would be an impressive image that completes this movie's "I want to show them they don't own me" line.

Posted by: Irina at November 15, 2011 4:00 AM

"How...exactly...does this really differ from Battle Royale? Running Man.

Posted by: Adrien at November 15, 2011 6:28 AM

I think it looks just right. Effie is awesome. Just how I pictured. I wondered how over the top they would make the Capital citizens and it looks like they did a very good job.

Posted by: Brooke at November 15, 2011 9:17 AM

I guess I'm the only one who thought the trailer was silly in an arnold schwarzenegger Running Man kind of way. I'm more intrigued how people react to casting black actors in roles ala Elba in Thor or the hate spewed over freema agyeman being the dr's companion

Anyway this link discusses the unsurprising backlash of casting blacks in the movie even though they are written as racial ambiguous. No backlash however for casting white actors in roles that are specifically not white:

http://www.racialicious.com/2011/11/15/yes-there-are-black-people-in-your-hunger-games-the-strange-case-of-rue-cinna/#more-18966


Posted by: Whipple "Whip" Hoxworth at November 15, 2011 11:30 AM

really like the "televised" scenes. brings a level of creepy much needed.

Posted by: shawnp at November 15, 2011 11:38 AM

The "reality TV broadcast everywhere" component of the books was never something I could really picture. Seeing the District 12ers watching Katniss on jumbotrons in the town square was awesome, and drives home the horror of the situation some more.

I think I'm so far most convinced about them nailing the Katniss/Cinna dynamic, and least convinced about them nailing the Katniss/Peeta dynamic. I'm just not seeing it in that trailer (but that could be because the trailer is clearly painting Gale as The Boyfriend Back Home).

Lawrence looks really perfect, and this is from someone who pooh-poohed her casting because she's too old/tall/sexy. But she also brings that level of bewildered awkward that Katniss has. Even when she's in the red dress on stage, she looks awkward, like a street rat from District 12 would.

Posted by: heatseeker at November 15, 2011 12:31 PM