Everyone had resigned themselves to the fact that B次元官网网址淭he Hunger GamesB次元官网网址� ended in 2015. The four-film blockbuster franchise had made nearly $3 billion at the global box office and helped Jennifer Lawrence skyrocket to superstardom.
But Suzanne CollinsB次元官网网址� Katniss Everdeen saga was over. And, frankly, everyone, including Collins, director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson, was eager to take a break and do something else.
For several years after B次元官网网址� ,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淗unger GamesB次元官网网址�-related text conversations between Lawrence and Collins rarely went past sending one another screenshots of their films on Jeopardy categories. Then, in 2019, Jacobson and Lawrence got a call: Collins was putting the finishing touches on something new, a prequel set 64 years before Katniss volunteered as tribute.
It would be focused on a young Coriolanus Snow, and there would be a big musical element.
arrives in theaters nationwide Friday at another transitional moment in Hollywood, where and, for the first time in a long time, .
And while the team was excited about the possibility of working together again, there were some nerves about whether or not there was an appetite for Hunger Games movies B次元官网网址渨ithout Katniss,B次元官网网址� Lawrence told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
But this was all before theyB次元官网网址檇 laid eyes on the book.
Both Lawrence and Jacobson were soon brought into CollinsB次元官网网址� agentB次元官网网址檚 office, seated in a locked room and given the book to read. To their relief, suddenly the Katniss problem didnB次元官网网址檛 seem so important anymore, and soon they were off to Lionsgate to get it off the ground.
B次元官网网址淲e were excited to be able to dive into something that didnB次元官网网址檛 feel like a rehash,B次元官网网址� Jacobson said. B次元官网网址淚t didnB次元官网网址檛 feel like we were trying to imitate the previous movies.B次元官网网址�
For Lawrence, it B次元官网网址渇elt like a B次元官网网址楬unger GamesB次元官网网址� storyB次元官网网址� but also something unique, B次元官网网址渨ith new thematic foundations.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚nstead of a girlsB次元官网网址� survival story, it was a young manB次元官网网址檚 descent into darkness,B次元官网网址� Lawrence said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an origin story about a major character and also the series itself.B次元官网网址�
As with the first film, Lawrence and Jacobson wanted to find fresh young talents to lead the franchise B次元官网网址� not a TikTok star or someone already famous in another part of the world B次元官网网址� and surround them with veteran actors. In this case, those established names would include Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage and Jason Schwartzman.
They found their young Snow, played in the original films by Donald Sutherland, via taped submission. The English actor Tom Blyth entered the running rather late and quickly became the frontrunner, beating out hundreds for the role.
B次元官网网址淗e just blew everybody out of the water,B次元官网网址� Lawrence said. B次元官网网址淗e has a charisma, he has the right physical attributes. HeB次元官网网址檚 Juilliard trained. He really knows his craft. He was going to be able to give us all the emotional values we need for the characterB次元官网网址檚 journey. And he felt like a star.B次元官网网址�
For Lucy Gray Baird, the District 12 tribute Snow is assigned to mentor for the 10th Hunger Games, Lawrence already had someone in mind. Like many film fans, he was transfixed by B次元官网网址檚 film debut as Maria in Steven SpielbergB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淲est Side StoryB次元官网网址� and persuaded her to co-star. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 a hard sell: B次元官网网址淭he Hunger GamesB次元官网网址� were already a big part of ZeglerB次元官网网址檚 life having grown up with the books and the movies, which she and her mom and sister made events out of.
B次元官网网址淎s somebody who loves to call herself a fan first before anything else, the greatest gift you can get is more to the story,B次元官网网址� Zegler said. B次元官网网址淩ather than seeing it as a pressure cooker just waiting to explode, I see it as a really big blessing.B次元官网网址�
Blyth, in his first starring role in Hollywood, felt some pressure. But he found comfort in the material they were working with.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e lucky to be adapting a book thatB次元官网网址檚 really good,B次元官网网址� Blyth said. B次元官网网址淪uzanne writes these big thinking pieces that are approachable for teenagers and younger people, which I think is a genuinely honorable feat B次元官网网址� someone who wants to try and bring bigger ideas to young people while also entertaining them.B次元官网网址�
Filming took place largely in Germany. The production looked to reconstruction-era Berlin for aesthetic and thematic inspiration for this post-war capitol thatB次元官网网址檚 rebuilding and on tenuous political ground. And Trish Summerville was also brought back to design the ornate costumes, which include some Easter eggs for fans hidden in LucyB次元官网网址檚 hand-painted corset.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 this spectacle to the whole world,B次元官网网址� Blyth said. B次元官网网址淭he whole thing is about spectacle. ItB次元官网网址檚 about being distracted by beautiful things while everything else is going on.B次元官网网址�
But even while creating a new world, the filmmakers were disciplined about the budget. Instead of resting on laurels and precedent B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淢ockingjay Part 2B次元官网网址� had a $160 million price tag B次元官网网址� they kept theirs to a reported $100 million.
B次元官网网址淲e were very mindful that this was not a sequel but a prequel with a new cast,B次元官网网址� Jacobson said. B次元官网网址淲e wanted to make sure that we were making this movie at a price that that made sense.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 easy to forget that not everyone in Hollywood thought that they had a blockbuster in their hands at the beginning. Back in 2009, when Jacobson and her production company ColorForce acquired the rights to adapt CollinsB次元官网网址� YA series, there was widespread skepticism about young adult material and about the appeal of female-fronted action movies that werenB次元官网网址檛 primarily romances.
B次元官网网址淚n the original series, we were able to take a lot of risks and really challenge a lot of industry assumptions,B次元官网网址� Jacobson said. B次元官网网址淭he most important thing in this go-around was to still take those risks and not be playing it safe B次元官网网址� to still feel like weB次元官网网址檙e making something thatB次元官网网址檚 a bit on the subversive side.B次元官网网址�
With its moral ambiguity and complicated characters, Jacobson thinks it might even be the kind of movie that audiences want to discuss and debate afterward. In the past year, she added, a lot of young people have discovered the franchise on streaming who will hopefully join established fans at the theater for B次元官网网址淭he Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 hopeful that it will be a shared cultural experience and a communal experience at a time when we donB次元官网网址檛 have too many of those,B次元官网网址� Jacobson said. B次元官网网址淲hen they do happen, as they have this year with movies as different as B次元官网网址楤arbieB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址極ppenheimer,B次元官网网址� it certainly shows that if you give people a worthwhile and original story with some bold storytelling and a filmmaker with a voice, that they will show up.
B次元官网网址淎nd we hope to be part of that showing up.B次元官网网址�
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