The Hunger Games: Everything We Know

The lowdown on The Next Harry Potter

By George WalesNov 1st 2011
2

Gary Ross is directing

Whilst many names were bandied about for the position (including pretty much anybody who’s directed a Harry Potter or Twilight movie) the big job was finally awarded to Seabiscuit director Gary Ross. How did he get the gig? Well apparently, it’s because his kids were mad on the books.

When Ross first met with Lionsgate, he brought a piece of video-footage along with him in which he had interviewed his children and their friends about why they loved the stories, and which characters they identified with. In short, the man had done his homework.

“What was amazing was how insightful these kids were about this book and about Katniss as a character,” says producer Nina Jacobson. “It was so clear that Gary was interested in what the fans cared about. In terms of his understanding of Katniss, I felt he understood the duality of her character. She’s not a traditional heroine.”

Indeed, Ross himself was anxious to be able to make a film that the younger fans of the franchise would be able to enjoy. “It’s not going to be an R-rated movie because I want the 12 and 13 and 14-year-old-fans to be able to go see it,” he told Entertainment Weekly.

“This book means too much to too many teenagers for it not to be PG-13. It’s their story and they deserve to be able to access it completely. And I don’t think it needs to be more extreme than that. I don’t need to have a huge prosthetic budget or make this movie incredibly bloody in order for it to be just as compelling, just as scary, and just as riveting.”

2 of 10

Try This...

Latest Reviews

Comments

    • stephensocks

      Nov 1st 2011, 16:12

      I was hoping that the films would be split up - maybe randomly cutting through books two and three. Unlike Harry Potter, each book isn't a year of school, the whole affair is less than two years and pretty much non-stop (barring all those intermittent periods in which Katniss on the mend and holed up in various places). I can't think of where they would cut up the books but I always thought the end of the first book was a wee bit lacklustre. If I hadn't read the books back-to-back and not had to wait over a year for book two, I'd have been a little p********f, so hopefully the end of the first film will place somewhere else. I am definitely in the 99% that disliked the trailer as well. On top of not much going on, I got a sickly Twilight vibe (no, not just because there's trees). It felt far too tame. And that's why I don't like the PG13 rating either. Sure the books are aimed at young adults (12+ I guess) but part of the atrocity of the story and message is a lot of its grim events and I reckon that has to be in the films as well and not just alluded to. Though, with the BBFC's recent ratings and some of the things that people get away with in 12A's and the such, this worry may be moot anyway. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of faith in this, I just wish that trailer had been better and Ross wasn't trying to put out fires everywhere by smoothing over his 'PG13' statements. May the odds ever be in this film's favour.

      Alert a moderator

    • stephensocks

      Nov 1st 2011, 16:33

      Ugh. Sorry for looking like I'm spamming the place up.. I didn't realize the comment would be squashed into one big messy paragraph..

      Alert a moderator

    • JohnNorris

      Nov 4th 2011, 12:03

      The third book is called "Mockingjay" not "Mockingbird" Please correct.

      Alert a moderator

Leave a comment