The Hunger Games

“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” doesn’t open until Nov. 22, but the official trailer for the new film debuted Sunday night during the MTV Movie Awards, where fan-favorite film “The Avengers” was among the evening’s big winners. “Catching Fire” sees newly minted Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence reprise her starring role as Katniss Everdeen, who finds herself and her fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) returning to the arena for a special champions’ edition of the cruel games, in which teens are pitted against one another in a battle to the death. The not quite two-and-a-half-minute clip begins with Katniss and Peeta being introduced as the victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games, Elizabeth Banks’ garishly adorned Effie Trinket by their side. Donald Sutherland’s sinister President Snow is then glimpsed in conversation with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Plutarch Heavensbee ruminating […]

Fans of Katniss Everdeen can get a glimpse of District 11 in a new teaser for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” — emphasis on the word “glimpse.” The snippet of footage — which shows Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, and Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket on the co-champions’ victory tour stop at District 11 — barely runs 10 seconds and was released to promote the full teaser trailer and its April 14 unveiling during the MTV Movie Awards. A teaser for a teaser may sound insignificant (does anyone remember the one-second clip released ahead of the”Star Trek Into Darkness” trailer last fall?), but it’s all part of the “Hunger Games” hype as the Hollywood marketing machine kicks into gear for what is likely to be one of 2013′s biggest hits when it is released Nov. 22. “Catching […]

New character posters for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” are out, heralding the return of victors Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), as well as revealing a glimpse of some new and returning characters. “Catching Fire” is the second installment in a planned quartet of films based on the bestselling young adult book trilogy by Suzanne Collins; the third book, “Mockingjay,” will be split into two movies. The story follows heroine Katniss, a teenager forced to fight other starving children in a televised battle to the death for the enjoyment of wealthy spectators in Panem, a post-apocalyptic version of North America. The first film in the franchise — last March’s “The Hunger Games” — earned more than $686 million at the worldwide box office. The second book picks up after Katniss’ victory, when a twist of fate (or, […]

Is this a sign of good things to come for “The Hunger Games” franchise? “The Hunger Games” took home a Grammy on Sunday night for “Safe & Sound,” a song on the film’s popular soundtrack. The honors went to Taylor Swift, T. Bone Burnett, John Paul White & Joy Williams in the category of song written for visual media. Now you might be thinking, “Hey, I watched the Grammys. I don’t remember that.” That’s because the honor was given out before the show began on CBS. Many fans found out via Swift’s tweet: WE JUST WON A GRAMMY FOR SAFE AND SOUND!!!!!!!!!!— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) February 10, 2013 The win comes as “The Hunger Games” and its star are on a roll. Jennifer Lawrence (who stars as Katniss Everdeen, of course) has been cleaning up this awards season, racking up dozens […]

From “The Dark Knight” to “Doctor Who,” the cult favorite comedy “Community” has paid homage to dozens of genre franchises. Now the embattled NBC sitcom is taking on “The Hunger Games.” A new trailer (watch it above) for the show’s fourth season borrows fiery imagery from the film adaptation and book covers of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling young adult trilogy. It’s “the Hunger Deans,” announces Jim Rash’s dress-wearing character Dean Pelton as he rides into the cafeteria on a chariot pulled by shirtless men clad in pink-and-white unicorn headpieces. It appears the dean will force the show’s anti-hero Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) to compete in “35 tests of strength and agility” in an event that resembles an episode of “American Gladiators.” Other pop culture shout-outs we spotted in the season 4 trailer include “Star Wars,” with Yvette Nicole Brown’s character Shirley […]

“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” — the second installment in the movie franchise based on the young-adult book trilogy by Suzanne Collins — is still more than 10 months away, but fans got their first glimpse of the film Wednesday morning. The first released image from “Catching Fire” shows Katniss Everdeen (reprised by Jennifer Lawrence) and Finnick Odair (newcomer Sam Claflin, of “Snow White and the Huntsman” fame), who aims to break the young archer’s concentration during training. In the books, set in a post-apocalyptic North America called Panem, Katniss is one of 24 tributes forced to compete in a televised fight to the death for the amusement of the wealthy residents of the Capitol. Finnick Odair is introduced in the second book as a former champion and a cocky heartthrob who charms his way through the upper echelons of […]

With “The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and more sci-fi and fantasy films, 2012 was a landmark, record-breaking year for spectacle entertainment. But 2013 looks just as promising with a host of big, anticipated sequels — including “Iron Man 3″ and “Star Trek Into Darkness” — and such smart new offerings as “Pacific Rim” and “Elysium” on the calendar. With that in mind, here’s a look at Hero Complex’s 13 must-see movies in 2013. “Oz: The Great and Powerful” (March 8) Sam Raimi’s upcoming “Oz: The Great and Powerful” promises viewers a journey down the yellow brick road that will include a breathtaking array of dazzling visual effects. The Disney film stars James Franco as the man who will become the Wizard of Oz, and takes place well before Dorothy arrives in the faraway fantasy […]

For fans of fantastic entertainment, it was a bountiful year at the box office. The highest-grossing movies of 2012 starred a collection of superheroes, two strong young woman with mean archery skills (Katniss Everdeen and Merida from “Brave”), a suit-sporting super spy and a mild-mannered hobbit who embarks on an unexpected adventure — not to mention a coven of sparkly vampires and a talking stoner teddy bear. With so many movies to choose from, it’s easy to see how audiences might have overlooked a few gems. So as the year draws to a close, we’ve assembled our top picks for films to belatedly check out — as well as a few that no doubt warrant repeat viewings. “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” Yeah, yeah, so it didn’t take the box office by storm, and critics griped that the movie wasn’t funny. […]

San Diego’s Comic-Con International is always full of hype and bombast for movies and TV projects designed to appeal to lovers of genre entertainment. But even in the extensive annals of Hall H lore, the 2010 Marvel panel in which the cast of “The Avengers” assembled on a public stage for the first time still holds a special place in the history of the 6,500-seat auditorium. As the wild crowd cheered stars Robert Downey Jr., Clark Gregg, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo, writer-director Joss Whedon departed from the usual script — one in which filmmakers vow that their upcoming movie will be nothing short of awesome — with typical self-deprecating wit. “I am going to blow it,” he said amid the cheers. “I’m not up to it.” No surprise, really. He […]

The next time Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne and Greasy Sae are seen onscreen in “The Hunger Games,” they will have a new landlord — and it could be you. The Henry River Mill Village in Hildebran, N.C. (outside of Charlotte), which served as District 12 in the post-apocalyptic nation Panem in the big-screen adaptation of the book, is up for sale. The 72-acre abandoned mill town, home of fictional spots like the Hob and the area known as the Seam, is valued at more than $1.2 million. It will be sold via sealed bids through the auction house Profiles in History, with a bidding deadline of July 31. The piece of “Hunger Games” history is also the subject of an upcoming episode of “Hollywood Treasure,” the SyFy series that follows Profiles in History owner Joe Maddalena as he […]