Premiere in Orlando, Florida November 22, 2013 … I’m a fervent fan of the trilogy. Read the three books a while ago. It’s a well known fact that movies very seldom can do justice to the written word.

I believe this is the case here but still the movie was incredibly well done.

The ending …. a cliffhanger for the third book … “MOCKINGJAY“!!

The Hunger Games

North American first edition cover

AuthorSuzanne CollinsCover artistTim O’BrienCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishSeriesThe Hunger Games trilogyGenreAdventure
Dystopian
Science fiction
ActionPublisherScholastic PressPublication dateSeptember 14, 2008Media typePrint (hardcover, paperback)Pages374OCLC Number181516677 LC ClassificationPZ7.C6837 Hun 2008Followed byCatching Fire

Katniss Everdeen ….

The Hunger Games is a 2008 science fiction novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America.

The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death.

The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem, established in North America after the destruction of the continent’s civilization by an unknown apocalyptic event. The nation consists of the wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts united under the Capitol’s control. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region that was formerly known as Appalachia.

As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol, in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or “tributes”) must fight to the death in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one individual remains.

The story is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. The male tribute chosen from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a former schoolmate of Katniss who once gave her bread from his family’s bakery when her family was starving.

Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the other tributes. “Stylists” are employed to make each tribute look his or her best; Katniss’s stylist, Cinna, is the only person at the Capitol with whom she feels a degree of understanding.

The tributes are publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in an interview with television host Caesar Flickerman, and have to attempt to appeal to the television audience in order to obtain “sponsors”. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his longtime unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain sponsors, who can be critical to survival because of their ability to send gifts such as food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an American science-fiction adventure film based on Suzanne Collins‘ novel, Catching Fire, the second installment in The Hunger Games trilogy. The film is the sequel to The Hunger Games, and the second installment in The Hunger Games film series, produced and distributed by Lionsgate.

Francis Lawrence directed the film, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt (credited as Michael deBruyn). Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen along with Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Toby Jones, Paula Malcomson and Willow Shields also reprising their roles.

he Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Francis Lawrence
Produced by	Nina Jacobson Jon Kilik
Screenplay by	Simon Beaufoy Michael Arndt
Based on	Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Starring	Jennifer Lawrence Josh Hutcherson Liam Hemsworth Woody Harrelson Elizabeth Banks Lenny Kravitz Philip Seymour Hoffman Jeffrey Wright Stanley Tucci Donald Sutherland
Music by	James Newton Howard
Cinematography	Jo Willems
Editing by	Alan Edward Bell
Studio	Color Force
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release date(s)	November 11, 2013(London premiere) November 22, 2013(United States)
Running time	146 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$140 million
Box officE	$57,250,000

After winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return home to District 12. On the day Katniss and Peeta are to start a victory tour of the country, she is visited by President Snow, who explains that when she defied the Capitol by breaking the rules so that she and Peeta both survived the last Hunger Games, she inspired rebellions in districts and now must continue to pretend to be in love with Peeta or her family will be killed.

The first stop of the tour is in District 11, home of Katniss’ friend Rue, the 12-year-old who competed in the 74th Hunger Games. Peeta offers to read the speech from a script Effie provides them, but throws it away and voices his thoughts instead. As they leave, a sorrowful Katniss delivers an inspiring speech that causes a man to whistle the tune Katniss used during the 74th Hunger Games to inform Rue she was safe, and provides the three-finger salute of District 12.

Everyone follows the man until Peacekeepers shoot him dead, causing Katniss to scream in panic. Fearing for their safety, Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta they have become a political target. The two youths proceed to visit the other districts. To solve disputes between Katniss and Snow, Peeta proposes to Katniss in public.

When they return to District 12, they find Gale has been punished and is being publicly whipped because he defended an old lady when the Commander and his troops were destroying the Black Market. Peeta, Katniss and Haymitch try to save Gale.

Snow, watching them, reads out that the 75th Hunger Games will be the Quarter Quell, an event taking place every 25 years in which a new rule is added to the game. The new rule for this Third Quarter Quell states that contestants will be reaped from the existing pool of victors. Katniss is devoted to allowing Peeta to become the champion of the Quarter Quell and makes a deal with Haymitch that whatever he does he must make sure Peeta is safe and will win.

Haymitch’s name is drawn at the reaping, but Peeta immediately volunteers and Haymitch has no power to avoid him from joining.

The games are set around a saltwater lake, during which Katniss becomes an ally of Mags and Finnick Odair, both from District 4.

She awakens in an aircraft with Beetee, who is unconscious. Entering the cockpit she finds Haymitch, Finnick and Plutarch the gamemaker, who is actually their ally and a rebel against Snow.

She learns Johanna and Peeta were taken away by the Capitol, causing her to attempt to attack Haymitch because he did not fulfill his promise. She is sedated by Plutarch before she can do so. She awakens days later with Gale by her side and learns her family is safe but that District 12 has been destroyed.