The Hunger Games gets nominated for 8 MTV Movie Awards

MTV announced the full list of nominees for the MTV Movie Awards 2012. The Hunger Games is nominated for 8 categories, being, alongside Bridesmaids, the most nominated movie of the year. These are the categories The Hunger Games is competing for:

» Movie of the Year
» Best Male Performance (Jennifer Lawrence)
» Best Female Performance (Josh Hutcherson)
» Breakthrough Performance (Liam Hemsworth)
» Best Cast
» Best On-Screen Transformation (Elizabeth Banks)
» Best Fight (Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig)
» Bes Kiss (Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson)

Voting began yesterday, on May 1st at 8 a.m. ET. The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET!

Read the full note to see the complete lists of nominees in the categories where The Hunger Games is included. The biggest opponents are Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Bridesmaids.

The Hunger Games Crosses $600 Million at Global Box Office

Though The Hunger Games came in fourth at this weekend’s box office, the additional $11.3 million it earned was enough to put it over $600 million total worldwide.

Entertainment Weekly looks at how The Hunger Games is tracking against the last Harry Potter film.

Close behind, The Hunger Games dipped by a tiny 23 percent and earned $11.3 million in its sixth weekend on the chart. With a running total of $372.5 million, the franchise-launching blockbuster is now officially performing ahead of the highest-grossing Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, which had earned $366 million at the same point in its run. Worldwide, Hunger Games‘ impressive $601 million total doesn’t compare to Potter‘s grosses, but one can only wonder how high numbers will climb by the time The Hunger Games Saga: Catching Fire – Part 2 (Section B) in IMAX 3D finally hits theaters in 2016.

And yes, that last part is a joke. ;)  Did you see The Hunger Games this weekend?

WSJ: Updates on ‘Catching Fire’ Director & Script, ‘Hunger Games’ DVD

In a new article, The Wall Street Journal is taking a look at where Lionsgate is right now with the Hunger Games franchise. The article reveals that Lionsgate is close to a deal with Francis Lawrence for Catching Fire, discusses Suzanne Collins’ close involvement with the Catching Fire script, and reveals that Lionsgate is looking at August/September to release The Hunger Games DVD.

On the ‘Catching Fire‘ director:

For “Catching Fire,” now in preproduction and expected to hit theaters in fall 2013, Lions Gate—also known as Lionsgate—lost the director of the first film, Gary Ross, who issued a statement earlier this month saying he couldn’t work on the studio’s time table.

Lions Gate, which said at the time that it was sorry Mr. Ross had chosen not to direct the film, is now close to a deal with Francis Lawrence, whose previous projects include “I Am Legend” and “Constantine,” according to people familiar with the matter.

On the ‘Catching Fire‘ script:

One issue that is under control: All the primary “Hunger Games” cast members are signed up for the entire four-film series, so none are likely to follow Mr. Ross to the exit.

Video: Is Grant Gustin right for the role of Finnick Odair?

The fan favorite to play Finnick Odair in Catching Fire was once resoundingly Alex Pettyfer, but it seems times have changed and so have the legions of Hunger Games fans. Now the huge buzz is building for Glee actor Grant Gustin to take on the role in The Hunger Games sequel.

Our friend Kaleb Nation decided to put the question out there, to see just what fans are thinking when it comes to one of the most anticipated casting decisions of the year for his 60 Second Rant.

So what do you think? Could he REALLY play Finnick?  Let us know in the comments below.

New Chapter in The Hunger Games Adventures!

Those of you following The Hunger Games Advetures game on Facebook will be excited to learn there is a new chapter to play! Your mission is to help Cinna design the outfits for the District 12 Tributes… which means the Fire Dress that started it all! Plus, there are all sorts of new goodies you can get in game!

Capitol Couture comes to The Hunger Games Adventures! Make your fashion statement! Fresh outfits, new quests and more!

Head to Facebook to play, and if you haven’t yet you might want to start – it looks pretty amazing!

Source: The Hunger Games Advetures

Daniel Newman reacts to the rumors he will play Finnick Odair in Catching Fire

There was a rumor going around that Daniel Newman was going to be playing Finnick Odair in the Catching Fire movie. His name was listed on IMDb. Hypable decided to go to the source and checked in with Lionsgate who laid the rumor to rest.

In the meantime, Daniel put out a tweet the other day to say this about the speculation!

Hunger Games Books Among Most Highlighted on Kindle

Amazon released a list of the top 10 most highlighted passages on Kindle devices and The Hunger Games trilogy occupies 8 of the 10 spots!

1. “Because sometimes things happen to people and they’re not equipped to deal with them.” (Catching Fire)

2. “The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins.” (The Hunger Games)

3. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (Pride and Prejudice)

4. “It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.” (Mockingjay)

5. “’I just want to spend every possible minute of the rest of my life with you,’ Peeta replies.” (Catching Fire)

You can see which other quotes made the list at The Mary Sue.

Tell us your favorite quotes from the books in the comments below!

Pieces of District 12 Being Stolen by Fans

WSOC reports:

Some overzealous fans of “The Hunger Games” have taken pieces of a building in Burke County where filming was done last summer.

Since the movie opened this spring, hundreds of people have visited the old Henry River Mill Village to take pictures. The property owner said he’s had to replace boards on two of the buildings where filming was done.

Wade Shepherd doesn’t mind people visiting his property but said he does not want anyone stealing items from the buildings that could be used for a sequel.

“I think I take a positive attitude. The 99 percent are great people. It is that 1 percent that is always going to be there,” he said.

During the weekend, the parking lot near the filming location is usually full with visitors from across the country, he said.

If they are really fans of The Hunger Games, they should be doing all they can to keep the town intact – especially since it will presumably be needed over the next few years to double as District 12 in the upcoming movies, don’t you agree?

Why Francis Lawrence is a Great Choice to Direct ‘Catching Fire’

Francis Lawrence is Lionsgate’s pick to direct ‘The Hunger Games‘ sequel, but some fans are definitely still on the fence about the decision. Well, NextMovie has some excellent points that will hopefully put your mind at ease about Lawrence directing ‘Catching Fire‘.

“Catching Fire” has to begin production this August to accommodate potential actor scheduling conflicts and to meet the Nov. 22, 2013 release date scheduled by Lionsgate.

For Gary Ross, the idea of readying the film for production would likely include a heavy re-drafting process on the script – which was originally penned by “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours” writer Simon Beaufoy – before moving forward on anything else. That’s because Ross is even more accomplished under his screenwriting hat than behind the lens and always has a major hand in the scripts he shoots from.

Not so for Francis Lawrence. Unlike Ross, Lawrence isn’t known for his screenplay-writing acumen and would be more likely to work from Beaufoy’s script; this leaves plenty of time to economize on the other pre-production efforts which will be involved – casting, set-scouting, and production design to name a few. In other words, the span between now and August looks a lot more supple when you’ve got a working script at the ready rather than just a first draft.

A second major consideration is the visual and creative palette Francis Lawrence brings to the table. So far, he’s directed three motion pictures – “Constantine,” “I Am Legend,” and “Water For Elephants” – each of which was based upon a book. All three movies were semi-large productions with complicated visual aspects.

Whether it was a Keanu Reeves versus the heavens fight scene, Will Smith hunting deer with a red Mustang in Manhattan, or Reese Witherspoon dancing atop a giant elephant, Lawrence added weight to the moments with excellent set selection. Put simply, the man knows how to create a backdrop.

And this will be mighty important for “Catching Fire,” as the film will introduce a few new landscapes – Victor’s Village, some of the as-yet-unseen Districts, and an all-new arena (which just so happens to be twelve times as complicated as the first). If there’s anything we can be confident about with Francis Lawrence in charge of the film, it’s that these new settings will be stunning.

Head here to read the rest of the article.

Does this settle your mind on Francis Lawrence? How do you feel about the decision?

Source: NextMovie

The Hunger Games Bumped to 3rd Place at Weekend Box Office

The Hunger Games was finally dethroned from the number one spot at the box office this weekend, after holding strong for four weeks. According to The Wrap:

Sony Screen Gems’ “Think Like a Man” ended the month-long box office reign of “The Hunger Games” and did it in style, hauling in an estimated $33 million in its debut to easily win the weekend.

Warner Bros.’ Zac Efron movie “The Lucky One” also did better than expected and rang up $22.8 million from 3,155 locations to claim the second spot, ahead of “The Hunger Games,” which finished in third with $14.5 million. Lionsgate’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ young adult novel has now grossed more than $356 million at the domestic box office.

With The Hunger Games returning for a one-week run in IMAX theaters starting this Friday, April 27th, we’re thinking that weekend total will likely increase.