clips and trailers: The Hunger Games (2012)

Click over here for the The Hunger Games review.

last updated: 23 March 2012

Having finally, finally, FINALLY read the novel – I borrowed it off a colleague in work probably at least a year ago now – I can properly say I’m looking forward to The Hunger Games.

Of course, I was already looking forward to it in theory. A future where downtrodden citizens are punished by having to send their children off to fight to the death? Sounds like a dystopia to me, and if you don’t know that dystopia is my favourite genre of fiction then I guess you’re new to the site.

Now obviously this whole humans-unwillingly-fighting-to-the-death thing isn’t exactly a new idea – films like Battle Royale, The Running Man and Series 7: The Contenders have all ably covered both children killing each other and the concept of it being televised entertainment – but I have a good feeling about this one… It’s got something that’s different enough to make it interesting. Course I’m not going to tell you what that is, you’ll just have to wait for the film. Or go to any good bookstore and get the book…

Now that I actually know who the characters are, I have to say, the casting looks perfect. Obviously most of the contestants are unknowns but I think that’s for the best, there’s a good enough story there for the film to not need stars duking it out. There’s enough of them in the non-contestants anyway. The one I would be slightly worried about is Jennifer Lawrence – it’s a big role to carry and, of late, she hasn’t been tested too hard – but her Oscar-nominated turn in Winter’s Bone showed that she has the intensity to pull it off. Let’s hope she can bring out that type of performance again.

If you haven’t read the books I don’t want to give anything away but rest assured that this film has real potential to be fantastic. Lordi knows there’ll be outcry if they mess it up. More films relating to the trilogy are already in the works, with Catching Fire planned for 2013. Rumours are abound as to whether the third and possibly fourth films will be adaptations of the final book, Mockingjay, or if there’ll be a prequel in the offing from author Suzanne Collins. Exciting.

Anyway, I’ve combed YouTube to find you official tv spots, clips and trailers… Harder than you might think, there’s a lot of repackaged and renamed videos out there, not to mention a surprising number of fan-made clips of their favourite scenes. I was surprised anyway, I didn’t even know that was a thing.

So here you go, with less than two weeks to go, I give you a look at… The Hunger Games.

Update: (13 Mar 12) And the videos keep coming… This one is seriously spoilerific so if you don’t know the story I wouldn’t watch this one, but here goes anyway – The Hunger Games clip: Peeta and Ceaser

Update: (20 Mar 12) More clips! As before, don’t watch this if you want to stay spoiler free. That said, it’s not as spoiler-y as the Peeta & Ceaser clip – The Hunger Games clip: Katniss and Gale

Update: (21 Mar 12) Added new preview release date and running time

Update: (23 Mar 12) Added new clip: The Hunger Games clip: Seneca and Snow – “Hope”

RELEASE DETAILS

release date: 22 March 2012
director: Gary Ross
writers: Suzanne Collins (novel, screenplay), Gary Ross, Billy Ray (screenplay)
cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Lenny Kravitz, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth
genre: sci-fi, drama, action
running time: 142 mins

Official website: The Hunger Games official website
Official Facebook pages: facebook.com/thehungergamesmovie
Official Twitter pages: @hungergamesUK, @thehungergames