20 facts you might not know about 'The Hunger Games'
YA dystopia was the thing in Hollywood for a while. At the pinnacle of that was The Hunger Games. Adapted from a popular book series, The Hunger Games proved that teenagers trying to kill each other was no longer just for cult Japanese horror films. These 20 facts you may not know about the first movie in the series volunteer as tribute.
It was based on a recent book
Sometimes, it takes a while for a book to get adapted. That wasn't the case for The Hunger Games. The first Hunger Games book came out in 2008, and the first Hunger Games movie came out in 2012. We primarily wanted to mention the book because of a fun fact about author Suzanne Collins. Before raking in mad cash from the YA book lovers, she wrote for the Nickelodeon shows Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. That rules.
Several directors were considered
Several directors were considered for the first Hunger Games movie. Rupert Sanders, Sam Mendes, Francis Lawrence, and Gary Ross were among them. Ross was aware of the book because his kids had read it, so he picked up a copy and read it himself. He told his agent he was interested in directing, and perhaps his enthusiasm worked as he got the gig.
Collins and Ross collaborated on the script
Collins, as we noted, had experience writing for the screen, and she helped adapt her own novel. Ross also has a screenplay credit. Those two are joined in getting credit with Billy Ray, who had a lot of experience writing adult thrillers but not so much YA sci-fi films.
They made a couple changes from the novel
The book is told from the first-person perspective of Katniss Everdeen. The reader knows what she knows, and anything about what’s going on with the games is based on her speculation. However, Ross and Collins didn’t necessarily want voiceovers or monologues from Katniss. Thus, they increased the role of Seneca Crane to give the audience information about the game that Katniss couldn’t possibly know.
They also created a location for the film
Speaking of speculation and Seneca Crane, Katniss imagines what Gamemaker’s control center looks like in the novel. However, Ross actually wanted to show the control center in the movie. Ross explained, “The look of the control center, the antiseptic feeling of it, and the use of holograms were all intended to make the arena feel constructed even when you weren't seeing the control room."
A lot of actresses tried out for Katniss
Unsurprisingly, basically every actress of a certain age tried out for the role of Katniss. It was a huge leading role in a likely film franchise. Some of the actresses whose names you likely recognize now were Chloe Grace Moretz, Saoirse Ronan, Hailee Steinfeld, and Shailene Woodley.
Everybody was sure about Jennifer Lawrence (except for Lawrence)
Lawrence, who was filming X-Men: First Class at the time of casting decisions, apparently nailed her audition. Ross said she “blew the doors off the place” (h/t The Hollywood Reporter). Collins said she was the “only one who truly captured the character I wrote in the book.” Lawrence was worried about taking on such a significant role in such a massive production. It took her three days before she accepted the offer to star.
A few actors were considered for Peeta
Lucas Till, Hunter Parrish, and Evan Peters were among the actors in the running for Peeta. Josh Hutcherson won the role. Ross said that Hutcherson was “pitch-perfect” in his audition.
And, of course, a few names were in the mix for Gale
The triangle of Katniss, Peeta, and Gale is at the center of The Hunger Games. David Henrie, Drew Roy, and Robbie Amell were considered for the third part of that triumvirate. Liam Hemsworth, fresh off of losing the role of Thor to his brother, got the part of Gale.
The first choice for one role declined (and the second almost did as well)
John C. Reilly was, at one point, in talks to play Haymitch Abernathy. Those talks fell through. The production went to Woody Harrelson, who also passed. However, Ross called up Harrelson. After some cajoling, he decided to take the part.
It was a lot easier to get Stanley Tucci on board
Ross had worked with Tucci on the animated movie The Tale of Despereaux. The two were apparently at the same Italian restaurant in New York on New Year’s Eve. Ross asked Tucci if he wanted to play the part of Caesar Flickerman. He immediately accepted.
Donald Sutherland did not phone it in
Sutherland was already a legendary actor when he was cast to play President Snow. It would not have been surprising if he had cashed the check and let that be that. Instead, Sutherland wrote a letter to Ross elaborating on how he felt the role of Snow played in the story’s narrative. Apparently, Ross was taken enough by the letter to include some of Sutherland’s ideas in the film.
Everybody dyed their hair for some reason
Nobody’s natural hair color sufficed for the movie. Lawrence notably died her naturally blonde hair brunette to play Katniss. Both Hutcherson and Hemsworth also dyed their hair.
A notable director chipped in on the second unit
Stephen Soderbergh is the most productive dude in the world. He seems to direct a couple of movies a year. Every year, he releases a list of all the movies, TV, and books he consumed, which is always massive. Apparently, he also has time to chip in on other people’s films. Soderbergh was a second-unit director on The Hunger Games. Yes, really. He shot most of the District 11 riot.
They looked to the past for the look of the movie
For the production design of the film, Ross and his crew turned to the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Also, Tienanmen Square and Red Square. Meanwhile, on the costuming front, designer Judianna Makovsky was inspired by the coal mining communities of the 1950s.
The movie succeeded at the box office
The Hunger Games set a new record for a midnight showing for a non-sequel, which is admittedly a lot of qualifiers. It started the movie toward a big splash at the box office. The movie made $408 million domestically and $694.4 million worldwide. From a budget of $78 million, it was a huge hit.
One notable director has talked trash about it
There were controversies related to the release of The Hunger Games. Some of it was about violence. Some of it was fans thinking Lawrence wasn’t thin enough to play Katniss (which led to a backlash, which we can only assume led to backlash to the backlash, and oh god, we’re feeling tired already). Some noted the film’s similarity to the Japanese movie Battle Royale. You will never believe this, but one of those people is Quentin Tarantino. While on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2022, Tarantino accused The Hunger Games of “ripping off” the movie Battle Royale.
The movie was popular with certain award shows
The Oscars had no time for The Hunger Games. But man, teenagers dug it. We assume teens played a vital role in the movie, winning four MTV Movie Awards, including acting awards for Lawrence and Hutcherson. It also went eight-for-nine at the Teen Movie Awards (only Elizabeth Banks got nominated but didn’t win). It was not necessarily only teenagers digging The Hunger Games. It also won six People’s Choice Awards, including Favorite Movie.
It also won a Grammy
The soundtrack for The Hunger Games has some notable names on it. It has an original song from Taylor Swift and a duo called The Civil Wars we assume would have changed their name if they had not broken up in 2014. That song, Safe & Sound, proved successful and won itself a Grammy Award.
There were three sequels
The Hunger Games indeed spawned a franchise that managed to hold onto Lawrence as she headed into superstardom. Ross didn’t stick around for the first sequel, Catching Fire, replaced by Francis Lawrence, whom we noted was in the mix for this movie. Then, Deathly Hallows style, the third and final book in the trilogy Mockingjay was split into two films. Since then, a prequel book called The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has been written, and a movie adaptation is in the works.
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