I think I just soiled myself. It's not often for me that a film adaptation ever fully recreates the image I've constructed in my head from the book. The Hunger Games might be the first time in a long time I can say that it has, with Gary Ross' interpretation of Suzanne Collins' violent novel looking precisely as I imagined, from the homeliness of District 12 to the grand metropolis that is the Capitol.
For surely Lionsgate knew that they couldn't afford to screw up here. The Hunger Games' fanbase is nearly as rabid as those of the Twilight freaks, and the love triangle between Katniss Everdeen(Jennifer Lawrence), Peeta Mellark(Josh Hutcherson), and Gale Hawthorne(Liam Hemsworth) inspiring a "Team Jacob/Team Edward" style ferocity. If the studio truly wants this to be their go-to franchise for the next few years, then I think this trailer is the perfect first step to accomplishing just that.
For those unaware, The Hunger Games takes place in a future version of North America, where 12 regions or "districts" are ruled over by the Capital. Each district is specializes in one primary industry, and with the exception of a chosen few, they are all terribly poor. Each year, the districts are forced to offer up a boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games competition, in which each "tribute" must fight and kill until only one remains. I won't go into the reasons why this is done since it plays into the deep, rich backstory that shouldn't be spoiled. Katniss Everdeen is a smart, capable young woman in District 12. A skilled hunter and archer, who volunteers for the competition when her younger sister, Prim, is selected. Along with the male tribute, Peeta Mellark, a boy she's shared an interesting history with, she must fight and survive for any chance to see her family again.
Check out the trailer for The Hunger Games below...
Oh yeah, March 23rd can't get here soon enough. If successful, which I still have my doubts about, the second installment of the planned trilogy has already been set for November 22nd 2013.
