The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Succeeds Greatly

Directed by by Francis Lawrence, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn, and based upon the novel “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is one of the most successful film franchises of all time. Produced by Nina Jacobson, and Jon Kilik, with Executive Producers Suzanne Collins, Louise Rosner-Meyer, Joe Drake, and Allison Shearmur, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the sequel to the massive first installment in the four part franchise.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuted world wide on November 22nd, 2013, simultaneously in more than 50 unique territories around the world, including over 3,000 screens in China. It is based upon the book trilogy which has sold over 65 million copies in the United States alone.

The first installment of “The Hunger Games” was the 14th highest-grossing North American release of all time on its way to grossing nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office. The Company is currently in production on the third and fourth Hunger Games films, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay I and II.

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The cast and the character they play include: Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy), Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket), Lenny Kravitz (Cinna), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee), Jeffrey Wright (Beetee), Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair), Jena Malone (Johanna Mason), with Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman), and Donald Sutherland (President Snow), among others.

The Story

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends behind, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way, Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

An extraordinary talent, with a striking presence, beauty, and charm, Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) has established herself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and talented young actresses. Jennifer Lawrence recently also starred in “The Silver Linings Playbook,” alongside Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. She was formerly seen in the motion picture “Like Crazy” opposite Felicity Jones. The film won the Grand Jury prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. She has also starred in “House at the End of the Street” opposite Elisabeth Shue. Earlier, Jennifer was seen in “X-Men: First Class” as Mystique, starring opposite Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. She also starred alongside Mel Gibson in “The Beaver,” directed by Jodie Foster.

Prior to this, Jennifer Lawrence’s dynamic performance in “Winter’s Bone” garnered her a 2011 Oscar nomination for Best Actress in addition to nominations from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Independent Spirit Awards and Critic’s Choice Awards. Additionally, she was honored with the Breakthrough Actress award by the National Board of Review, the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival, and the New Hollywood Award at the 2010 Hollywood Film Awards. The critically acclaimed film, directed by Debra Granik, also received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor in addition to winning the 2010 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Other film credits for Jennifer include a lead role in Guillermo Arriaga’s directorial debut “The Burning Plain,” opposite Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. The film premiered at the 65th Venice Film Festival where Jennifer won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor. She also starred in Lori Petty’s “Poker House” opposite Selma Blair and Bokeem Woodbine, for which she was awarded the prize of Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival. For television, Jennifer Lawrence co-starred on three seasons of the TBS series “The Bill Engvall Show.”

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, with a childhood of local theatre experience to her credit, Jennifer Lawrence traveled to New York at the age of fourteen to explore a professional career in acting. She quickly caught the attention of casting directors and started acting in film and television during the summer of 2005. With her massive, world wide success from The Hunger Games, her life has gone from small town girl from the Midwest, to international star.

The Music

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack includes one of the more diverse collections of artists assembled in decades, mixing established musical icons including seven-time Grammy-winning band Coldplay, one of the most original, talented, and influential rock artists of all time; Patti Smith, and Grammy Award-winning Christina Aguilera, along with some of the biggest chart-topping talent in the music business, including Imagine Dragons. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack has already seen its first release, Coldplay’s “Atlas,” debut at #1 on the iTunes Overall Top Songs chart.

The first Hunger Games partnership between Republic Records and Lionsgate yielded the Grammy Award-winning, chart-dominating The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond executive produced by T Bone Burnett. The album hit #1 on the charts with its release, with sales over 175,000, making it the first soundtrack to top the chart since November 2009. It was the best-selling soundtrack of 2012, the fastest selling soundtrack ever at iTunes, and was certified gold by the RIAA shortly after its release. The album earned a Golden Globe Award nomination and three Grammy Award nominations, and its first single, Taylor Swift’s “Safe & Sound” featuring The Civil Wars, won the 2013 Grammy Award for “Best Song Written for Visual Media.”