Jennifer Lawrence Proud of "The Hunger Games"

In a recent article published at USA Today, Jennifer Lawrence talked about The Hunger Games and her ambition of becoming a producer someday.

On The Hunger Games:

"It's so huge. It's why I almost didn't take the movie. It's a character that can very easily overpower the rest of my characters. I don't want to do something that's kind of similar. I haven't really done that many movies," she says. 

"It's such an awesome things to be part of something that speaks to so many young kids about something that actually matters, about what one young person can actually do. I feel like I'm part of an important message and that feels good. It feels nice."

Jennifer Lawrence

On Producing Movies in the future:

"I want to have a production company. Sometimes I read a script and wonder, how is this not being made? And I drive past the billboards and the movies that are being made – it's just so infuriating. I want to change that, hopefully. I've always wanted to direct," she says. "I'm decisive but I'm also insecure. That would make me a great director. (I'd say), 'This is definitely what I want. But wait. Is this what I want?'" 

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Dayo Okeniyi Revealed the District 11 Reaping Scene

Fearnet has an exclusive interview with Dayo Okeniyi (Thresh) wherein the actor talked about the Reaping scene in District 11 that was not included on the final version of "The Hunger Games."  Find out more by reading the excerpt below.

Gary shot a pretty lean movie but did you have any scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut?

    All the scenes I shot made it into the movie except we actually shot a Reaping scene for District 11 which was really cool. We had a guest director, Steven Soderbergh, who came in and oversaw that. It was cool to get a chance to work with him because he’s a director I’ve admired for years. It was a cool scene because it was all of District 11 and we had our mentor come out and reap us. It was a very sad scene. And the extras were incredible, the unsung heroes of movies because they create an environment for you. I’d look into the eyes of these people who were supposed to be your best friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and they would feed you that feeling of loss when you get reaped. Hopefully, if they do a 20th anniversary edition of The Hunger Games they can include that in the DVD someday.


Were you hyper prepared for the [audition] read?

    It was super secretive. I couldn’t tell anybody about, not even my parents. I went in and read and it was just one page. I tell you, my roommate and I went to the same college together and is also an actor so he was the only person I told and we must have read that one page 50 to 100 times. It was like five lines but I practiced it in every possible way. So I felt very confident going into the audition. Also my managers sent me in because they know Debra Zane very well and they just wanted to see how I did in the room. But it led to me getting the role and I’m very aware that it doesn’t happen for people like that. I kind of have survivor’s guilt. [Laugh]
 

The film doesn’t glamorize the violence which makes it more horrific to watch the death scenes. What was Gary’s mandate about the combat scenes?

    In the scene between Thresh and Clove (Isabelle Fuhrman), it’s a very quick scene. It’s not very choreographed because Gary wanted it to look dirty. He didn’t want it to look like a Japanese movie where the fighting is like a dance. He wanted it to look rough and you feel like the characters in those scenes are reacting from passion rather than calculating assassins. We were tied in very well to these character’s heads and I think it translated well.

 When you watched the final film, what scene really got to you?

    Honestly, with a character like [District 2 Career] Cato (Alexander Ludwig) it’s scary easy to make that character a cookie-cutter, bad guy archetype. The scene at the end where he says, “I’m already finished anyway,” to humanize that character to me was gold. A villain isn’t really a villain until you see some bit of humanity in him. You can look at a demon or something that is pure evil and watch them commit atrocities and you don’t feel anything because it’s not human. But to see a human being do things like that hits close to home. Seeing Cato humanized like that, it really makes you feel like if I grew up like that, would I be like that? When I saw that it made me think back on everything Cato had done leading up to that moment. Even though he’s got a twisted, psychotic purpose, it is a purpose and you somewhat empathize with him. That was amazing filmmaking to me and moments like that gave me chills.

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Willow Shields Talks About Prim, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire with SheKnows

SheKnows has recently interviewed Willow Shields, the actress from New Mexico who plays Prim in The Hunger Games, about her role and fashion. Here's an excerpt from the interview.

SheKnows: The Hunger Games has turned into such a huge phenomenon! Were you a fan of the series before you auditioned for the role or Primrose Everdeen?

Willow Shields: I was actually just starting the books when I got the role. I was in the middle of reading the first book when I got the audition, so I was becoming a big fan and I was really excited about getting an audition for a role that I'd read about in a book!

SheKnows: This was such an amazing breakout role for you. Looking back on the experience, what was your favorite part of working on The Hunger Games?

Shields: My favorite memory was probably just hanging out with Jennifer [Lawrence] and acting with her because one minute we were really serious and crying in one scene and then the next minute we'd be laughing and playing jokes on each other.

SheKnows: That sounds so fun! So would you say Jennifer was like a big sister for you on set?

Shields: Definitely. She's so nice and such an incredible actress and we really bonded on set, so we definitely basically became sisters on set.

SheKnows: The Hunger Games on DVD comes out this weekend, and we're super excited! Can you tell us what's next for your character in the next movie, Catching Fire? [SPOILER ALERT!]


Shields: Prim kind of starts to grow up in Catching Fire and she has a little bit of a bigger role. Prim is just devastated when she finds out that Katniss has to go back into the Games so I think it's a really interesting time for Prim... I think it's going to be interesting to have to play a role like that.

SheKnows: Who was your most fashionable cast mate for The Hunger Games?

Shields: I thought Amandla [Stenberg] had awesome style, especially for her age -- I think she was only 12 when she started shooting. I remember every day I'd see her she'd have a different hat on and these cute outfits.

For the full interview, click here.

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The Hunger Games' Flavius Interviewed by The Hob

Our friends at thehob.org were able to conduct an interview with Nelson Ascencio, the actor who played Flavius  in "The Hunger Games." By the way, Flavius was part of the Katniss' prep team, of course, they are being led by Cinna. Here's a round down of the topics in the interview:

• 0:00 – What attracted Nelson to the role, the secrecy around casting, his audition
• 1:57 – Memorable moments on set, behind-the-scenes details of the Tribute parade, the amazing cast
• 3:23 – The hair and makeup process, changes from the book description
• 5:10 – Filming a scene vs. the final cut
• 5:30 – How the franchise has impacted his personal life / career

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Woody Harrelson Talks about Haymith and the Hunger Games

Woody Harrelson, who plays Katniss and Peeta's mentor in the Hunger Games, talked about his role and filming the movie when promoting Bullet For Adol, in which he was the playwright and the director. 

Source: Broadway

Congratulations on your off-Broadway debut as a playwright and director! How does it feel?

It feels really exciting! To present Bullet For Adolf to New York City has long been a dream of Frankie Hyman and mine. To finally be here, oh my God, it’s equal parts excitement and terror.

Bullet For Adolf is based on the summer you met Frankie Hyman. That title begs to be talked about.

It’s hard to tell you too much. Bullet involves the theft of a World War II artifact, and it was based on a real story. In some ways it’s a whodunit. All of the relationships are as they were. There’s a lot in it that is autobiographical, but we didn’t really have a plot. We had to overlay a fictional plot onto this play. People seem to require it [laughs].

One of the most talked about franchises right now has to be The Hunger Games. Tell us about playing Haymitch Abernathy.

That was a pretty cool experience. [Director] Francis Lawrence, who is doing [the second film] Catching Fire, was over at the apartment and I told him this true story: You can’t imagine being the idiot that turned down The Hunger Games, but I actually did. I turned it down. I don’t know why. Maybe I didn’t feel like there was enough to do in the role. Luckily [director] Gary Ross came back to me. In the meantime I had read all the books and I was like, “Oh my god. This is great!” I felt kind of bad for passing it up. He said, “You gotta do it! I don’t have a second choice.” And I said, “Well, in that case, let’s do it.” What a fool I would have been if I passed it up.

How does it feel to have fans that range from Cheers to The Hunger Games?

It’s kind of that surreal. I guess you can call [fans] “friendly strangers.” It’s like being a hot girl: A lot of people come up and want to talk to you. You don’t really know them, but it’s cool because I like people. It’s been an incredible journey. I feel very lucky that people want shake my hand.

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Willow Shields Excited to Grow Up With Prim in The Hunger Games Movies (VIDEO)

Willow Shields, the lucky girl who plays Katniss' younger sister Prim in the Hunger Games movie series, has chatted with MTV during the 2012 Comic Con International in San Diego, CA. In the interview, she mentioned that she has no idea on the exact filming date for Catching Fire, adding that she hasn't receive any script yet. She was also able to cite a scene in Catching Fire that she is looking forward to film. She was also excited to grow up on screen as her character Prim would be. Here is MTV's interview:

Willow Shields

"We heard rumors about fall, but we're not exactly sure when," she told MTV News at San Diego Comic-Con. "It's still a secret from me too."

There isn't a script yet (at least that Shields has seen), but she said just reading the novel version of "Catching Fire" has given her a good idea of what to expect. Even though she's not sure what will or won't make the final cut, Shields knows the scene she's most excited about.

"It's a scene where Haymitch, Peeta and I are sitting around in our new house and we're stuffing our faces with candy and making fun of Katniss, and I just think it would be a really fun scene to do because we're just goofing around and having fun," Shields said. "And although Katniss gets mad at us, we're still having fun, so it would be a fun scene to shoot plus I would be able to shoot a scene with Josh and Woody Harrelson, so that would be really fun."

Shields has three more "Hunger Games" movies to look forward to, so we couldn't resist asking what she's most looking forward to in her character arc. Like Daniel Radcliffe, Kristen Stewart and many before her, Shields is just happy to grow at the same rate as her character.

"I'm excited to grow up with Prim's character, because, you know, I have basically three more movies, but I'm going to be 15 or 16 by the end, but I started off when I was 10," she said. "So it's going to be really interesting to go start to finish and just to see what a difference my acting has become, and just growing up with that character is going to be really fun."

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

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Liam Hemsworth: I Can Relate to Gale So Much (An Interview by Glamour)

Liam Hemsworth has caught up with Glamour and he talked about which team is he "Team Peeta" or "Team Gale." Here is what he has to say:

“I relate to Gale more. I feel like my decisions would’ve been similar to his decisions in those situations. I’d be trying to figure out a way to stop [the Games] or fight back.”

 Read more from his interview here. He also talked about his brother Chris Hemsworth.

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Jennifer Lawrence: Catching Fire Will Be Very Real, Francis Lawrence Will Continue What Gary Ross Has Started

LA Times has caught up with Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games." She talked about the sequel Catching Fire, which is set to be released in theaters on November 22, 2013. She also discusses about how the new director Francis Lawrence. Read more from LA Times below:

“The new movie will be very real, which is what I’m excited about,” she told 24 Frames of “Catching Fire,” which Francis Lawrence will direct. “I really like his take, which is a lot of what I liked in Gary Ross,” she added. “It’s the realistic grasp of the story instead of all the details of the imaginary things.”

Lawrence said she’s met with the director and believes that, overall, he’s trying to continue what Ross started with his adaptation of the first book in the Suzanne Collins’ series. “He’s not trying to reinvent anything,” she said.

The actress begins shooting “Catching Fire” in the fall, with the movie set for a November 2013 release.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

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Elizabeth Banks Talks About Catching Fire Casting, Being Effie, and Francis Lawrence

Moviefone recently caught up with Elizabeth Banks when she is in the middle of promoting her latest flick "People Like Us." She talked about Francis Lawrence and Gary Ross, Catching Fire Casting and being Effie. The following is an excerpt of her interview: 

There was a tizzy over who would direct the second movie of the Hunger Games trilogy, “Catching Fire.” Are you upset that Gary Ross isn’t returning as the director?

No! I mean, Gary is on to do things that he’s really interested in. I think it was a mutually agreed-upon decision by all involved, and, so, great. There are no tears for Gary.

So are you looking forward to working with Francis Lawrence?

Yes, I am. I don’t want to be flippant about what I just said about Gary. He made a great movie, he made a lot of money, he’s moving on — I think it’s fine for everybody. He’s good, and now we’ll get fresh eyes on the next one, and that’ll be really exciting. And it’s always exciting for actors to create new relationships with new directors. Gary and I made two movies together and I would do anything with him, but now I’m excited to get to know Francis.

Some major new characters are introduced in “Catching Fire”: former tributes Johanna and Finnick. Casting rumors are flying. Is there anyone in particular that you’re lobbying for?

I’m gonna trust the process, because so far the process has been amazing and I think it’s yielded an incredible cast. The movie is so well-cast, and I’ll even throw myself into that mix. There’ll be a similar process and we’re gonna get a great Finnick and a great Johanna. And a Plutarch! Don’t forget! There’s so many great characters coming up.

  

Your Effie was great. Which character was more of a challenge for you, Laura Bush in “W.” or Effie?

You know, Effie is a much darker character. Laura Bush actually was fairly easy in that she was just a great wife. There was no political context for her. The transformation was pretty easy. I actually feel like if I had that hair, I would look like her in a way. She’s a nice looking lady.
So Effie, for sure, was more difficult. Effie walks a very fine line and I wanted her to not just be comic relief, I wanted her to have a lot of weight and to sort of carry the weight of the Capitol around with her, like the oppression of the Capitol and for everyone to understand that she is a woman living in fear.

Effie was amazing. It was amazing to be embraced by so many fans, and to have Suzanne Collins tell me that she thought I did a good job. That was a big highlight for me.

Elizabeth Banks

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Josh Hutcherson: Francis Lawrence Has Smart Ideas for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Josh Hutcherson, who won the Best Male Performance at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards, has talked to E! during the red carpet. He dishes about Francis Lawrence, who was chosen to take over Gary Ross' seat for the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire (November 22, 2013). Here is Josh's statement:

"I sat down with him a couple of days ago," Hutcherson told Marc Malkin from E! at the MTV Movie Awards. "He's fantastic. He's such a smart guy. He has some great ideas for the movie.

"I just really like where his head is at," he continued. "I really like him a lot."

"We talked about character development in the stories," Hutcherson said. "As you know, the second book is more complicated than the first, so we talked about the narrative. Everything he said was super smart."

Josh Hutcherson

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The Hunger Games Adventure - Let's Meet the Developers Funtactix

Recently, Ynet News has caught up with the developers of the Hunger Games Adventures. Read on and find out more about them and the game. Enjoy.

Things are completely different for Funtactix’ new game, “The Hunger Games Adventures.” The beta version of the Facebook game – which has players survive harsh times in District 12 with help from the heroine, Katniss – drew a million active users in a month, 150,000 of whom are active daily.

The brand and the social media platform make all the difference – along with, probably, the studio’s increasing professionalism.

Other than the story by Suzanne Collins, “The Hunger Games Adventures” is a typical Facebook game – based on simple, repeated actions designed to tempt the player to spend a little money to save waiting or effort. People who don’t care for this kind of game won’t change their mind, but even they will discern that the game is polished and for a Facebook game has excellent presentation.

When the financial crisis hit, Funtactix hit re-start. Seeking a new direction, the firm contacted agents in Los Angeles and sent a representative to New York. The company was looking to cooperate with familiar entertainment brands. Step by step, the studio gained both contacts and reputation. Funtactix headed the creation of a game site for the animated film “Rango,” then a social game for “Mission Impossible,” as well as the current interactive version of the pessimistic but popular future in Panem. This cooperation lets Funtactix focus on development, resting secure that the brand and the marketing folks will take care of the other, no less critical, part.

What does the future hold for the company? First of all, there are ambitious plans for “The Hunger Games.” The game is undergoing expansion, with new stages, objects, and areas being added constantly. With Collins’ help, the game will add many other aspects of the world she created in her popular series.

Read the full article here.

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Hunger Games' Gale, Liam Hemsworth Featured in Hong Kong's Prestige Magazine (Scans)

Below are scans and transcript of Prestige's interview with Hunger Games' Liam Hemsworth (Gale). Enjoy. I don't own them. Thanks to the Hunger Games Network.

How have you been dealing with all the attention your life and everything that surrounds it has been bringing you?

I haven’t really changed that much. I still do the things that I’ve always done. It’s just that I’m at a different level now in terms of my career. I’m able to meet extremely talented filmmakers and writers and directors – everyone in the business. I’m just in a different position than I’ve ever been in. But, you know, my personal life hasn’t changed. I still go surfing and hang out with friends. I just feel very lucky to be where I am and to be able to make movies.

There has been an enormous buzz around the world following The Hunger Games. What’s it like being caught up in it all?

Pretty much the whole of March I’ve been travelling, doing press everywhere. It’s been awesome. I’ve never promoted something as big as this. So it’s been pretty cool. As an actor I always look for things I relate to in one way or another, or things that are different. And this is definitely all that and has a huge fan base behind it already. I’ve never been a part of something like that before so it has been interesting.

What attracted you to the production and to the role?

It’s been different to any kind of movie that I’ve done before. I think it has given me a chance to show something different as an actor and be seen in a different light.

You grew up on Phillip Island, a pretty quiet, rural part of Australia. How much did that experience help shape the man you are today?

My dad and all my brothers have always surfed, so honestly it was the best way to grow up. We’d surf before school, after school…and I love small communities like that where you sort of know everyone. It was great place to grow up as a kid.

So how did the acting bug bite?

My brother Luke got into it first. As a kid I always loved movies; I would sit down and watch movies all day long. But it wasn’t like I dreamt of being an actor or anything. It wasn’t until I was about 17 and I watched my brothers do TV shows in Australia that I wanted to pursue it seriously, and I started doing classes outside of school. I got an agent and started auditioning as much as I could. That was in my last year of school.

Can you talk a little about what made you decide that acting was the only path you would take?

I left to shoot something for a few weeks and when I returned to school my head just wasn’t there any more. So I left school completely about three-quarters of the way through my last year and I just started laying floors with my eldest brother Luke. I was just auditioning as much as I could and laying floors as well.

………………..

Both your elder bothers – Luke and Chris – were acting as you grew up. How much of an impact did that have on you?

Well I wouldn’t be doing this job if they hadn’t gotten into it. Always, as the youngest brother, I wanted to do what they were doing, and emulate some of what they were doing. My brothers have been the biggest influence in my life and are my biggest role models. They’ve taught me a lot of what I know. Before I started doing acting classes I used to run scenes with Chris or Luke and they would kind of give me acting classes, so that’s where it all sort of began.

In 2009 – when you were 19 – you upped and left for Los Angeles. Had you been out of Australia before?

I’d been to Bali before – it was my only overseas trip – on a surf trip with my brothers. But I think I’d always wanted to go to LA simply because this is where all the biggest movies are made, it’s where all the big producers are. I think any actor wants to go there at some point. So I just started sending tapes of me over from Australia.

And you were originally going to play a part in Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables. What happened there?

I sent a tape, and Stallone called me a week later and asked me to come over. I was about to fly and they rewrote the script and it ended up not happening. Then I got flown over to do a screen test for Thor, which obviously my brother ended up getting. That was what got me over to the States and got me attention, because also people here had heard what had happened with The Expendables. Then I got a part in a film called The Last Song and that allowed me to stay here and keep working.

How did you find the change? Was it a culture shock?

At first it was pretty different. I was a bit lost, but then I got into working and was extremely happy to just be here. But at first it was weird to have made a huge jump and not have family around me at the time. I was 19, so it was certainly a big step, but I’m very happy that I did it.

Has acting always come easy or do you have to work hard at it?

When I’m on set I have always felt comfortable, I’ve never really been nervous on set. I have a nervous energy, an excited energy. I love acting, I love making movies and being a part of the whole process of making movies. I’m able to meet directors that I’m a fan of and try and get projects going with them. I’m in a better position now than I’ve ever been in and I can just try to find stuff that I care about.

And you finally got a chance to pick up the role from Stallone in The Expendables 2?

Yeah, I shot that last year and got to work with Stallone and Jason Statham, I mean, the biggest action stars there are in the world. Guys I had grown up watching. That was pretty incredible, and really humbling – to be on set with them every day and see how professional they still are, how cool and excited they are to turn up to work after doing it for so long. They’re still happy and not jaded in any way. They were just great guys to work with.

………………..

Australian actors have had a long association with Hollywood – and with success. Were any of them role models too?

Heath Ledger was one I was always a big fan of. He was kind of the closest to my age and was just an incredible actor. And obviously guys like Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman – there are just so many talented Australian actors over here. But I think Heath Ledger was my favourite out of all of those and just simply an inspiration.

………………..And what do you have coming up?

A film called Empire State with a director called Dito Montiel. He directed a film called A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints in 2006. It’s been one of my favourite movies ever since I saw it and I was fortunate enough to meet the director last year. It’s awesome to be able to meet someone who I’m such a big fan of and then get to work with him. We start work on that soon and I’m still pinching myself. It’s just amazing that I’m about to shoot with this guy on a project that I’m extremely passionate about as well. It’s based on a true story about this guy who becomes an armoured [truck] guard, and he and his buddy got away with millions of dollars. They went to jail for it, but apparently he hid the money. It’s just a great story.

And before that – more downtime?

I’ll be playing Call of Duty on Xbox – I’m blistered on my thumbs from playing too much. If I’m in relax mode I play Xbox, I go surfing. If I’m in work mode I have meetings most days and am pretty active. I’ve been boxing for quite a while. So I try to do that most days, or go for a run. I’m pretty active so I like to keep moving. So if it’s not hard-out relaxing, I am moving.

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VIDEO: Josh Hutcherson Says The Hunger Games Hasn’t Changed His Life

 Check out the video above of Josh speaking with LA Times reporter Amy Kaufman at CinemaCon 2012.

You would think being in a film that has grossed over $600 million in ticket sales WORLDWIDE would change a person. But Josh Hutcherson says the fame from the first Hunger Games film hasn’t affected his personal life.

“Everyone was telling me that my whole world was going to change and I couldn’t go anywhere or it’d be too crazy.”

How does Hutcherson handle the spotlight and being followed by the paparazzi?

“I think sometimes when people get in the spotlight, they feel like they have to act and behave a certain way to live up to what people expect of them,” he said. “For me, I’m just going to be myself and live my life the way I’m going to. I’m not going to let paparazzi determine the way I live.”

With Catching Fire starting to film this August Hutcherson has yet to speak with Francis Lawrence, who is taking the place of director from Gary Ross.

“I have heard from literally everyone that he’s the nicest man alive, so I’m really excited to work with him,” Hutcherson said, adding that he’s a big fan of Lawrence’s “I Am Legend” but has yet to watch the filmmaker’s most recent movie, “Water for Elephants.”

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Videos - Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson on Director Francis Lawrence for Catching Fire and the Success of the Hunger Games in the Box Office

Here are several videos of Josh Hutcherson from different sources. I don't own any of them. Enjoy.

Josh Hutcherson talks with Access’ Billy Bush about feeling a sense of job security knowing there will be two more movies made for “The Hunger Games” series. Also, he tells Billy how accepting the fans have been of him playing the role of Peeta. Plus, he chats about his newly adopted puppy.

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Hunger Games Cast - On Set Interview (Videos)

Below are several on-set video interviews of Hunger Games cast. Enjoy.

Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen)



Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark)



Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne)



Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket)



Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy)



Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane)



Donald Sutherland (President Corolianus Snow)



Lenny Kravitz (Cinna)



Amandla Stenberg (Rue)



Alexander Ludwig (Cato)



Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove)

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Hunger Games' Leven Rambin Talks to LA Times on Her Physical Training for her Role as Glimmer

An article from LA Times.

Leven Rambin as Glimmer

In "The Hunger Games,"actress Leven Rambin plays a teenage girl who has trained since childhood to fight to the death in a post-apocalyptic arena. To embody the role, Rambin, 21, had to look the part of the young warrior and also be able to wield weapons convincingly — her character, Glimmer, is versed in sword fighting and archery.

Rambin talked with us about going beyond her physical comfort zone to prepare for the part, learning to fight in the wilderness and discovering what she's really capable of.

You had to get in excellent physical shape for "The Hunger Games." How long did you train, and what did you do?

I had about two months to prepare for the fight sequences and physically train. I did lots of spinning, probably an hour and a half a day. I also did boot-camp-style exercises — rolling kettle bells and balls that weighed 30 pounds across the room, using ropes, and rolling tires around, military style.

Every other day, on the days that we weren't training, I would go hiking or running around Los Angeles, by myself or with my friends. I also did some sprinting — I was pushing myself. Dieting was also a big part of it, so no dairy and no carbohydrates whatsoever.

How did you learn the specific fighting skills, like sword fighting and archery?

I trained different muscles of my body, like my shoulder muscles and back muscles, for long periods of time. I had to thrash the weapons around like I knew what I was doing, and it was pretty difficult to get my muscles to memorize and acclimate to the different maneuvers. It hurt in places I never knew I had.

I trained in fight choreography and on camera with swords and weapons for about two hours a day, tossing them around like I was a skilled fighter. I was doing that whenever I was not doing the other training, whenever I could.

At the end, did you feel like you knew what you were doing?

I did, actually. The trainers were very thorough, and I'm pretty athletic. I enjoyed archery especially.

Before filming, you worked out in a studio in Los Angeles, but you shot the movie in the wilderness of North Carolina. Was it harder to do some of the moves outside?

It was different to be on grass and not to be comforted by padding. During filming, we also didn't have padding under our outfits, which were pretty flimsy, so it was a little bit difficult getting used to that. It was also really hot out there, and it would rain and stuff, so we had to deal with the elements. But it was more natural and organic.

What was your pre-"Hunger Games" fitness routine like, and do you think you'll incorporate your new training techniques into it?

I was sort of just a casual exerciser. I would exercise all the time, but I would never push myself outside of my comfort zone. This showed me how far my body could go if I was willing to push it.

I also definitely learned what works for me, what results I can see and what I like to do, so now that I'm doing another film I want to get back into that shape. I've already gotten back into the mind set of, "It's not the question of whether I'm going to work out, but how long I'm going to work out today." It's about disciplining myself and remembering how much I can handle, and not giving up.

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Hunger Games' Jennifer Lawrence Talks To Cinemania

A video interview by Cinemania with Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss of the Hunger Games movie. She talks about her part character’s affinity towards squirrels, her love of the audience’s response to The Hunger Games, the merchandise coming out as a result of the film – like Katniss toilet paper – and more! Enjoy.

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Hunger Games Movie's Avox Girl Amber Chaney Talks About Her Role

Here is an excerpt from an interview from Creative Spotlight with Amber Chaney, the actress who played the Avox girl (Lavinia) in the Hunger Games movie. Avoxes cannot speak because their tongues were cut for their offenses against the Capitol. They also served as "slaves" for Capitol citizens. In the movie, they are wearing a red outfit. Anyway, here is the excerpt for the interview:

The Hunger Games is one of the most hyped up and anticipated films of the season. What did it feel like when you found out you were officially cast as Lavinia in the film?

I found out I had been cast while I was in my dressing room getting ready to go onstage for a play.  It was a theatre in Marietta called Theatre in the Square, that has now since closed, and I felt it was a huge accomplishment for me to break into that caliber of theatre in Atlanta.  Getting a show at Theatre in the Square was a rite of passage.  I cannot even begin to tell you the excitement that rushed through me when my agent told me I booked Hunger Games.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was like the acting gods were just shining a light on me and holding it there.  It was mixed, though.  The project was top secret, so I was jumping up and down at my dressing table, but had to keep it to myself.  That’s tough!  You want to scream. “I’m gonna be in the HUNGER GAMES!”, but then you would get sued… so you don’t.
 

Your character doesn’t actually speak! What was it like to try to convey emotion and connect with the audience without being able to speak? Did you find this challenging? How did you prepare yourself for this role? Did you actually read the books?

 I read the entire series three times.  I read it once just to read it.  I read it again and took TONS of notes, made a diagram of each of the tributes, their districts and what each district represented, mapped out how I thought Panem was shaped and where the districts were, a route that Lavinia and her son (I decided the boy was her son—it raises the stakes) took, decided what horribleness she was trying to flee from—what secrets there could have been (and I think it has something to do with the boy she is running with), and mostly where she finds her courage to flee.  You see, we never got to see a script before filming.  There was no telling what was going to be included or not, so I just prepared for anything.  I read it a third time to catch mistakes in my notes, and any nuances I could pick up on.  I wanted to be a Hunger Games nerd.  I was so nervous; I didn’t want anyone to be able to throw something at me that would stump me.  When you prepare like that, it’s easy to convey what you need to whether it’s verbal or non.

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Hunger Games Alexander Ludwig on Cato

From North Shore Outlook:

Alexander Ludwig as Cato

As Alexander Ludwig fields questions from local media outlets in a downtown Vancouver hotel, The Hunger Games’ colossal $155-million opening weekend is still two days in the future. However, no one would be foolish enough to call this the calm before the storm.

The previous day, hordes of teenaged fans queued for upwards of 12 hours to score his autograph at a Chapters bookstore. Earlier this morning, he needed to evade another throng of girls who’d staked out his appearance at a local radio station. “I wouldn’t wait five minutes for me,” marvels the 19-year-old West Vancouver native. “I don’t really understand what’s happening.”

What’s happened, of course, is that Ludwig has scored a coveted role in the highly-anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ popular young adult novel. In a dystopian future, a totalitarian regime has established a televised bloodsport/show-of-power in which 24 teenagers enter and only one survives. (With the contestants required to curry favour with the audience by establishing backstories and subplots for themselves, the parallels to reality television are easily spotted.)

At the centre of the tale is good-hearted Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who must survive more merciless competitors like Ludwig’s Cato.

Having previously enjoyed prominent roles in lower profile movies like The Seeker and Race to Witch Mountain, The Hunger Games presented Ludwig a new challenge: breathing life into a major character who isn’t blessed with a wealth of dialogue.

“A lot of it was creating backstory. Suzanne, (director) Gary Ross and I sat down and talked about the character. Luckily, Suzanne is such a great writer that part of it was already mapped out for me in the novel,” he recalls of the process.

“The interesting part was trying to justify what Cato was doing. As an actor, if you’re playing someone like that, you have to fully believe that everything that character is doing is for the right reasons. And you have to come up with reasons why that is okay. It was a very dark and intense but fulfilling experience as an actor.

“The reason I took the role was because of one scene near the end of the movie. You really see, just for a second, a glimpse of humanity in Cato,” he continues. “At that very last second, people kind of sympathize with him. Even though what he’s doing is horrible and unforgivable, you kind of see where he’s coming from.”

A graduate of Collingwood School, Ludwig is now a theatre major at the University of Southern California.

As he tells it, his time on set only furthered his education. “One of my favourite scenes was getting to work opposite Stanley Tucci [who plays flamboyant media darling Caesar Flickerman],” shares Ludwig. “I learned so much from him just in the five minutes that we talked. When we first met, I was already taking down mental notes. ‘Remember everything Tucci says.’”

While Ludwig admits that he was occasionally starstruck in the presence of Tucci and Lenny Kravitz, he and younger co-stars such as Josh Hutcherson established some immediate rivalries. “We were all duking it out right from the time we got to training. It was all in good fun but I’m a very competitive person at heart. That’s one thing I did relate to in my character.”

Showing that he knows his way around a metaphor, he surmises, “I like to think of my career as the arena that Cato’s in. I have to duke it out with everyone else and hopefully come out on top.”

He laughs before adding, “And hopefully not die.”

newsroom@northshoreoutlook.com

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NYU Sophomore Jack Quaid Makes His Big-Screen Debut in The Hunger Games As Marvel

From NYU Local:

With The Hunger Games becoming increasingly popular, we sought out to interview Jack Quaid, and NYU Sophomore who plays the role of Marvel in the popular film. It’s worth noting that Jack is the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. And although he may have two famous parents, Quaid has recently made a name all for himself in the industry after making his big-screen debut in the first movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ popular book series.

Jack Quaid (Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid's son)

Quaid is currently a sophomore at NYU studying in the Experimental Theatre Wing at the Tisch School of the Arts. Additionally, he is a member of NYU’s Hammerkatz, a sketch comedy group. He sat down with NYU Local for a chat about his new found fame.

How does it feel to be on the big screen?

It’s a little weird. Seeing myself on the big screen for the first time is like…I don’t know. I found myself…It was very hard to actually pay attention to the story because I was just kind of looking at the aesthetics of myself rather than my performance. I was like, “Ah, how do I look in this shot?” And as the movie went on, I was like, “Okay, now it’s time for the story; I can actually enjoy this.” But like seeing yourself at least for the first shot, you’re just worried about how you appear to the outside world, just because I knew this movie would be seen by everybody. It was a lot of pressure.

Do you think you’d survive the Hunger Games?
Hell no! I would probably just find the nearest hole to lie in and just wait it out if I could…just wait for everyone else to die.

Which co-star did you connect to the most?

Kind of everybody really, because it was kind of like summer camp. Everyone was around the same age and only me and two other people were a little bit older, but everyone was kind of around the same age. It was just fun. We hung out all the time. We went to town. We were all on the same diet because we all had to bulk up for the movie one way for another, so we just ate at the same restaurants. And I grew close to pretty much everybody.

the Career Tributes (from L-R) Clove, Cato, Marvel, Glimmer

Have you been noticed more in public now that you’ve been in a movie?

No, except for this one time when…I don’t know what random turn of events led to this but…I was walking through Union Square and there happened to be a book signing for the three leads of the movie. They were at Barnes and Noble and I walked by this line of people that was going down the block and I was like, “What is this?” And they all started to recognize me.

And then you ran away?

No, I actually stayed. I signed some stuff and took a few photos and then I was like, “I’ve got to go take a test.” And I left, but that’s been like the only time and that’s fine. I’m fine with not being recognized. It’s actually better if I’m not.

Having been in Neon Albatross and NYU’s Hammerkatz, do you feel sketch comedy has helped you become a better actor?

Definitely, especially because it allows you to create your own work. That way, you feel more connected to and have more respect for texts and what you’re reading when you know what it’s like from the other side.

How would you describe your sense of humor?

I really like just random things. Whenever something happens and I really don’t expect it, that’s what I laugh the hardest at. Futurama gets me in that way unlike any other show.

In an interview, Isabelle said that you can do the full “Single Ladies” dance. I also heard that you can do the stanky leg from your Tumblr fans. You also showed off your dancing skills in Sitting Babies. Would you consider yourself a good dancer?

I would consider myself…oh God. Okay, if I went to a dance class, everyone would look at me like, “What?” I just wouldn’t fit in. The only time I’m a good dancer if I’m just hanging out with friends, there’s good music playing, and just fooling around. No, I’m not a good dancer; I just look funny when I’m doing it. I think I’m only a good dancer if it pertains to humor.

What do you think of your fans’ posts on Tumblr?

I think it’s actually hilarious. A few things have been pointed out to me from Tumblr. There was a girl who…Do you know Flat Stanley?

Yes!

There’s a girl who essentially Flat Stanley-ed me. It’s like a cut-out of me and she just brings it along places and takes pictures like, “This is Jack going to the supermarket!” and, “This is Jack driving on the freeway!” That was probably the funniest one. I pretty much showed them to my friends and it’s a good laugh. It’s also just good to know that people are responding to me. People know that I’m out there and somewhat enjoy me enough to put me in a block of cheese. It’s an honor more than anything.

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