Twitter Viewing Parties!

These next Fridays before Mockingjay Part 2 comes out, catch up on the first 3 movies to make sure you don't miss anything come November 20! Join the @The HungerGames Twitter viewing party and live-tweet while you watch the movie for the chance to win 1 of 451 prices including EXCLUSIVE Mockingjay Pins and Mockingjay Tickets from Fandango! Tweet with the movie hashtag while you watch with the rest of the world (times and #s on the picture above!)

The Mockingjay App Relaunch/Update

Lionsgate has relaunched The Mockingjay App (Powered by Samsung). Download the app if you don't have it (Apple or Google Play) or update your existing app to get new features!

CAPITOL CAMOUFLAGE - Use face recognition technology to snap a selfie with the red Mockingjay face paint. There are also dozens of pre-set makeup effects inspired by Effie Trinket and her Capitol looks, so fans can mimic the extravagant fashions from the films. There are more than 100 billion(!) possible makeup combinations.

 Check out some examples from our team:

GRAFFITI MARKS - Post AR graffiti anywhere in the real world, featuring new designs and taglines like the 3-finger salute, Katniss on the throne, the Revolution.pn logo and more. Graffiti can be easily shared and geo-tagged on a world map so other fans can find your mark.

Of course many of the original app's features are still available too like the augmented reality 3D hovercraft (as featured in our post here).

Let us know what you think of the app!

2 New Mockingjay Part 2 TV Spots!

We have a month to go until the movie comes out, so these TV spots are probably the start of a whole bunch of Mockingjay things! Are you ready?

FINAL BATTLE

HER STORY

Mockingjay Part 2 Countdown: The Girl in the Lemon Coat (Chapter 24)

Click for Full Size

Chapter 24

*Spoilers! Well, I don't say it outright but just to be safe...

If there is any chapter that defines what this series is truly about, it is Chapter 24 of Mockingjay. In it you will find some of the most gruesome and horrifying scenes ever to grace the pages of a young adult series. When I started getting into The Hunger Games, I read somewhere that Suzanne Collins doesn't write kids books, she writes about war for kids. War and PTSD was something she dealt with as a child, and wanted to give kids an idea of what war is truly like especially for those in need of understanding it. Not just the horrible unimaginable stuff, but aftermath, closure, PTSD, grief, guilt, and frankly, reality. This is what these books are about, and it is this chapter that fully encompasses what a battlefield is truly like.

Before shots are fired, Katniss and Gale are disguised and walking with displaced refugees towards Snow's mansion. Funny how five years after Mockingjay was published the current relevancy of this scene. Katniss then slows down because she catches the eye of a little girl in a lemon coat. This little girl repeatedly sticks in Katniss' mind, which is something I too always remember most about this scene. I've always thought the girl in the lemon coat was a nod to the little red coat girl in Schindler's List. Seemed oddly appropriate given the themes of war and oppression in The Hunger Games. It's this reference (which I'm not even sure was done on purpose) that inspired my above graphite drawing. The lemon coat girl is an omen for Katniss. She is scared that this little girl knows who she is and their cover will be blown. Actually, it is this precise moment that the rebels break through and cause the gun fire and panic. They're not shooting people on purpose, they are aiming for the peacekeepers. But the casualties are tremendous. The battlefield has begun and the innocent civilians are caught in the middle. The lemon coat girl bends over her companion who has been shot. As Katniss sees this, the girl is gunned down and the image of her little lemon coat covered in her own blood is a horrifying image that Katniss has trouble shaking repeatedly. The constant implication that the rebels are not the good guys, that this little girl probably reminds her of Prim, and the societal truth that Panem is covered in the blood of its children are all things that run through Katniss' mind in this moment. Unfortunately, it's just the beginning.

After the gunfire, three pods go off in succession as Katniss and Gale are traversing through the streets as fast as possible. The first is a boiling hot substance that basically liquefies everyone in its path, and the second occurs right when Katniss and Gale turn a corner, which they narrowly miss. It's a purple light that causes people's blood to explode out of their orifices. Actually, it's not too far off from chemical warfare. Lastly, right before Katniss reaches the City Circle the ground gives way. Katniss describes the smell as many corpses on a hot summer day, and anyone not smart and/or strong enough to hold onto doorknobs fall helplessly into the abyss. As Katniss finds refuge on a light post, that's when she sees the shield made of Capitol children. The hovercraft, the parachutes, the “undersized body parts”, the medics, HER, and then the snare trap. And it's over.

How will Francis Lawrence deal with all this gruesome violence and war? As accurately as a PG-13 film in 2015 will allow is my guess. Francis is a big believer in honoring the text Suzanne wrote and he understands the importance of the story of war being told. This chapter is understandably upsetting, but it is sadly the reality of war and these kinds of things have happened. The scores of rotting corpses, chemical warfare, refugees, civilian casualties, these are all real. Francis will honor the books without being too gratuitous, but I think the horror and violence portrayed will be enough to serve its purpose.

Next week..... The aftermath....

New HQ Mockingjay Part 2 stills

Thanks to QuarterQuell.org, we've got new HQ stills of the Star Squad, Katniss and Johanna, Cressida and her crew, and Finnick! Click to enlarge.

Jennifer, Josh, and Liam handprint/footprint ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre

Mockingjaysource.com has posted a press release regarding an upcoming handprint/footprint ceremony at the famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

On Sat., Oct. 31, Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth will place their handprints and footprints in cement, an honor reserved for Hollywood’s biggest luminaries.

No word on time yet, so we'll keep you posted. Soon though you can see how your own hands and feet line up with Katniss, Gale, and Peeta!

UPDATE: The imprint will start at 10AM

FYI- the imprint ceremony on 10/31 is set to start at 10am. There will be limited fan viewing areas (first come, first served). #HungerGames

— TCL Chinese Theatres (@ChineseTheatres) October 15, 2015

Hunger Games News Roundup

We've got some little bits of news here and there that we thought we'd put them all in a nice round-up post!

First off, check out this sweet new IMAX poster, debuted by Wired! Generally, IMAX posters tend to be more artistic and creatively designed and this one is no different.

Next up, another video from the Camp Mockingjay interview with Josh Horowitz has been released, this time with Josh and Jennifer recreating the nightlock scene in The Hunger Games with roles reversed!

Lastly, the event mentioned in the Samsung/Lionsgate press release with the VR experience debut in New York started today, with Jena Malone in attendance at the party. See the invitation below for details.

According to QuarterQuell.org, the full VR experience will be available for download on Monday for the Samsung Gear VR, if you have that sort of thing, and will eventually be available for iOS, Android, and Oculus Rift.

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

video by Denise

After the tragedy that happened in the previous chapter, Cressida leads the remaining members of the Star Squad into a fur underwear store (if you couldn't tell from the commercial above) run by a woman named Tigris, a rebel ally. Based on what we've seen of Tigris from the final trailer and Nina Jacobson's tweet about the set for Tigris' shop, the set is going to be AMAZING.

Tigris is revealed to be Plutarch's contact. She doesn't have a chance to contact him in the books, but it's possible she does in the movie to give us a chance to see what Plutarch and Coin are up to, specially since Tigris tells Katniss that no one knows what to do with her.

After a particularly heavy round of Real or Not Real with Peeta, Katniss falls asleep and has a weird dream involving Effie. Since Effie has been written into the movie, it's possible she might have a different dream or for the dream sequence be cut in favor of other things, but I feel like Effie will be involved in some way since Tigris used to be a stylist for the Hunger Games.

The next day, Katniss comes clean about the fact that she made up the secret mission Coin gave her and surprise, surprise, no one is surprised. This also includes another one of my favorite Peeta lines from the book, “I think…you still have no idea. The effect you can have.” I hope they keep that!

At comic-con Liam Hemsworth said one of the things he was excited about was the conversation Gale and Peeta have. They talk about who Katniss loves more. The Peeta-Gale-Katniss "love triangle" is something the press likes to talk about a lot so I'm sure this'll be a pretty weighty scene. The love triangle is obviously not what the movies or the books are about, but it's still a thing that we cannot get away from because drama. The movies have always handled this pretty well, though, so I'm curious to see what it'll be like.

Mockingjay Part 2 Final Trailer

Goosebumps!

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

***SPOILER ALERT***

AKA the chapter which we don't like to speak of. I don't know what evil I did to end up writing about this chapter, but here I am. The first time I read it I didn't even realize what happened until it was too late and I had to go back and experience the horror that is Finnick's death.

I've been terrified by the mutts since the first book, these ones by far freaked me out the worst. The whole Star Squad is startled by the echoing of the mutts hissing "Katniss" and even more discouraged by Peeta joining in. They're flee for their lives through the tunnels when Katniss is overwhelmed by the smell the mutts are giving off.
One of my favorite things about the horror of President Snow is his collection of roses. The films have even added to this terror by constantly assaulting the viewer with images of the rose gardens and making sure that we associate roses with Snow. I hope that they could bring this scent association to life even though we won't (thankfully!) be subjected to it during the film. Unless some jerk decides to bring some roses in the theater.

The mutts that follow Katniss and crew are reptilian and reeking of roses. The mutts surround them and Katniss and friends have no way out except to go to street level. Two of the Star Squad stay back to cover them, thus sacrificing themselves for Katniss' safety. As they climb to safety, the mutts catch Finnick and start to tear at him. Katniss uses her Holo for one last time as she says the passcode to make it explode and offers Finnick a quick death.

I am excited and anxious to see this scene play out. I hope that like with most of the deaths in the movies, we will not get a glorified show, but instead a fast paced realistic death. On the other hand I really want them to say "Screw Canon!" and let Finnick live out the rest of his days with Annie and now I'm starting to cry... WHY SUZANNE, WHY???

At the end, they are down to just five. Pollux, Cressida, Gale, Peeta and Katniss. They climb into someone's house right as the owner opens the door to investigate the noise. The owner is about to cry for help when Katniss guns her down. I WANT THIS SCENE TO HAPPEN SO BADLY. I think it's by far one of the most interesting scenes, that even though that person is just a random citizen, Katniss does not hesitate to be the soldier that she has become and keep her friends safe. I feel like this is a far cry from the Katniss of the first book, who would have never killed anyone in cold blood like this.

And now I'm going to cry over Finnick some more and pretend it never happened.

BTW- Have you bought your ticket for Mockingjay yet????? I did!!! Can't wait for the final chapter!

Behind the Scenes of Katniss and President Snow's Final Confrontation + Finnick and Katniss Picture

It seems like Entertainment Weekly is the gift that keeps on giving today! Francis Lawrence talks about the Katniss vs. Snow showdown:

Fans of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games novels know that the greenhouse that pops up in the trailer for Mockingjay — Part 2 holds a special significance. It’s where President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has his final confrontation with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), their final tests of wills.

To create it, director Francis Lawrence was inspired by the Victorian-era structures with slender frames and thin glass paneling. “I think of it as being Old World elegance in this new world [of Panem],” he says.

But finding an existing greenhouse to fit the bill proved impossible. Rather, the filmmakers shot the interiors of the contentious — yet revealing — scene on an Atlanta soundstage, where they filled the room with Snow’s signature roses. The exteriors were filmed on the grounds of an existing château in the town of Rambouillet, outside of Paris. As for all that snow outside, credit the wonders of CG.

The scene, which takes place after the Capitol has fallen, was sprung on the two actors at the last minute when another dropped off the schedule due to weather issues. But that didn’t stop Sutherland from nailing the dialogue-heavy moment. “Springing a scene on him like that was really tricky but he had it completely memorized,” says director Lawrence. “He was unbelievable.”

Entertainment Weekly

and here's a bonus picture of Finnick and Katniss from Jennifer's Facebook:

Mockingjay Part 2 in this week's Entertainment Weekly

In case you haven't noticed today, press for Mockingjay Part 2 has begun! If any of the other features are as hilarious as the Camp Mockingjay one, then we're probably going to be laughing (when we're not too busy crying about it) all the way to opening night!

This week's Entertainment Weekly features an interview with Jennifer, Josh and Liam and a bunch of new stills from the movie. Check out the a preview of the article:

It’s time to say goodbye to The Girl on Fire. Part political allegory, part family saga, the Hunger Games franchise has already generated over $2.3 billion, proving that young adult adaptations can be substantive, and — most of all — that a blockbuster action-hero doesn’t need to have a Y chromosome.

But as much as these movies have influenced Hollywood (and millions of global fans), their greatest impact has been on their three leads: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. They each entered the Games as relative unknowns, as wary of celebrity as Katniss was of the Capitol. But through the years, the actors — most notably now Oscar-winner Lawrence — have matured into major movie stars and have come to terms with the power of fame. “Jennifer realized at a certain point, that if people are going to be listening to you, you’d better have something to say,” says series producer Nina Jacobson.

The fourth and final installment, Mockingjay – Part 2 (out Nov. 20) opens in District 13. The propaganda campaign that filled most of Mockingjay – Part 1 has been predominantly successful with the exception of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) punishing Katniss by brainwashing her partner in crime Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson) before sending him back to District 13 to kill her. Part 2 opens with Katniss in a neck brace, recovering from Peeta’s Tracker-Jacker induced attack, and contemplating how she will enact her revenge on Snow. Meanwhile, under the watchful eye of President Coin (Julianne Moore), the rebels — including Gale Hawthorne (Hemsworth) — are making last preparations for their mission to topple the Capitol once and for all. It’s been a long run-up to the final battle, which finds the three leads, their camera crew and a few key allies engaged in warfare inside the booby-trapped hub of Panem. Returning director Francis Lawrence promises it won’t disappoint. “When you get to the end, you just feel the entire history of what these characters have been through,” he says. “It’s part of what makes this movie all the more satisfying.”

So with a three-finger salute, EW sat down poolside at a Beverly Hills hotel with Hemsworth, 25, Hutcherson, 22, and Lawrence, 25, to reflect on it all.

Interview Excerpts:

On being part of a cultural phenomenon:
HUTCHERSON When you see the tons of people screaming and going crazy… I have the same problem that Peeta does of distinguishing reality from not reality. So for me, that’s not real. It seems so strange.
LAWRENCE It’s like you’re an avatar of yourself.
HEMSWORTH You get back into the car after a premiere and it’s dead silent and you’re like…
LAWRENCE “I’m glad that’s over.”

Their friendship:
LAWRENCE If we had met each other in any different circumstance, we would still be best friends. And our love is as close to unconditional as it gets because there’s no fear between us because we love each other so much. There’s no fear in our love.

And the scene they were most worried about shooting on their epic 152-day Mockingjay shoot.
LAWRENCE I was excited about the scene at the end of the movie when I shoot my arrow—I won’t give it away— because when I was doing my archery training at age 20, that was always the scene I pictured. Five years ago I used to look at a stack of hay and pretend that it was this moment, and now it is here.

How was your aim?
LAWRENCE It was CGI, so let’s just say I nailed it.
HEMSWORTH You were particularly nervous about the singing scene [from Part 1]. We all know that.
HUTCHERSON It’s so stupid. You’re such a great singer.
HEMSWORTH She was so worried about it, I assumed that she must have a bad voice. And she did it and I’m like, “Jen, it’s actually good.” She’s like, “Shut up!”
LAWRENCE I only snapped at you because who else was I gonna snap at?
HEMSWORTH No, I know. I’m your punching bag, man. Don’t worry about it.
LAWRENCE But I can never be yours. Don’t you dare start thinking that’s a two way street.
HUTCHERSON For me it was the scene where Peeta had to freak out and lose his mind. I was more excited than nervous, but then right before we shot, I realized I hadn’t planned on what the hell I was going to do. And then they say “Action.” You’re like “Ah!” And you just kind of do it.
LAWRENCE But that’s always when you do your best because then you’re not thinking. You’re just feeling. Ugh! I meant that when I said it, but I realized how douchey it sounded so I just had to turn it into a joke.

New stills:

This issue of Entertainment Weekly is available on newsstands Friday!

Entertainment Weekly

Jennifer, Josh, and Liam at Camp Mockingjay

Jennifer, Josh and Liam sit around the campfire with Josh Horowitz and talk about their grossest habits, stuff marshmallows into Jen's mouth and talk about bathrooms! Yes, it is funnier than I'm making it sound!

source

Mockingjay Part 2 Tickets Available NOW!

TODAY IS THE DAY! Advance Tickets for Mockingjay Part 2 are available for purchase! If you buy within the next 24 hours through Fandango, you will get  a digital download of Mockingjay Part 1, a never before seen clip, and a printable commemorative ticket!

CLICK TO WATCH!

Printable Commemorative ticket. Obviously just for sentimental reasons, guys.

To buy tickets, just click the banner below our header on the top of the page!