Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Gary Ross spoke with Parade about The Hunger Games. Check out snippets of the interviews below.
Jennifer Lawrence explains why she thinks people would watch the Games.
Why do you think so many people relate to the books?
“I was watching the Kardashian girl getting divorced, and that’s a tragedy for anyone. But they’re using it for entertainment, and we’re watching it. The books hold up a terrible kind of mirror: This is what our society could be like if we became desensitized to trauma and to each other’s pain.”You’re on the brink of what could be change-your-life stardom. How do you feel about that?
“I’ve never played a part this famous. It’s insane to get recognized from a movie that hasn’t been released yet. That’s just bizarre. And scary.”
Read more of Jenn’s interview here.
Josh Hutcherson says he didn’t want Peeta to come across as sappy.
What was the biggest challenge of playing Peeta?
“Gary Ross and I wanted to make sure that we did not let Peeta become too sappy, just because he’s admitting his love to Katniss. He takes a lot of strength from Katniss. And Katniss learns how to open up emotionally from Peeta.”Did you do much physical training?
“I had to put on 15 pounds so I ate tons of protein and worked out, but there wasn’t that much training because I don’t do a whole lot of fighting. I get injured early on.”How was working with Jennifer Lawrence?
“It was incredible. She’s so unbelievably talented, but, at the same time, extremely down-to-earth and caring about what everybody has to say. She gives it all every single day.”
Read more of Josh’s interview here.
Director Gary Ross says he wanted to honor the book with the film version.
What was the hardest part of translating the book into film?
“I had to give people the visceral feeling they had when they read the book, which is an urgent first-person narrative. I spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to really be in a character’s head. I began to realize it comes down to restricting the information to what that character knows, so that you can walk in their shoes. I shot it in such a way that you’re moving through this serpentine path with Katniss, uncertain about your surroundings.”
Are you worried the reaction of fans of the book to the film?
“No. We’ve been very faithful not only to the narrative but also to the feeling of the book. Suzanne is happy with the movie, so that makes me very glad. And, before I was anything else, I was a fan. I wanted to honor what the books were, to render them cinematically, and to give you the same feeling you had when you read the books. I’m pretty confident that we’ve done that. So, no, I’m not nervous. I’m excited.”
Read more of Gary’s interview here.
