Catching Fire (2013)

[kookiekutter]

If I could choose what tagline will be used in the trilogy's best installment, I'm torn between:

It starts at midnight.
This is no place for the girl on fire.
Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

What's yours?

[emjane18]

Josh Hutcherson Talks ‘Hunger Games’ & ‘Catching Fire’ with Ryan Seacrest
Josh Hutcherson called in to “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” today for the second time this month. He talks about the success of the movie, being in Kentucky for the opening, the upcoming Catching Fire, and more.


What’s The First Thing To Say To Gale In The Next Movie?
“It’s weird because Gale and I really don’t have interaction with one another. It’s like an unspoken tension between the two of them. There is some confusion, because what’s happened is Peeta has confessed his real love for Katniss, and Katniss has played along with it, and Peeta finds out that she’s just doing it just for show, and that’s hurtful to one. It’s very heartbreaking!”

When Do You Start Filming “Catching Fire?”
“We do not know yet. They just started writing the script recently. They hired Simon Beaufoywho wrote “Slumdog Millionnaire” to do the first draft. So that’s going to be great. Gary Ross is an extremely talented director and writer so I think he’s going to get in there with Simon and work on the script with him. They have a release date of November of next year. So we’re working towards that date. We’re probably going to start shooting sometime end of summer or beginning of fall this year.”

[#1 critic]

Kaya lang ang liit ni Stackhouse diba.

Ok na ako kay Armie Hammer!

Well it certainly didn't stop J.Hutch. And he was great as Peeta.

reason rin daw yung attitude niya kung bakit sila nag break ni Diana Agron.

I saw his movie. Parang ang epal niya.

[sChiZoO14]

my Finnick is Freddie Stroma



Elizabeth Banks is one of the producers of his upcoming movie titled Pitch Perfect )


and Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica of Tru Blood) is my choice for Johanna.

[emjane18]

'Hunger Games' Postmortem: Five Lessons For 'Catching Fire'
In this week's Hobnobbing, we take a look at how Gary Ross' sequel can build upon the success of the first.
By Amy Wilkinson
To no one's surprise, the highly anticipated "Hunger Games" opened last week to boffo box-office numbers, all but guaranteeing the second installment in Suzanne Collins' series, "Catching Fire," will set theaters ablaze come November 22, 2013.

Director Gary Ross, who will also helm the follow-up, has already begun formulating his vision for the 75th annual Hunger Games, telling MTV News, "I have some ideas about how to do 'Catching Fire' slightly differently, but I don't want to share them yet. Not because I'm being evasive, but just because they're not fully baked. But yes, I think it will look and feel slightly different from the first."



With its jungle-like setting, the next arena will be a much different beast than the forested first, so it's no wonder Ross is re-jiggering his approach. We can only speculate that some of his sequel planning will include reviewing "The Hunger Games" in great detail — what worked and what didn't. To that end, we've compiled a list of five "Hunger Games" lessons that can and should inform "Catching Fire."

DO keep the arena underwraps
This one isn't so much for Ross as it is for the Gamemakers at Lionsgate, but we have to recognize the studio's smart decision to use only pre-Games footage in their aggressive marketing campaign for the film. In fact, I'd go so far as to say my favorite parts of the movie were from the arena, largely because they were fresh and unexpected. With the Quarter Quell's intriguing new venue, Lionsgate would be wise to build anticipation by keeping the tropical death trap shrouded in mystery.

DON'T skimp on the CGI
If there was a consistent complaint I heard from "Hunger Games" fans following the film's release, it was that the Girl on Fire scene — in which Katniss and Peeta introduce themselves to the Capitol, riding atop a chariot and flaunting flame-licked jumpsuits representative of their coal-mining home — was ... underwhelming. The flame effect just didn't look real enough. With a slew of new sci-fi aspects introduced in "Catching Fire," including mutated monkeys, we hope Ross can invest a bit more in the film's digital technology.

DO capitalize on Stanley Tucci
Say what you will about Jennifer Lawrence's gripping, gritty performance as Katniss Everdeen, but if anyone could be categorized as the film's scene-stealer, it was most certainly Stanley Tucci, whose blue-haired, big-teethed Caesar Flickerman was nothing short of mesmerizing (and a handy exposition device to boot!). Heck, I'd pay to watch a Caesar Flickerman spin-off once all three (four?) "Hunger Games" films debut. "Caesar Flickerman: Not So Blue." Think about it, Lionsgate.

DON'T downplay the dangers of the arena
Between her 23 fellow tributes, tracker jackers and muttations, Katniss had plenty to contend with in the arena. But, as my roommate so astutely pointed out to me long after I watched the film and didn't notice, we never really see Katniss hungry or thirsty. Limiting the violence for a PG-13 rating is an understandable edit, but why dull down the deadliness of the Games otherwise? In "Catching Fire," we need to see Katniss and her fellow tributes truly struggle, not simply limp along.

DO make artful additions (especially if they're directed by Steven Soderbergh)
By shifting the viewpoint of the film from Katniss' first-person perspective, Ross was able to open up the world of Panem in a way we hadn't experienced before. The addition of the control room, Seneca Crane's implied death by berries and, most notably, the District 11 riot only added to the film.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/168...-lessons.jhtml

[Aya_Alexa]

my Finnick is Freddie Stroma
http://i41.tinypic.com/2rp5z6q.jpg


Elizabeth Banks is one of the producers of his upcoming movie titled Pitch Perfect )


and Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica of Tru Blood) is my choice for Johanna.

siya ba yung nasa Harry Potter?

[kimchew12]

awwww sana siya si finnick! good actor pa naman to..

https://www.facebook.com/ArmieForFinnick

[ade_z]

Sa mga nakabasa na ng CF:

The Second Quarter Quell! Ang galing ng pagkakagawa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mUjssn86h4

Sana ipakita rin nila sa movie yung mga past games ng makakalaban nila Katniss and Peeta

[emjane18]

"hunger games" scoop! will "catching fire" and "mockingjay" be rated "r"?
entertainmentweekly:
According to producer Nina Jacobson, the answer is almost certainly “no.” As she tells EW, “Suzanne wrote these books for young people to be able to read them and discuss them and engage with them, and we would never make a version of the movies where they couldn’t participate in. They were the ones that started all of it and I think they deserve to have the movie be made for them to be able to see.”
Another tidbit: Though a decision hasn’t yet been reached, Mockingjay may indeed be split into two parts. “There’s a whole movie to be made before we really know what we would do next,” says Jacobson. “But as far as the third book, I think that’s still a ‘to-be-determined.’”

[sChiZoO14]

siya ba yung nasa Harry Potter?

He played Cormac Mclaggen sa last 3 HP movies. I know some people are opposed to him playing the role, knowing na galing na sya sa isang big franchise. But he's still my bet.

[strandedstranger]

It's actually the third Quarter Quell.

[chudnofsky127]

^Oo nga. Ang second Quarter Quell ay yung kina Haymitch at Maysilee.

[gooseberry]

LOL.
Yes it is the 3rd Quarter Quell.

[makito]

If I could choose what tagline will be used in the trilogy's best installment, I'm torn between:

It starts at midnight.
This is no place for the girl on fire.
Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

What's yours?

What about? You're the mocking jay

[makito]

Just finished reading the Catching Fire book. It's so cool! Now, meron tayong 1 and half year to wait for the movie.

[strandedstranger]

Okay I watched the YT video, he posted. Second QQ nga yun. The time when Haymitch won against 47 other tributes when he used the force field to turn back the ax.

[keyser_soze]

my Finnick is Freddie Stroma
http://i41.tinypic.com/2rp5z6q.jpg


Elizabeth Banks is one of the producers of his upcoming movie titled Pitch Perfect )


and Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica of Tru Blood) is my choice for Johanna.

^^sana nga

i'm a big fan of Ms. Woll!

[gooseberry]

Okay I watched the YT video, he posted. Second QQ nga yun. The time when Haymitch won against 47 other tributes when he used the force field to turn back the ax.

The force field could have been displayed in The Hunger Games so there would be a good basis on how they would work around it on this movie. But seeing how there are grids on the Hunger Game is probably enough for them to continue and exploit it.

[strandedstranger]

^I think they've already shown the force field in the game room. Remember when one of the game makers alerted Seneca Crane that Katniss is nearing the 'edge'. Seneca then ordered the game-makers to simulate forest fire to round Katniss near the Career pack.

I don't think they'd let anyone exploit the force field the same way Haymitch did. If my memory serves me right, Haymitch's stunt brought about the death of his mother, siblings and girlfriend two weeks after his victory and prolly the reason why he depended on alcohol so much. He used the 'game' as a weapon against the other Tributes and obviously this did not sit well with the Capitol government. He referred to this experience when he told Katniss to be wary of her actions after the stunt that she pulled to save Peeta.

[emjane18]

‘Catching Fire’: 5 Things ‘The Hunger Games’ Sequel Needs To Do
Director Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games opened last weekend, crushing the competition at the box-office and coming in third for the largest opening weekend of all time – behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and The Dark Knight (#1 for the biggest non-sequel opening weekend). The questions on everyone’s mind now are: How far will this first installation in the franchise go? And will audiences remain as engaged when the sequel, Catching Fire arrives?

Certainly, there is a built-in audience for this franchise, but those who have not read the Suzanne Collins series are already beginning to ask: what’s next?

Warning there are some small Catching Fire spoilers ahead:

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It is now fairly common knowledge that Peeta and Katniss will return to the games in Catching Fire – the second book in Collins’ series. So having seen the first film, many are wondering how a return to the arena is possible (or interesting). There are certain elements that are native to the source material that make the setting for Catching Fire both complex and compelling – but there are adjustments that the team behind the film franchise can and should make to elevate the second movie in the series.

1. World Expansion:



The Hunger Games gave us a good overview of the nation of Panem. We were given a sense of how the districts function in relation to the Capitol, as well as the players involved in the political game of chess that is at hand. The Hunger Games themselves become analogous to the large measure of fear and the small measure of hope that President Snow was using to control the citizens of the districts, and the flashy distractions he utilized to manipulate those who reside in the Capitol.

But in order to keep our interest in Catching Fire there is going to need to be a richer and more detailed exploration into the universe in which the story takes place – both to capture the audience, and because it is primarily the circumstances in the country at large that drive the plot.

In our interview with Gary Ross, the director was reluctant to speculate in too much detail about the ultimate tone and scope of Catching Fire, though Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) is currently drafting the script and Ross will in all likelihood return for the sequel. The director did concede however, that the undertones that are hinted at in The Hunger Games become far more crucial as the series moves along.

“Obviously there’s much more political context in the subsequent two books even than there is in the first one, as Katniss becomes a symbol for this revolution. That sort of sinks roots and spreads through the countryside and the books by definition become more political, or gain more political context.”

That political context can only be made clear if we understand the dynamics of the nation in which the film is takes place. One of the tricky elements of adapting even the first book was that, despite incessant comparisons to Battle Royale, the games themselves are not the ultimate point of the story.



The games serve as the inciting incident, the thing that shakes the main character out of her comfort zone and sends her on a journey which will ultimately lead to a deepened understanding of herself and the world around her. The games, as mentioned, illustrate the socio-political dynamics of Panem. And the games test the moral and emotional limits of the characters, allowing us to understand who they fundamentally are as people. It is more what the games represent that is essential – rather than the events in the arena itself.

The return to the games is a far different journey for both Katniss and Peeta in Catching Fire. Their goals are different, the circumstances that send them there are changed and in order to fully comprehend the choices that are made, we will need to have a firmer grasp on some of the historical events that created the Panem of the day as well as the current culture of the citizens.

The inherent challenge is that Gary Ross made a choice to maintain Katniss’ point of view throughout The Hunger Games, which in some ways constricts the ability to demonstrate the scope of the world. That isn’t to say that we never moved away from Katniss throughout the course of the film, it is only to say that when the film did move away from her it was always with the intent of propelling her story. If Ross cut to President Snow it was because he was talking about something relevant to Katniss. The same holds true for any of the other cut-aways that took place in the film.

There will be an opportunity in Catching Fire to either maintain or break that convention. If the production elects to remain tethered to the first person narrative, then some fairly intricate work will need to be done on the script in order for the audience to both understand and invest in the characters as the events (both in and out of the arena) unfold.

2. Sophisticated Visual Effects:


The setting for the “arena” itself is far more fantastical in Catching Fire than it was in The Hunger Games. The woods are replaced by an Island lush with color and filled with horror. The effects work in The Hunger Games was minimal and for the most part worked in the created world, but there were moments that were less effective for many audience members. The CGI on the “mutts” towards the end of the film read like video game characters to many viewers. In order for us to stay connected to the sense of urgency in the games the effects in Catching Fire are going to need to be sophisticated and believable. Many franchises (particularly young adult franchises) “cheat” in this area because they know they don’t really need expensive visual effects to draw in their audience – but Catching Fire is a story that could easily lose us if we don’t stay grounded in the world and connected to the consequences.

3. Up The Action Ante:



The Cornucopia (the area where the tributes first enter the arena) payed off in The Hunger Games. It was a brutal, moving and emotionally effective scene – but we are going to need that tension sustained for a longer period of time in the next chapter. Some viewers craved a more visceral sense of danger in the latter portion of the games. Creating a sense of urgency and legitimate peril is a challenge in a film that has both a known outcome and requires a PG-13 rating. It is a delicate balance, but it is one that was achieved in at least one portion of the first film, and must be created for a longer stretch of time in the second in order to make a return to the Games worthwhile for the viewer.

4. Develop Katniss:



We were introduced to Katniss in The Hunger Games, but if we are going to invest in where the story is taking her we are going to need to see far more of the complex creature that she is in the books. As Gary Ross mentioned, she becomes an unwitting symbol for a revolution. We must come to understand her as a person that has no interest in the finer points of politics, but that just by nature of the circumstances she finds herself in, becomes a leader. Katniss is a girl who has been honed in the struggle for survival and is, by her own admission, dangerous and violent. She is of course also compassionate, has integrity and is unwilling to suffer fools gladly. We need the full scope of her humanity or we will not believe that those around her would naturally follow her lead, or that she ultimately has no desire for them to do so.

5. Increase The Tension In The Love Triangle:



Now this is one that some fans may not want to hear, but the truth is that if this franchise wants to keep its female audience (and believe me, the studio does) then this is an area that will need to continue to be nurtured. Some of the increased romantic emphasis is inherent in the novel but the final outcome will rely on the direction of the film. It will be important that the dialogue and tone capture the emotional essence but doesn’t veer so far afield in the sentiment that it alienates the audience members who tend to be less interested in that aspect of the story. Both Peeta and Gale have a strong role to play in the decisions that Katniss makes throughout the course of the story so the connection that she has with each of them needs to be clear and felt. It is a complex love that she experiences and therefor needs to be dealt with some nuance. Additionally, who she ultimately chooses and “why” reveals a great deal about her character.This is, as fans know, not Twilight where the central focus was the romance. The romance plays a role in The Hunger Games as well as the remainder of the trilogy, but it is not the singular, nor ultimately, most important portion of the tale.

Gary Ross did an admirable job of translating this first film for the screen and given The Hunger Games success it would be easy for the studio to expend the minimum level of effort on the sequel, banking on their built-in fan base to turn out. But if Ross (or whoever replaces him if by some strange set of circumstances he does not return) puts the same level of thought and passion into Catching Fire and its needs as was put into The Hunger Games, then we may be granted a rare case where the sequel outclasses the first film in a series.
http://screenrant.com/catching-fire-...-rothc-162422/