The other day, Lionsgate revealed a poster for the eagerly awaited, The Hunger Games. Much the same as the static version above, it featured a  mocking  jay pin on fire, except the flames swayed with the heat. I like this version. It let’s you decide how much bandwidth you want to use to look at the thing.

I’m not on this particular party train yet. I haven’t read the books so I’m going to need to be convinced. I will say that this film, directed by Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Sea Biscuit) from a script cowritten by himself and novelist Suzanne Collins, has managed to amass one helluva cast! Jennifer Lawrence in the coveted lead role of Katniss Everdeen (the character names are intriguing if nothing else), Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy (apparently there is much contention about this particular bit of casting. Everyone from Jon Hamm to Gerard Butler were mentioned by fans), Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, Donald Sutherland as President Snow, Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith and Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane.

Liam Hemsworth Goes AWOL

The author’s synopsis: “In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 13 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’ young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.“