Here’s a lovely new image from The Hunger Games which as I mentioned in the title, shows Stanley Tucci looking like he’s been in a tanning salon a little too long! He’s joined with Jennifer Lawrence who plays the main character Katniss in the movie which is set for release 23rd March.

From memory, The Hunger Games is the first of 2012 which you’d class as a blockbuster (feel free to shout out all the ones i’ve forgotten!) with an awful lot of time and money being put in from Lionsgate and people are expecting big things from what could be the next big franchise – time will tell!

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.

See all our Hunger Games coverage here.

Click to enlarge.

Source: Facebook & Twitter

With just over two months to go until Gary Ross’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel The Hunger Games enters our cinemas we have a new, and final, poster for the film tonight.

In it we have Jennifer Lawrence front and centre as Katniss Everdeen, one of the twenty four tributes cast into the cruel world of the titular event, and I’m enjoying the tagline ‘The World will be Watching’ as it is both true of the world in the near future of the book but may as well refer to the legion of fans the book has.

Like Twilight and Potter before it The Hunger Games has money-making franchise written all over it and with Ross returning for the sequel, Catching Fire, with Oscar-winner scriptwriter Simon Beaufoy adapting there’s lot riding on this one. On the 23rd of March we’ll see if their faith is well founded.

It’s not the most elegant of posters but it’ll get the expectant juices flowing from the fanbase no doubt.

Another tease from the early part of The Hunger Games for you today, and one which will please fans of Suzanne Collins’ book.

I’m still (still…) getting through the first book and the moment depicted here was one of the most intriguing I’ve read so far. About to enter the arena, to be introduced as the competitors from District 12, Katniss and Peeta get a last-minute pep talk from their stylist (they have a stylist – Battle Royale didn’t have one of those…) and there’s a little hint as to what he has in store for the baying crowds.

EW (via Coming Soon) had the image first  and both have the quote from Gary Ross who praised the work of costume designer Judianna Makovsky, who was tasked with bringing an important part of Collins’ world to the big screen,

What Cinna was trying to do was create something that came out of District 12, out of a coal mining world, with a fresh, bold look to it. So Judianna went to this wonderful black reflective material that glistened like coal or graphite and would obviously work well in the Tribute parade where Katniss becomes the Girl on Fire.

It’s certainly an important moment in the book and is the first indication that there’s something very special about Katniss and her role in the games.

If you’re one of the three people who haven’t read the book then here’s what the fuss is about,

“Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love

Here’s the picture, click to embiggen.

We reported a few months ago on the rumour that Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy, writer of Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours and the forthcoming Salmon Fishing in the Yemen was being courted by Lionsgate to adapt the second book in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Gamers trilogy, Catching Fire, and a report in The Wrap today now appear to confirm this.

Gary Ross is due back on directing duties and will oversee the script, presumably adding his own take on the continuity of the film world he is creating from the source material, a world we have yet to see with only a few glimpses contained in the trailers and images seen thus far.

Knowing the huge fan base these books have it came as no surprise that all three books were to be adapted for the big screen and that a release date for the second film was announced during the filming of the first film in The Hunger Games series.

Another new look for all you Hunger Games fans today and it looks as if these official pictures are being released chronologically, last time we saw Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz and now we’ve got another picture of Katniss in the middle of her training for the titular event.

With just over two months to go until the 23rd of March release date you can bet that there will be a lot more of this stuff in the coming weeks, with each new peek giving us a better idea of how Gary Ross has adapted Suzanne Collins’ book.

If you’re yet to jump aboard the bandwagon here’s a synopsis,

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Shockya put this new image out there,

Unlike Charles Ferguson’s Oscar-winning documentary Inside Job that made your blood boil at the sheer gall of the games played financial institutions and leading persons involved, ex-Merrill Lynch employee and writer-director J.C. Chandor’s new thriller serves a token of sweet torment on the money-grabbing scoundrels that kicked off the financial crisis.

It’s 2008, and after sweeping redundancies are announced at an investment bank on Wall Street, outgoing risk management boss Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci) hands a USB drive with an unfinished project on it to junior risk analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto), saying “be careful”. After finishing the project that same night, Sullivan horrifyingly discovers that trading will soon exceed the historical volatility levels used by the firm to calculate risk, and if mortgage-backed securities decrease by 25 per cent, the firm will suffer a loss greater than its market capitalisation. The plan of action that brings in senior management in the early hours (played by Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons and Simon Baker) and puts heads on the line is an ugly one that will destroy the firm’s relationships with its clients and counterparties, who will never trust them again.

You don’t have to talk financial speak to understand the environment you are entering into, but it can only help. That said Margin Call is still a gripping, sophisticated, adrenaline-fuelled attempt at humanising today’s folk devil, the banker, the world of which Chandor simplifies to expose the motivation, greed and gambling to the fore. It’s a quick-talking, snappy-decision-making drama, without any special thrills, the majority of which is shot in a cool and clinical corporate environment that still has a dangerous allure.

The film’s primary strength, apart from being well written, is all down to the honed performances enacting the risky, sleazy game playing that both riles and fascinates. Spacey and Bettany dominant centre stage in most of their scenes, and are simply at their glorious best. Spacey who plays Sam Rogers, Head of Sales, is the closest this drama gets to a character with a warm pulse, as we get snippets of empathy, bordering on wavering remorse. Bettany seems to dip into the psychopathic mindset of his former baddie characters, like The Da Vinci Code’s Silas, only cloaked in an approachable, carefree but money-centric, devilish rogue disguise as senior fixed income salesman Will Emerson. As their sales roles suggest, it’s their performances that ultimately sell the film, and help expose the toxicity of its senior players, like CEO John Tuld, played brilliantly and callously by Jeremy Irons, as he buries the littler man while casually eating breakfast in his glass high tower.

The beauty of Chandor’s stylish film is it makes no excuses for the damage caused, and offers no answers; it merely dangles its players on hooks and allows us to watch them squirm and (some) wriggle free. In turn, this heightens our reproach for them but also holds them in ‘another worldly’ awe at their precarious choice of money-orientated lifestyle. It’s a curious watch because it’s aloof and standoff-ish nature, though simultaneously provides a few ironic scoffs and intimate reveals when the barriers begin to crumble.

Ultimately, nobody is a winner and all are tainted by association: In this sense, it’s an acutely satisfying watch for the rest of us, expertly crafted by a debut feature film writer-director demonstrating and using a sound knowledge of 30 years of banking experience.

****~ (4/5)

Here’s an awesome new awesome image of Elizabeth Banks from The Hunger Games in her roles as Effie Trinket. This image comes from Polish website Capitol Couture after a new viral went live last night while we were sleeping. The chaps over at ComingSoon went through the motions to reveal the password “#lookyourbest” which then allowed them access to this new image. Absolutely loving the makeup they’ve done for Banks’ character. You can see a little more with the make-up branding tie in that was released a while ago.

The movie is based on the three book by series by Suzanne Collins and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Amandla Stenberg, Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jacqueline Emerson, Paula Malcomson, Dayo Okeniyi, Jack Quaid, Leven Rambin, Willow Shields, Lenny Kravitz and is directed by Gary Ross. It’ll be with us here in the UK March 23rd.

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

You can click the image below to make it grow a little bigger.

Earlier in the week, the stars of new movie, Margin Call were in London for the UK Premiere. The film stars Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci. Bettany and Irons were both present for the premiere and interviews with them are below.

Our friends from Upbeat were there to interview the stars and filmmakers as they walked the res carpet in a rather low-key affair.

When entry-level analyst Peter Sullivan (Quinto) unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster.

Margin Call is released this Friday January 13, 2012.

Here’s a nice new image of Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) in their district 12 uniforms getting ready or in The Hunger Games. If you’ve not seen or heard of anything from The Hunger Games before, you need to brace yourself as the wave of pandemonium is about hit us on March 23rd. You can see all our coverage including the trailers here.

The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Amandla Stenberg, Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jacqueline Emerson, Paula Malcomson, Dayo Okeniyi, Jack Quaid, Leven Rambin, Willow Shields, Lenny Kravitz and is directed by Gary Ross.

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

You can click the image below to make it grow a little bigger.

Source: Yahoo

Ok, I finally cracked and have started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and it’s quite a fun page-turner at the moment (Katniss has just fired an arrow at some judges and it’s all very tense, etc) and I can see exactly why this trilogy is being hailed as the new Twilight by marketing executives.

Knowing that the books are being adapted for the big screen has the disorienting effect of the various actors appearing in my own personal version of the story, and though the character of Haymitch seemed quite similar to the crazy guy Woody Harrelson played in 2012 my mental image is complete as we have our first look at both Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz as the stylist Cinna in these new pictures from the film.

Movieweb (via The Playlist) gave us a look at the images, some of which have been glimpsed before and I have to say I’m rather looking forward to seeing a) how the book turns out and b) if the film does as well as is hoped.

Here are the pics, click to make them all big,

The Hunger Games could well become the new big franchise in 2012 – at least that’s what Lionsgate are hoping for. Connected to the movie is a brand new line of fashion and beauty products with the first poster be launched on The Hunger Games Facebook page. It features a brand new image of Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket in the movie who is being used to promote Capital Colours by China Glaze. I’m not up on current make-up (!) but I guess it’s coming to a shop near you soon!

The Hunger Games is based on the book by Suzanne Collins and is released in the UK 23rd March 2012.

The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence​​, Josh Hutcherson​​, Liam Hemsworth​​, Woody Harrelson​​, Elizabeth Banks​​​, Stanley Tucci​​, Donald Sutherland​​​, Wes Bentley​​, Toby Jones, Amandla Stenberg, Alexander Ludwig​​ ​, Isabelle Fuhrman​​, Jacqueline Emerson, Paula Malcomson, Dayo Okeniyi, Jack Quaid, Leven Rambin​​, Willow Shields, Lenny Kravitz​​ and is directed by Gary Ross.

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson​’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins​​ ’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.

Warner Bros. Pictures have released the debut poster and trailer for Jack the Giant Killer, a modern take on the fantasy-adventure fairy tale of the same name.

Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men), Jack the Giant Killer stars Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Eleanor Tomlinson (The Village), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Ian McShane (Death Race), Bill Nighy (Hot Fuzz), Ewan McGregor (Perfect Sense) and Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky).

Jack the Giant Killer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Jack the Giant Killer will be released in the U.K. on June 15, 2012.

Check out the poster and trailer below:

Source: Apple

There’s a new image from Gary Ross’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games online tonight and it’s a good look at the group of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as Gale.

The Hunger Games has a pretty eclectic cast lining up alongside the three young actors here with Elizabeth Banks​, Lenny Kravitz​​, Stanley Tucci and Woody Harrelson​​ each taking a role in a film which is being talked up as The Next Big Thing*.

The image is below this lengthy synopsis, which most of you know already,

In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 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.

ShockYa gave us the picture, enjoy.

The studio have asked us to take down the picture. Hopefully it’ll be relelased officially soon.

*moneyspinner

Stealth Media have released the official U.K. poster for Margin Call.

Written and directed by J.C. Chandor, Margin Call stars Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Demi Moore, Jeremy Irons, Penn Badgley, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell and Aasif Mandvi.

When entry-level analyst Peter Sullivan (Quinto) unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster.

Margin Call, which scored positive reviews following screenings at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, will be released in the U.K. on January 13, 2012.

Check out the U.K. poster embedded below:

Source: Facebook

Gary Ross’ upcoming adaptation of the first in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is set to be one of the biggest films of next year, and we’ve been treated to some pretty great insights into the film in the past few weeks (all of which you can catch up on here), including the long-awaited first theatrical trailer, which I thought was pretty damn awesome.

Variety are now reporting that Danny Elfman, who was originally to compose the score for the film, has had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts, and James Newton Howard will be stepping in in his place.

It had been previously announced that Elfman would be collaborating with T-Bone Burnett for the film, and Burnett will be continuing his involvement with the project, for which he’ll also be serving as executive music producer, now alongside Howard.

“Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson​’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins​’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.”

Both Howard and Elfman are incredibly well respected composers, both receiving several nominations at the Academy Awards, and if Elfman’s schedule’s conflicting, then it only seems right that someone of a similarly brilliant calibre will take up the role in his stead. I’m a huge fan of Howard’s, whose credits include films as huge and varied as The Dark Knight, Space Jam, French Kiss, I Am Legend, Love And Other Drugs, and many more, including composing the somewhat iconic theme to TV’s E.R., and I’m already excited to hear his ideas for The Hunger Games’ score.

Elfman has Men in Black III and Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows on his plate at the moment, both of which are set to be released in the spring next year, and juggling a third film due around the same time naturally sounds like a pretty difficult task. Howard also has two big films to score now too, in the form of Snow White and the Huntsman and The Bourne Legacy, but with both of those due, fitting The Hunger Games’ spring release into his schedule gives him a little more room to breathe.

The film will be led by Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, with a terrific supporting cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, and the brilliant Wes Bentley, with a UK release date scheduled for 23^rd March next year. Signs are definitely pointing to a huge box office success, and there’s every reason to expect an immense score to match those successes from Howard. I can’t wait.

In case you missed the great first trailer last month, I’ve embedded it below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

Following on from the fantastic new image we saw last week of Elizabeth Banks and Jennifer Lawrence together in Gary Ross’ upcoming adaptation of The Hunger Games, based on the first novel in Suzanne Collins’ original trilogy, we’ve now got a brilliant new shot from the film, courtesy of Bloody Disgusting.

This time around, the focus is just on Lawrence, being escorted down a brightly lit tunnel by some pretty menacing guards (who almost look a little bit like the Star Wars Stormtroopers). Though the picture’s not a close-up of Lawrence, you can still tell she’s got an excellent look of determination on her face, clearly very much in character as Katniss Everdeen.

“Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.”

Starring alongside Lawrence and Elizabeth Banks will be a terrific cast that includes the likes of Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, and Wes Bentley, who can be seen rocking the most awesome beard ever committed to screen in the film’s pretty spectacular first trailer. (And you can catch up with everything else The Hunger Games-related right here.)

The film is due out on 23rd March next year, so we’ve got just under four months to wait to see how it turns out. It’s certainly expected (without wanting to jinx anything) to do excellent business for Lionsgate when it gets released next year, so here’s to hoping that it will be a great success for everyone involved. You can be sure that as we get closer to March next year, we’ll have plenty more to share with you by way of posters, images, clips, and trailers, so be sure to check in often to see how the film’s ad campaign is progressing; so far, it’s been pretty sweet. Without further ado, here’s the great new image of Lawrence. As usual, click to enlarge.

Gary Ross’ upcoming adaptation of the first novel in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is naturally one of the several highly anticipated films due out next year, and we were treated to an absolutely brilliant first trailer for the film ten days ago.

Judging by the trailer, we’re in for the start of a pretty immense ride next year, with there already being talk, somewhat expectedly, of a sequel getting the go-ahead, with Simon Beaufoy being targeted for penning the script.

We’ve now got a great new image from the film, courtesy of People, that gives us a look at Elizabeth Banks, starring as Effie Trinket, standing alongside Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen. As we saw in the trailer, Banks looks almost entirely unrecognisable with all of her make-up and clothing on, and you can barely tell that it’s her in this new image, which is a real testament to the film’s make-up department.

“Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.”

Along with Lawrence and Banks, the film has a great supporting cast that includes the likes of Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, and Wes Bentley, the last of whom was sporting by far the coolest beard I’ve ever seen in the trailer.

The Hunger Games is already being pushed as the next franchise to fill the gap left by Harry Potter and the gap that will be left by the conclusion of The Twilight Saga next year, and with its 23^rd March release date just a few months away, we’ve not got that long before we get an idea of how true that really is. I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if it’s spot on. Without further ado, here’s the new image of Banks and Lawrence from the film, both looking pretty brilliant in character. You can also catch up on all our other coverage for the film right here.

With the world in a spin following the release of the first full trailer for Gary Ross’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games it can come as no surprise that plans are already in motion for the movie based on the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire.

The director is expected to return for the second film, and presumably the third as well, and today Deadline have reported that Simon Beaufoy is being ‘courted’ by Lionsgate to adapt the second book in the series. Beaufoy’s recent successes include his collaborations with Danny Boyle, the Aron Ralston film 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire for which Beaufoy won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay so the man knows his stuff.

His next work on the big screen is another adaptation, this time Paul Torday’s novel Salmon Fishing in the Yemen which has Lasse Hallström behind the camera and Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt in front of it. There is almost a troubling certainty that The Hunger Games will step comfortably in the spotlight once Twilight is done sharing the stage with a certain Mr. Potter and I can’t imagine money is much of an issue for Lionsgate so let the courting begin.

Lionsgate have released the full theatrical trailer for their new movie, The Hunger Games which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Amandla Stenberg, Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jacqueline Emerson, Paula Malcomson, Dayo Okeniyi, Jack Quaid, Leven Rambin, Willow Shields, Lenny Kravitz and is directed by Gary Ross.

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.

source: Apple

We’ve been told that the movies based on the novels by Suzanne Collins will be the next franchise to reach the dizzy, and very profitable, heights of the Potter and Twilight series and until we get to see Gary Ross’s adaptation of The Hunger Games all we have to go on is the huge fanbase and their love for the books.

Lionsgate are clearly savvy enough to know that in adapting these books they have to a) please the fans and b) welcome in people who haven’t read the novels so a decent cast is necessary to pull in audience familiar and unfamiliar with the struggles of Katniss Everdeen. Casting Jennifer Lawrence was a good start, and if you’ve not seen the rest of the cast in their finery then get yourself over to this post which has all our new friends in suitably moody profiles.

The image originally came from Business Insider which, as well as containing the new picture of Lawrence as Katniss, sources an interesting Bloomberg article detailing the financial implications of The Hunger Games and the, rather obvious, hopes to make ‘three or four films’. It’s worth a read once you’ve sated your Hunger Games hunger with this new image.

We’ve now been sent the high resolution version which I’ve placed below.