With just ONE DAY left until the Hunger Games movie release (who’s going at midnight??), I’ve been thinking a lot about how the book will translate to the screen. In almost any movie adaptation, there are inevitably changes from the original book. But since the Hunger Games’ fan base is such an impassioned one, I’m guessing Lionsgate hasn’t taken too many liberties --- otherwise they may have an angry army of fans threatening to overthrow them!
I can accept that some changes can’t be avoided --- like the color of Effie Trinket’s outfit at the Reaping (in the book it’s a “spring green suit”; in the trailer, Elizabeth Banks sports hot pink), or the elimination of the character Madge and the alteration of the Mockingjay pin plotline (although, like many angry fans across the web, I wasn’t too happy about that) --- but here are 10 things I hope will stay true to Collins’ original masterpiece (warning: SPOILER ALERT!):
1. The Hob
The Hob, District 12’s bustling black-market headquarters, is the type of charismatic, slightly creepy place that could translate very well to the big screen; not to mention it’s one of District 12’s defining landmarks. It’s also a social center for Katniss and Gale, who mingle with the vendors and customers when they drop off their daily kills. I hope The Hob gets a decent amount of screen time.
2. District 12’s Coal Industry
Speaking of District 12’s defining qualities, I can’t imagine it having any other signature industry than coal. Not only was the coal industry responsible for the death of Katniss’s beloved father, it also sets the bleak atmosphere of the district throughout the series. I think it would be a great aesthetic for the screen as well --- I can picture the residents walking coal-smudged through the streets, and a permanent ashy haze hanging over the district.
3. Katniss’s Gamemaker Evaluation
This is one of the scenes I hope the film follows verbatim --- most importantly, the very end of the scene when Katniss shoots the apple out of the roast pig’s mouth, barely missing the Gamemakers’ faces. I have to see that played out!
4. Katniss and Peeta’s Fire Outfits at the Opening Ceremonies
Need I say more?
5. The Cornucopia
Though the film’s Cornucopia is rumored to be silver, rather than gold, I hope it still lives up to the rest of the book’s beautiful description of it: “a giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high, spilling over with the things that will give us life here in the arena.”
6. The Tracker Jackers
When I first read the book, I remember that the tracker jackers scene was one of the ones I imagined most vividly: “Larger than regular wasps, they have a distinctive solid gold body and a sting that raises a lump the size of a plum on contact…If you live, the hallucinations brought on by the venom have actually driven people to madness.” That being said, there’s a risk that the movie versions will be exaggerated to the point of silliness. Hopefully, they will strike the perfect balance between authentic and terrifying on the big screen.
7. Rue’s death scene
One of the most emotional moments of the book is when Katniss holds Rue’s hand and sings to her as she dies. I am interested to see if they will have Katniss sing the whole song, and if so, what it sounds like. I also loved the moment at the end of her song when the mockingjays continue to sing it as she decorates Rue’s body with flowers. This is another scene that I hope the movie will replicate as closely as possible.
8. The Cave Scene
This is one of the most crucial scenes of the whole book, and though I doubt the filmmakers would have had the nerve to cut it out completely, I do hope it remains as powerful and significant a scene in the movie. So much happens while Katniss and Peeta take refuge in the cave; it’s the first time their “love” begins to seem genuine, and their companionship and sacrifices for one another perfectly offset the gruesome brutality of the Games. I hope it plays out as meaningfully on screen as it does in the book.
9. The Muttations
The muttations are another Capitol creation that, like the tracker jackers, may end up looking too gimmicky and unrealistic on screen. In the book, their entrance is perfectly timed with the terrifying climax of the final battle --- especially since they are designed to look like the tributes who have already been killed. There’s potential for the movie to bring these revolting creatures to life, and hopefully it will do so effectively.
10. The Katniss/Peeta suicide threats
I can’t imagine any other ending to the Games than the epic moment where Katniss and Peeta threaten to simultaneously commit suicide with the poison berries. It’s the perfect split-second decision to save them, and the only way they can both make it out alive. I hope this moment is as dramatic and victorious in the movie as it is in the book.
Well, all will be revealed in a mere 12 hours. As you prepare for this long-awaited cinematic event, may the odds be ever in your favor!
