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The Daily Beast: Nina Jacobson Talks About the Future of ‘The Hunger Games’ Films

Posted by Kimmy
Categories: The Hunger Games Movie

Aug 28, 2010

The difficulty in translating the book to film is apparent; both Jacobson and Lionsgate say the movie will be made for the book’s 12- to 18-year-old core audience, and as such they want a PG-13 rating. Scholastic Press editorial director David Levithan recalled his hesitation to the premise. “Oooh, that sounds brutal,” he remembered thinking. “I will fully admit that many of us, just based on the summary, thought this was going to be quite a challenge. Not just for us, but for Suzanne.”
“And then the first book came in and we were all blown away.” Collins, who is currently on a 12-city tour to promote the Mockingjay, is still surprised by how popular the series has become. Hundreds of fans attended a midnight release party for the book at New York’s Books of Wonder, and a surprised told the waiting crowd: “I didn’t know there were so many of you until I came out.” Before writing The Hunger Games, she wrote the middle-reader series The Underland Chronicles and worked as a writer in children’s TV programming.
The mother of two from Connecticut says she was flipping between reality shows and news from Iraq three years ago when she came up with The Hunger Games. “On one channel young people were competing for money. On the next channel, young people were fighting for their lives. I was tired, and the ideas merged,” she told USA Today in an interview last September. Coupled with one of the Greek myths about Theseus—similarly about a group of young people sent into a maze to be eaten by a Minotaur—Collins formed the framework for her post-apocalyptic story.
In The Hunger Games, Katniss and 23 other contestants between 12- and 18-years-old are trapped in a massive arena until only one winner is left standing. Throughout the games, she wrestles with the idea of trying to live when it means her competitors must die. And while Katniss succeeds in defying the Capitol in small ways from within the arena, the book does not shy away from the inevitable, nor does it seem to relish depicting deaths by stabbing, insects, or worse. The test for filmmakers will be to walk the same line. “The book’s ethics are clear, and we will find a director who can handle the material in the right way,” Jacobson said. “Suzanne was rightly concerned that it had the potential to be turned into something she hated, glorifying the violence the book is meant to critique.”
“That was really our pitch to Suzanne—You don’t want the movie to become its own version of The Hunger Games,” she continued.
Collins wrote a draft of the screenplay, and Billy Ray, who wrote State of Play and is set to adapt the Fox action drama 24 into a feature, completed a polish. Producers are now searching for a director.
Lionsgate president of production Alli Shearmur collected all of the studio’s top brass to get on the phone when it came time to convince Jacobson they were in sync. “That never happens at a big studio,” Jacobson said. “We were all just really emotionally invested fans.”

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by Catherine in August 28 - 11:20 pm

I can’t wait for the film!!!!

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by HUNGERGAMESFAN in August 28 - 11:25 pm

I kinda agree with these people but I dont think this movie could have a PG-13 rating…There’s just so much blood and gore and whatnot in the series…It would have to be like R rated or sumthing.

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by Kara in August 28 - 11:32 pm

I dont think this movie can have a pg13 rating only because of the fact children and killing children. This film if done right, with the themes and the message convayed within the story, could be an amazing film.
It just needs to be done right.
But I am not saying we need graphic deaths, sometimes the more hard hitting emotional are the ones that let your imagination go wild.

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by Aimee in August 28 - 11:43 pm

I think the book could be made PG-13…look at Lord of the Rings. It just has to be done carefully and tactfully.

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by Diabolicalbanana in August 28 - 11:44 pm

I have hope for the film. It seems as if their invested in bringing out the true meaning of what the Hunger Games is all about and I’m excited. My only fear is that this film will turn into some cheap teenage action adventure or even worse, became the “Last Airbender” film for next year. I wish my luck to Lionsgate and nina jacobson in finding the right director for this film.

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by Alexis Daiana in August 28 - 11:46 pm

I CAN’T WAIT! Now that the 3 books are out, all we have left to wait for is the movie/movies. I really really really hope they don’t ruin them

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by Dannie H in August 29 - 12:01 am

I’m scared for the movie and I am so so glad I read the books BEFORE the movie came out. With the Twilight series wacthed the movies before and ended up not liking either of them. I’m not going to compare these two series as The Hunger Games is just simply AMAZING.

I hope they don’t ruin the movie.

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by Jane in August 29 - 12:25 am

Righteous! There is now more information not like waiting months to know something so small about the film! The Series is awesome!!!!!!!!!!

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by Dina in August 29 - 12:29 am

They better not mess this movie up… But with Suzanne Collins behind the script, it can’t be too bad. I hope they can get it as a PG13, but screeners may see the killing children aspect as ‘too much.’

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by Emily in August 29 - 12:40 am

My only hope is that they get a director who is both talented and understanding. With a series like this, it’s so easy to mess up with not only the director but the cast as well.

They better choose a good Katniss.

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by Courtney in August 29 - 1:22 am

The movie better be PG-13, or I’ll cry.

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by Adela13 in August 29 - 1:30 am

I’m kind of scared for the movie to come out because I don’t want it to dissapoint me. I really really hope that they find the right director and the right cast. Now I do know that Lionsgate has produced some pretty gory movies like Hostel ans Saw so maybe the movie might me gory after all.

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by Courtney in August 29 - 1:31 am

@Adela13
They also produced The Last Exorcism

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by » Blog Archive » Nina Jacobson on The Hunger Games Movie in August 29 - 1:39 am

[...] [Via: mockingjay.net] [...]

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by Heather in August 29 - 1:48 am

I heard they are casting soon. But idk, I hope they cast soon! I wanna try out!

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by Courtney in August 29 - 1:58 am

@Heather:
Haha, me too!

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by katy in August 29 - 2:04 am

i want it to be PG-13 so i can watch it without having to bring my mom with me but i also want it to be rated R so there wont be so much limitations to the movie. And from the looks of this, i think the film might have a good chance of being really good.

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by Courtney in August 29 - 2:07 am

If it’s rated R, I won’t watch it. I refuse to see R rated movies, so I’ll cry if it is. :/

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by Elena in August 29 - 2:51 am

“The book’s ethics are clear, and we will find a director who can handle the material in the right way,” Jacobson said. “Suzanne was rightly concerned that it had the potential to be turned into something she hated, glorifying the violence the book is meant to critique.”

that quote just makes me want to sing!

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by Rach in August 29 - 5:04 am

i wonder if they’ll show all the deaths even though alot r gruesome, or if ther’re going to view it from katniss’s point of view like in the books. If its not we might get to see how thresh died! it would be cool to find out. I also wouldn’t be suprised if it was rated R cause kids killing kids isn’t the happiest subject for a movie :p well atleast if the movie stinks we still have the books!

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by Lisa in August 29 - 5:51 am

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CAITLIN JEAN STASEY AS KATNISS? SHE’S IN TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, WHO SOON HAS PREMIER IN AUSTRALIA ^^

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by torgori in August 29 - 6:53 am

I think a R rating is a bit extreme, but PG13 is a not high enough. Maybe an M15+… I understand the point they’re trying to make and can completely appreciate it, but I think there’s only so much you can do before it becomes too soft to get the message across. They definitely can’t stick to the PG13 rating when they get to Mockingjay….

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by Shobi in August 29 - 6:59 am

this should have a M rating…here in Australia M can be viewed by 13 year olds but blood is shown…so yeah it should be M…come on people its not the Hunger Games if it didnt have some brutality…the whole point of the series is to show that War, fighting, and Reality tv is just messed up and sick and is a waste of time and Lives….so they better get it right.

P.S @Lisa Ive seen the trailers and stuff…I like her but I dont really think shes Katniss….but I do like her.

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by Aino in August 29 - 8:16 am

I think R rating would be good. I’m dissappointed if it’s PG13 ;/
I think 15 years old and older can wathn the movie.

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by BlackRoseOpal in August 29 - 9:45 am

Guys think about Lord of the Rings. That was pg-13 and there was a good deal of violence, including a guy getting shot with arrows. I think they can pull it off.
I’m excited, but nervous at the same time, it’s like watching someone you don’t know anything about handle a newborn who is not theirs

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by peeta4ever in August 29 - 10:01 am

I really hope they don’t make the movie too gory. Because I thought the book was ok. But seeing it is very different than reading it.

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by mrs.peeta mellark13 in August 29 - 10:04 am

okay i really hope the movie is going to be epic as the books. they need to play it out just right and have the right actors for it.

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by Alexis in August 29 - 10:40 am

I cant wait for the movie! I will be really upset if the movie is spoiled. But i def. think it should not have a PG 13 rating. Def, rating R to me. But i so hope they dont spoil it. LIke twighlight for example. I never read the books mostly because im not a fan, but everyone says the movies sucked compare to the books. I just hope the hunger games movie doesnt end up like that…

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by mrs.peeta mellark13 in August 29 - 10:55 am

if they rate it R, SC definitely has a chance of losing her original audience. i’m 13, and if they rate it R, i’m still gonna make my mom take me anyway, though.

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by Noel in August 29 - 11:32 am

people haven’t u noticed that movies that supposed to be rated r are pg-13 all of a sudden

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by mrs.peeta mellark13 in August 29 - 12:56 pm

MWAHAHA! i got my brother to preview the hunger games book. hehe, he will be AMAZED! or at least i hope so.

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by Amy in August 29 - 12:58 pm

I CANT WAIT 4 THE MOVIE!!!

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by Kim16 in August 29 - 1:08 pm

LET THEM EAT CAKE!!!!
and make the movie pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez c:

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by felicia in August 29 - 2:05 pm

The ratings for movies these days are only somewhat accurate anyway! I think they should keep this as PG-13 or else because I’m not sure if parents will allow their young teens to see a Rated R movie so they’ll lose a lot of their audience.

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by Becca in August 29 - 7:37 pm

What’s with all the people so concerned about the “killing of children”… it happens every day in real life, no use trying to pretend it doesn’t.

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by mrs.peeta mellark13 in August 29 - 7:40 pm

@becca yes, this is true. but the capitol is killing children on live tv-completely different. besides, right now ppl kill children illegally. in the capitol, it’s completely legal to kill the children from the districts. i know, retarded right?

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by person in August 30 - 5:09 am

This movie will either be amazing… or stupid…. it better be amazing!

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by AUDREY in August 30 - 10:44 am

Okay, already finished all of the three books and I just can’t wait for the movie. They say that they’ll create the movie next year (2011) and I can’t wait for 2011! I hope that once they created the movie, people won’t judge it like they used to with twilight. that’s all. THE HUNGER GAMES is so good. ALL HAIL SUZANNE COLLINS for making the hunger games! IT’S LIKE A DRUG, really. Can’t stop myself reading the trilogy all over again.

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