The final instalment of ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise – ‘Mockingjay Part 2’ – is released in Irish cinemas this week. The film sees Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) finally take on the Capitol once and for all, without a Hunger Games rematch in sight. To prepare you for the excitement, and the sadness, of ‘The Hunger Games’ story coming to a close, Movies.ie have gathered together some facts about the upcoming film.
1. Buffyverse
Danny Strong wrote the screenplay for ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ along with Peter Craig. Strong is best known to fans of Joss Whedon’s ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ for playing the luckless Jonathan on the show. Strong also wrote the screenplay for ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’.
2. Fight on!
‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ is considered by director, Francis Lawrence, as the most violent film out of ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise. We can’t wait to see Katniss kick some serious bad guy butt.
3. Doubling up
Since The Capitol in ‘The Hunger Games’ is part of a dystopian world, Paris and Berlin were used to double up for the city in many of scenes in the film.
4. Winners!
The film stars 3 Academy Award winning actors: Jennifer Lawrence won in 2013 for ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, Julianne Moore won in 2015 for ‘Still Alice’ and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman won his Oscar in 2006 for ‘Capote’.
5. End of an era
‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final film. Hoffman died as the film was being made, in February 2014. At the time of his death, he had completed filming his scenes for Part 1, and had a week left of shooting for Part 2.
6. Reunited
Gwendoline Christie and Natalie Dormer, who play Commander Lyme and Cressida in ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ have worked together in the past; on the hit TV show ‘Game of Thrones’.
7. Edits
Director Francis Lawrence has said that because some of the visual effects sequences in this film are so challenging, he and the editors began work on them before the previous film – ‘Mockingjay – Part 1’ – was even released.
8. Gilliamesque
In May 2014, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Sam Claflin were spotted filming scenes for ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ in Noisy le Grand, Paris. This is the same location where Terry Gilliam’s ‘Brazil’ was filmed 30 years earlier.
9. More to come?
Although Suzanne Collins only wrote three books in her ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise – which are adapted into four films – in February this year, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer revealed the studio was “actively looking at some development and thinking about prequel and sequel possibilities” for ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise. It ain’t over til it’s over!
10. When can I see ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’?
‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ is released in Irish cinemas on November 19th 2015. Watch the trailer below…