With a fervent fan following that spans multiple demographics, the big budget adaptation of the YA novel The Hunger Games is expected to be the first major blockbuster of 2012. And Lionsgate has been teasing its fast-approaching arrival since casting notices began last spring. But now, with a proper trailer and a bevvy of banners out to promote the film, we’re finally getting some hi-res shots of some of the film’s most beloved characters. Like the above image that shows Hunger Games’ heroine Katniss’s fashion designer Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) chatting calmly, suggesting that this scene takes place before the 74th Annual Hunger Games, which pits teen tributes against in each other in a kill-or-be-killed battle royale, has begun.
See more below, complete with captions:
Here we have Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and her long-time friend and hunting partner Gale (Liam Hemsworth) crouched in the lush forests that surround District 12, where impoverished miners and their families scrape by. As both Katniss and Gale have lost their fathers to mining accidents, they illegally traverse the nearby wilderness to hunt for food for their mothers and siblings.
Next up is Katniss (Lawrence) and Capital PR rep Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) during the Reaping, where the selection for District 12 tributes has been made. Soon Katniss and Peeta will be on their way to the Capital to prepare for the Games.
In this shot we see Katniss (Lawrence) dwarfed by her cold surroundings, being escorted through the bowels of what may be the affluent Capital. Likely pre-games.
Fans of the novel know instantly who this sweet-faced girl is: Rue! The youngest tribute (Amandla Stenberg) to compete in the 74th Hunger Games, Rue comes from the agriculture-fueled District 11. But though she is slight and small, Rue proves to be a fierce competitor as well as an unexpected ally to Katniss.
Finally, a shot of Katniss (Lawrence) in the tube that will launch her onto the unknown terrain of the games. It’s likely she’s looking to her friend/stylist Cinna (Kravitz) for one last moment of warmth before the war for survival begins. [Images: Movieweb]
A curious note. Not one shot of Katniss in full-on battle mode has yet been revealed. Expect more dynamic shots to drop as we draw closer to the film’s Spring release.
The Hunger Games open March 23rd.
What do you think of these latest images? Who is your favorite Hunger Games character?