Comics & Literature

8 Shocking Differences Between The Hunger Games Book And Film

Published

3 years ago

September 1, 2020

Millions of people have seen The Hunger Games, but far fewer have read the book. If you haven’t, you’re missing out on some game-changing details. We’ve compiled eight shocking differences between The Hunger Games book and film.

The Hunger Games films have been a hit across the globe. But like all films adapted from books, a number of key details aren’t included. In the case of The Hunger Games, some of those omissions are huge…

WARNING: The next section contains spoilers and excerpts from the first book and film.

1. Katniss doesn’t buy the Mockingjay pin

In the film, Katniss buys the iconic Mockingjay pin at the Hob. But in the books, the daughter of District 12’s mayor, Madge Undersee, visits Katniss before they haul her off to the Capitol.

My next guest is also unexpected. Madge walks straight to me. She is not weepy or evasive, instead, there’s an urgency about her tone that surprises me. “They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena. One thing to remind you of home. Will you wear this?” She holds out the circular gold pin that was on her dress earlier. I hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but now I see it’s a small bird in flight.

This may seem like an irrelevant omission from the film until we learn the significance of it. Not only was the Mockingjay symbol somewhat of a slap in the face to the Capitol, but that very same pin was also worn by Madge’s aunt who was a former tribute.

2. Peeta’s dad brings Katniss gifts

During the hour when the tributes get to say goodbye to their loved ones, Katniss gets more visitors than just the ones we see in the film. As well as Madge delivering the Mockingjay pin, Peeta’s father also makes a surprise visit.

Someone else enters the room, and when I look up, I’m surprised to see it’s the baker, Peeta Mellark’s father. I can’t believe he’s come to visit me. After all, I’ll be trying to kill his son soon.

Even more surprisingly, he gives Katniss cookies and promises to watch over Prim and make sure she’s eating. The exchange makes no sense until Peeta and Katniss come together in the games. Katniss asks when Peeta first started to like her, and he relates a story about his first day at school.

“Oh, let’s see. I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair… it was in two braids instead of one. My father pointed you out when we were waiting to line up,” Peeta says.

“Your father? Why?” I ask.

“He said, ‘See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner,’” Peeta says.

Peeta’s father was in love with Katniss’ mother. His visit with Katniss hints that he may still carry some of those feelings, and thus cares about Katniss’ and Prim’s welfare by extension.

3. The traitorous Avox with red hair

During a dinner at the Training Center, Katniss recognises one of the servers. “Don’t be ridiculous, Katniss. How could you possibly know an Avox?” snaps Effie.

But Katniss does know her… of sorts anyway. She later tells Peeta that once, whilst she and Gale were hunting, they saw the girl and a boy “running as if their lives depended on it” through the woods. They weren’t from District 12: they were from the Capitol. But no sooner did they see them than a hovercraft appeared in the sky out of nowhere, killing the boy and taking the girl prisoner.

“Where do you suppose they were going?” he asks.

“I don’t know that,” I say. District 12 is pretty much the end of the line. Beyond us, there’s only wilderness. If you don’t count the ruins of District 13 that still smoulder from the toxic bombs. They show it on television occasionally, just to remind us.

“Or why they would leave here.” Haymitch had called the Avoxes traitors. Against what? It could only be the Capitol. But they had everything here. No cause to rebel.

This is the first subtle tease we get of rebellion. The first breadcrumb that something may actually be beyond District 12 besides a barren wasteland…

4. Katniss goes deaf in one ear

When Katniss blows up the stockpile of food around the cornucopia, the force of the explosion knocks her back. Although we see her injured in the film, the book makes it clear that her injuries are more serious.

Have I gone deaf from the explosion? The idea frightens me. I rely as much on my ears as my eyes as a hunter, maybe more at times.

For the rest of the book, Katniss is deaf in her left ear. She only regains her hearing once she wins the Games and the Capitol fixes it.

5. District 11 sends Katniss a parachute after Rue dies

When Rue dies in the film, we see District 11 revolt against the peacekeepers. What we don’t see is what actually happened in the book.

Instead of a rebellion, the people of District 11 send Katniss a gift.

I open the parachute and find a small loaf of bread. It’s not the fine white Capitol stuff. It’s made of dark ration grain and shaped in a crescent. Sprinkled with seeds. I flashback to Peeta’s lesson on the various district breads in the Training Center. This bread came from District 11. I cautiously lift the still-warm loaf. What must it have cost the people of District 11 who can’t even feed themselves? How many would’ve had to do without to scrape up a coin to put in the collection for this one loaf? It had been meant for Rue, surely. But instead of pulling the gift when she died, they’d authorized Haymitch to give it to me. As a thank-you? Or because, like me, they don’t like to let debts go unpaid? For whatever reason, this is a first. A district gift to a tribute who’s not your own.

Whether they sent it to Katniss out of gratitude for caring for Rue, or as a sign that they had already chosen her to be the leader of the rebellion, it isn’t clear. But it was an unbelievable move and a first for the games.

6. Katniss drugs Peeta to get medication

In the film when Katniss cares for Peeta in the cave, we see her leave him while he sleeps. She goes to the cornucopia to retrieve medication that will save his life.

In reality, Katniss receives a parachute with sleep syrup that will knock Peeta out for a day.

It’s such a tiny vial though. It must be very strong to cure someone as ill as Peeta. A ripple of doubt runs through me. I uncork the vial and take a deep sniff. My spirits fall at the sickly sweet scent. Just to be sure, I place a drop on the tip of my tongue. There’s no question, it’s sleep syrup.

7. The mutts are half-animal, half-dead victor

Nothing special is mentioned about the mutts that arrive at the end of the film, but the books indicate a more sinister twist.

My head snaps from side to side as I examine the pack, taking in the various sizes and colours. The small one with the red coat and amber eyes… Foxface!

And there, the ashen hair and hazel eyes of the boy from District 9 who died as we struggled for the backpack! And worst of all, the smallest mutt, with dark glossy fur, huge brown eyes and a collar that reads 11 in woven straw. Teeth bared in hatred. Rue…

In a cruel and monstrous move from the gamemakers, Katniss notices that the eyes of the mutts belong to the eyes of the already dead victors.

8. Peeta loses a leg

One of the most shocking differences between the book and film is Peeta’s life-long injury.

But it’s not until we get around to the mutts that I forget I’m on camera. When Caesar asks Peeta how his “new leg” is working out.

“New leg?” I say, and I can’t help reaching out and pulling up the bottom of Peeta’s pants. “Oh, no,” I whisper, taking in the metal-and-plastic device that has replaced his flesh.

There is no mention or indication that Peeta loses a limb in the films, but this is undoubtedly one of the biggest omissions. The games have taken a part of Peeta that can never, ever be replaced.

Are there any other moments you would like to have seen on the list? If so, leave us a comment below.

Read our next Hunger Games article HERE.

Read IMDB information about The Hunger Games movie HERE.

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Comics & Literature

DC Fandome 2021 – Revelations, Trailers and the future

Published

2 years ago

October 18, 2021

Sarah Casserley

At the recent virtual DC Fandome 2021 over 66 million fans tuned in across 220 countries. They listened in 12 different languages. All to find out the scoop on what’s to come for the comic book franchise, new DC revelations and even watch trailers of soon to be released films and TV shows.

But, if you weren’t one of the millions to be watching from home, below is the Film, TV and Gaming announcements and revelations that would interest any DC fan.

FILMS

Black Adam

DC Fandome 2021 started with a world exclusive trailer of Black Adam! The man himself Dwayne Johnson. Along with a host of the films other stars including Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo. They introduce themselves and the exclusive trailer.

During the 4-minute intro below, you see Johnson excitably launch his passion project. He explains how much the Black Adam universe means to him. We are also told that the film is currently in post-production with the film being released on the 29th of July 2022.

We don’t get much information or storyline from the trailer. But Dwayne’s enthusiasm for the character and the gritty darkness of what we do get in the trailer is enough, for now, to keep us excited about this Movie.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

During the day’s events, Jason Momoa was on hand to give fans an in-depth dive into the world of Aquaman. Firstly, apologising for the four-year wait. However, Momoa and director James Wan appeased fans with a host of behind-the-scenes clips. Plus a glimpse of some unusual conceptual art. Which included quirky looking desert creatures and giant grasshoppers.

We have also been promised by Wan that we are going to be getting a film that’s more mature, giving the audience something new, exciting and an experience we haven’t seen before. The 2-and-a-half-minute look into the sequel, below, was enough to make any fan excited for its theatrical release in December 2022.

DC’s League of Super-Pets

A fun animated adventure was also announced. DC’s League of Super-Pets will bring super-pets like Krypto and Ace the Bat-Hound to life for the first time.

In an exclusive trailer, fans were introduced to the two pups, voiced by Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, in a light-hearted look into the film. The full movie voice by the comedy pairing along with some other famous names such as Keanu Reeves and Vanessa Bayer is set to be released next November.

The Flash

Another film trailer to hit the DC Fandome 2021 screens was The Flash. Portrayed once again by Ezra Miller and directed by Andy Muschietti. Fans were introduced to the trailer and the concept of the film, where the Flash unlocks the DC cinematic universe. He time hops back to the ’90s where Michael Keaton, reprises his role, he originated in 1989’s ‘Batman’ and 1992’s ‘Batman Returns’.

We’re elated that we get another film with Michael Keaton as Batman. Even if the storyline does sound a little farfetched. We’re sure Muschietti will get the narrative across perfectly and the film will be an instant hit. The film is due to hit cinemas in November 2022.

The Batman

The DC Fandome 2021 team knew exactly what they were doing when they left the release of the second Batman trailer to the very end of the day. Like fans around the world, we also couldn’t wait to see more of Patterson, fully suited up, showcasing his gritty take on the hero. Director Matt Reeves, Robert Pattinson (Batman) and Zoe Kravitz (Selina Kyle/ cat woman) were there to lead the trailers release.

Granted the jury is still out if Patterson can pull of the dark knight or not but we have to admit we are excited to see him in action. We also have a sneaky suspicion that for the first time in a film setting since Michelle Pfeifferthey may have nailed the casting for Selina Kyle with Zoe Kravitz. We don’t have long left to find all this out though, as after a few Covid related interruptions Batman is now set to be released in theatres on March 4th, 2022.

Injustice and Catwoman: Hunted

If some of these DC film releases seem a little far away, fear not because we were also made aware that two animated films will be released quite soon. With Injustice’s release this October and an anime-inspired animated DC offering in the form of Catwoman on February the 8th 2022, both the feature-length animations will be available on digital, 4K and Blu-ray. To take a sneak peak of Catwoman: Hunted you can watch the trailer below.

RETURNING TV

When it came to the TV side of the DC world there were a lot of announcements and trailers mainly around continuing shows such as, Titans, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Stargirl along with the more anticipated trailers for:

Batwoman

Has been renewed for another season, despite the departure of Ruby Rose. The new trailer showcased its new Batwoman – Ryan Wilder played by Javicia Leslie.

Doom Patrol

Is set to be returning for a fourth season. During the announcement followers of the show were treated to a wonderfully odd and endearing mid-season trailer.

The Flash

Is set for yet another inter-universe team up as The Flash team takes on a deadly mission against the ‘Armageddon’ villains. Which could decide the fate of humankind. The villainous gang is headed up by Tony Cuttan as Despero, Arrowverse’s Tom Cavanagh as Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash and Neal McDonough as Damien Darhk.

NEW TV

Peacemaker

First seen in this summer’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Movie, John Cena’s comedic take of the Peacemaker is set to have its own HBO Max show. The fun and quirky trailer to the first series premiered at the event. Along with a behind the scenes look at the making of the series. It shows that director James Gunn is staying true to his unique, comedic style. The Trailer also shows the other great actors involved in the series including the hilarious ‘Orange is the New Black’ star Danielle Brooks, Christopher Heyerdahl, Robert Patrick and Jennifer Holland. This eight-episode series is set to be released on 13 January.

The Sandman

Viewers of the event didn’t find out much about this Netflix offering. But we did get glimpses of Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar. Wwhich let’s be honest along with the announcement that this is actually happening, is enough to get most of us DC fans excited about its release. There is no release date yet but I’m sure over the coming months there will be more announcements about this extraordinarily dark and forbidding series.

NAOMI

Based on the comic book series of the same name created by Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker and Jamal Campbell. The TV adaptation of the story was announced with a one-minute ten-second trailer. This superhero drama is based around a comic book-loving teenager who discovers she has superpowers. Her curiosity leads her onto a journey into the Multiverse in search of answers. We haven’t got a definitive release date yet, but we have been promised it will be in 2022.

GAMES

Suicide squad: Kill the Justice League

Since the announcement of this game at last year’s Fandome we haven’t had much information or even any gameplay footage. However, at this year’s event, we did get quite an in-depth trailer and a little look at the storyline. In this game, the player gets a choice of playing Harley Quinn, King Shark, Captain Boomerang or Deadshot. As they take on a new mission against an alien threat that has brainwashed the Justice League. There is still no hint to a release date or even a gameplay trailer, but we have been assured 2022 will be full of hints about the game and hopefully a conclusive release date.

Gotham Knights

Another game trailer that was released at the Fandome, that excited fans across the world was Gotham Knights. Continuing its Arkham-style adventures, Games Montreal has been working hard on the narrative and gameplay functions of this game. This game, in particular, was supposed to be released sometime in 2021 but it was delayed and we have now got a 2022 release time frame.

In this game you get to play a number of characters including Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood in an open-world action online RPG in order to uncover secrets and take down the Court of Owls.

So there you have it, some of the top DC new from the Fandome 2021. What do you think about all the new announcements? What are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below..

Read our review of DC’s The Suicide Squad HERE.