VARIOUS: Jennifer Lawrence, lead actress of upcoming teen franchise, 'The Hunger Games' says the use of its sometimes graphic content is justified
Record ID:
220741
VARIOUS: Jennifer Lawrence, lead actress of upcoming teen franchise, 'The Hunger Games' says the use of its sometimes graphic content is justified
- Title: VARIOUS: Jennifer Lawrence, lead actress of upcoming teen franchise, 'The Hunger Games' says the use of its sometimes graphic content is justified
- Date: 15th March 2012
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 14, 2012) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) WIDE OF "THE HUNGER GAMES" EUROPEAN PREMIERE RED CARPET FAN HOLDING POSTER / ACTRESS ELIZABETH BANKS BEING INTERVIEWED VARIOUS OF CAST (FROM LEFT: LIAM HEMSWORTH, JENNIFER LAWRENCE, JOSH HUTCHERSON, ELIZABETH BANKS) PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEDIA ACTRESS JENNIFER LAWRENCE WALKING UP TO MEDIA CLOSE OF LAWRENCE TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ACTRESS, ON FILM'S GRAPHIC CONTENT, SAYING: "I think so, yes, because it's the violence and the brutality is the heart of the film, because it's what gets the people angry to start an uprising and to start a revolution and no wars start with watered down kind of [laughs] cut and candy views on some things. So, yes, I do think -- the violence and brutality is justified, but I understand if everybody has a different standards for ratings." ACTOR JOSH HUTCHERSON SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSH HUTCHERSON, ACTOR, ON FILM'S GRAPHIC CONTENT, SAYING: "I think so, yeah, I mean it's, I think kids are more mature than they have been over the years and I think that I mean the whole idea was to make this movie and stay true to the book without alienating audiences. So Gary Ross [the director] did it in a way where he didn't make the violence, glorify it at all. It's not overly gruesome or brutal but it is part of the story in some way." LAWRENCE INTERVIEWED BY REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ACTRESS, ON THE MEDIA ATTENTION, SAYING: "I mean it was definitely something that I thought about and was aware of and that was the first thing I had to forget. Because I had to go about this job like any other." LAWRENCE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS / WALKING OVER TO REPORTER TAKING OFF HER WINTER COAT (SOUNDBITE) (English) JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ACTRESS, ON MEDIA EXPERIENCE SO FAR AND WHETHER SHE ASKED OTHER TEEN MOVIE STARS FOR ADVICE, SAYING: "I only got in touch with Kristen Stewart one time when there was a rumour that we had a huge fight and we literally have never spoken so I just sent her an email like 'Hey, I never said any of that stuff' and she was like 'No, welcome to the world of PR so that was kind of the only conversation we ever had." ACTOR LIAM HEMSWORTH WALKING OVER TO REPORTER CLOSE OF HEMSWORTH TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIAM HEMSWORTH, ON FEELING PRESSURE WITH THE MOVIE, SAYING: "I think, you know, there was always that on our minds that we definitely wanted to please the fans but I mean everyone is going to have a different opinion of the book. You know everyone has their own imagination. So we really had to trust in Gary [Ross, the director] and were fortunate enough that Gary is such an amazing director and -- really had a clear vision of what the books I think should be, and I think he's pulled it off so." FANS SCREAMING / HEMSWORTH TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS WITH FANS ACTOR TOBY SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOBY JONES, PLAYS CLAUDIUS TEMPLESMITH, SAYING: "It feels like a sort of adult film in style, it's not that fast editing you see all the time in films that are supposedly for young people. It's much more, it believes that the audience were interested in the characters so it takes its time. It's large bits where it's just visual, it's not even, there's not even dialogue and that's really refreshing." VARIOUS OF HUTCHINSON TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSH HUTCHERSON, ON PHYSICALITY OF HIS ROLE, SAYING: "I love it, I love doing stunts. I play a lot of sports like soccer and basketball and -- so for me whenever I get to film a movie and when I get to do stunt work it's kind of a continuation of that." ACTRESS ELIZABETH BANKS WALKING UP TO MEDIA CLOSE OF BANKS TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELIZABETH BANKS, ON HOW SHE WOULD SURVIVE IN THE HUNGER GAMES, SAYING: "Oh, first of all I would hide. I would do a lot of hiding as long as possible and only come out at the very end to fight. And then I would just be really scrappy, I would fight dirty. That would be my main thing. I'd bite, scratch, pull hair whatever is necessary." BANKS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ACTOR CHRIS HEMSWORTH, BROTHER OF LIAM HEMSWORTH, SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS
- Embargoed: 30th March 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA6109FT15K9UU5619AH7MVQ8IE
- Story Text: Actors Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, stars of upcoming teen movie "The Hunger Games" have defended the display of graphic content in the film, saying it was important for the telling of the story, yet not exploitative.
"It's the violence and the brutality is the heart of the film, because it's what gets the people angry to start an uprising and to start a revolution and no wars start with watered down kind of [laughs] cut and candy views on some things. So, yes, I do think -- the violence and brutality is justified, but I understand if everybody has a different standards for ratings," Lawrence, who plays the film's heroine, Katniss Everdeen, told Reuters Television at the European Premiere on Wednesday (March 14).
Lawrence's co-star, American actor, Josh Hutcherson, added that while the use of violence was an important part, the film does not exploit it. Young people, he said, would be fine watching it.
"I think so, yeah, I mean it's, I think kids are more mature than they have been over the years and I think that I mean the whole idea was to make this movie and stay true to the book without alienating audiences. So Gary Ross [the director] did it in a way where he didn't make the violence, glorify it at all. It's not overly gruesome or brutal but it is part of the story in some way," he said.
One of the most eagerly awaited titles of the year, "The Hunger Games" had been edited by its distributor in Britain in order to earn a lower rating and broaden the potential audience.
Lions Gate UK made the changes to qualify for a "12A" rating rather than "15" which had been available for the unedited version.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) said said the distributors had digitally removed "sight of blood splashes and sight of blood on wounds and weapons".
The film has already been compared to other successful young adult franchise, such as "Twilight" and the "Harry Potter" films.
Some industry experts have predicted it could gross up to 63 million pounds from its opening weekend in North American cinemas alone.
Actor Liam Hemsworth, who plays Gale Hawthorne, one of the lead characters, says the cast felt some pressure to make a movie that would also please Collins' readership.
"I think, you know, there was always that on our minds that we definitely wanted to please the fans but I mean everyone is going to have a different opinion of the book. You know everyone has their own imagination. So we really had to trust in Gary [Ross, the director] and were fortunate enough that Gary is such an amazing director and -- really had a clear vision of what the books I think should be, and I think he's pulled it off so," he said.
While slated a teen movie, Toby Jones, one of the adult actors in this ensemble cast, said he thinks also older audiences will enjoy watching it.
"It feels like a sort of adult film in style, it's not that fast editing you see all the time in films that are supposedly for young people. It's much more, it believes that the audience were interested in the characters so it takes its time. It's large bits where it's just visual, it's not even, there's not even dialogue and that's really refreshing," he said.
Base on the first of three novels by Suzanne Collins, "The Hunger Games" pictures a futuristic world, in which the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem, forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the annual Hunger Games, a nationally televised event introduced as a twisted punishment for a past uprising. The games' participants, its "Tributes", are forced to fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss (Lawrence) is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
"The Hunger Games" opens in US and UK theatres from March 23. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None