Last night was the UK premiere of The Hunger Games, and if you happened to be within about a mile of the O2 while the cast were walking the red carpet, your ears are probably still ringing. To describe the fanbase as rabid might be a little mean, but they’re certainly an excitable lot.
During the brief periods in which we could hear ourselves think, we managed to speak to the stars of the film, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. They both spoke about their pride in the characters they play, while Josh also spoke about what he hoped the fans would take from the film, and Jennifer spoke about her plans to continue making independent films – even if she had to produce them herself.
Check back later on for our conversation with producer Nina Jacobson, where we talk about the cuts made to the UK version of the film.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE – KATNISS EVERDEEN
How important was it for you to play such a strong female character so many readers look up to?
“I was thrilled that a character like that could grab so much attention. She has substance and she’s a good role model and she’s an iconic character.”
Are you concerned that doing a film like The Hunger Games might make producers of independent films ignore you because they think you’re out of their league?
“I’m still doing indies, I always will, and if they don’t hire me, I’ll just make my own”
JOSH HUTCHERSON – PEETA MELARK
How do you feel about taking such a major role in such a big franchise? Are you worried about the second one?
“Not really. I love the books and I love the character, I really connect with Peeta on a lot of levels. I just want to make a good movie. I want to make the fans happy, so I definitely think that was there, but I wasn’t too focused on it.”
You’ve got the fans behind you and they seem pretty cheerful. What are you hoping they take away from this film?
“I hope they’re entertained, I hope they’re moved. When I first saw the movie it was really powerful from beginning to end. I just hope they go along the ride like I did and really enjoy it.”
