Wether your liked the big screen adaptation of The Hunger Games or not, if you are a fan of the series you are probably just as excited for the sequel to be made into a film as well. Catching Fire hasn’t begun production yet, but the director Gary Ross has mentioned that there are a few things he is likely to change in the sequel.
But knowing some of the changes they ADDED to the first film, we can surmise that they will have to also change their effect on the second and third novel’s adaptation.
You can see five likely changes below:
SPOILER WARNING: The following article presumes you have read both The Hunger Games and the sequel, Caching Fire Proceed at your own risk.
The Riot in District 11
They showed this scene happening in the film right after Rue’s death. I get the reasoning behind it. It is more moving, stirring and emotional. However in the novel series, District 11 only sends her bread as thanks for her kindness. We do eventually see a riot in the district but it is not until the second novel when Katniss and Peeta head there for the Victory Tour. It ends with an old man whistling and then promptly being shot to death with Katniss and Peeta hustled out.
Because the film had the riot occur during the games of the first movie, there are several ways they could handle the original riot. They could have another riot, but that seems like it would be sending a message that the Capitol isn’t strong, but also a message that the riots are stronger and more driven now. Or they could write out the riot and just mention it, that is a little lazier. Or they could take out the Victory Tour all together.
Either way they will have to adapt the screenplay and story to account for the other riot already occurring.
No introduction of hovercrafts removing bodies from the arena
The film left out the fact that Capitol Hovercrafts came to retrieve bodies of dead tributes. That Peeta and Katniss use this as a way to know where tributes are in the arena. This may seem like a small detail but it is important at the end of the sequel Catching Fire.
At the end of the novel when Katniss breaks the force field, a hovercraft swoops down and picks her up and its important because she initially fears that she is being kidnapped by the Capitol. Those who haven’t read the books, i.e. those who just saw the movie, don’t know about the capabilities of the hovercraft or what their showing up normally who mean for the character.
This should be a relatively easy fix with a little backtracking in explanation of the Capitol, but only if they decide to keep the ending of the move the same as the book. If they don’t fans will be pretty upset but it would be easier than having to reintroduce the hovercraft technology.
A lot of District 12 details were left out
We got to see the district briefly but the inner workings of the district were left out. Such as the relationship between the district people and the peacekeepers, Darius hanging out at the Hob, and even the idea that her hunting at all is somewhat illegal. The hunting issue becomes major when Gale is whipped in public during book two.
Considering much of the second novel takes place in District 12 we can hope that they will spend more time describing the ins and the outs of Katniss’ home. Either that or it will be glossed over even more to get more quickly to the Quarter Quell.
Watching the Gamemakers worked in the first movie, but it won’t in the second
We know from the books and even a bit in the novel that Katniss knows how the gamesmakers think when creating the games. Seeing the gamemakers work in the first one was a nice touch but it will definitely not work the same if incorporated into the second book.
Much of Catching Fire‘s Quarter Quell is left in the dark because our protagonist, Katniss has no idea what they are planning till about halfway into the games. Because the Quell is special consequences, she doesn’t know what they are planning or how they have the arena laid out until halfway through she kind of sorta figures out the clock-work.
If they choose to incorporate the gamemakers scenes into the second film, we will lose the sense of confusion the audience shares with Katniss in the novel. Hopefully since Gary Ross has already stated things will be a little bit different, he will take a note from the novel and let us keep our shared perceptions of the Quell with Katniss.
Katniss and Peeta never have a confrontation about their feelings for each other
One of the things I disliked the most of the movie adaptation of the first book (don’t get me wrong, I still liked the movie) was that Peeta and Katniss don’t have the talk where it is revealed that she may or may not have been faking it for the cameras. The audience learns that his feelings are very clearly real but we are not so sure about Katniss. The film, unfortunately, leaves it without that confrontation.
This means they will either have to include it in the beginning of the film adaptation of Catching Fire or they will have to keep up the less strained more ambivalent relationship between the two. Hopefully the former is what they decide because it is a crucial moment for the characters that sets the tone for their relationship the rest of the series. It also helps set up the love triangle with Gale, without her back and forth feelings for the two we have a less credible love triangle.
Catching Fire is scheduled to hit theaters on November 22, 2013.
