What really caught my eye to the article was the mention of Mockingjay. I am a huge fan of The Hunger Games Series. I read the books way before a movie was even announced and way before it became such a huge hype world wide. I was pleased with The Hunger Games when I watched it. I desperately hoped that the film would not ruin the books for me, and I am glad that it didn't. I actually think it is one of the best adapted films I have ever seen. Because of The Hunger Games, I have very high expectations for the rest of the series.
As a student, I am affected because The Hunger Games is a book series that it actually banned in several areas in the world. I guess some areas just think that the series does not bode well with society. They do not want to acknowledge the fact that such a situation could actually occur in the future. In fact, areas with dictatorship are probably afraid that the series could strike up great rebellion. As a future filmmaker, I am concerned because I have always wanted to adapt a book into a film. Because of so many adapted films straying from the book, I have always been encouraged to make sure to stay true to the book. If I were Lawrence right now, I would be making sure that I can make all aspects as close to the book as I can. As a consumer, I am greatly concerned. As an admirer of the series, I really want the films to give me the same visual image I received while reading the book. However, admittedly, I actually want Mockingjay to completely stray away from the book. It is a long story, but really, it just comes down to the fact that I did not enjoy the last book as much as I did the first. There were just so many things wrong with it and it seemed like the author rushed Mockingjay only for the sake of finishing the trilogy.
A question that escaped me was "Why do directed commit to a film only to back out so suddenly?" I actually thought Gary Ross did a phenomenal job on The Hunger Games. Okay, so there were a few times when there was just a bit too much camera movement, but all in all, the film stayed true to the book. The only reason why some aspects of the film were changed was because sometimes, it is hard to capture ideas in a book that cannot really be portrayed in real life. Despite Ross ditching the series, I still have high expectations for the rest of the series. I severely hope that Lawrence will not disappoint.
http://collider.com/hunger-games-mockingjay-francis-lawrence/207898/
