‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay’: Your guide to District 13 and the rebellion
Little did we know that deep underground in the far reaches of Panem, a secret rebellion was brewing in District 13, an area presumed destroyed years ago. In this old graphite mine, containing nuclear facilities, survivors created a military society, awaiting their chance to rise up against the Capitol.
A few fun facts on how District 13 came to life in the movie:
▪ Filmmakers used old factories and intricate soundstages. “Our inspiration for the design came from 1960s and 1970s nuclear facilities,” production designer Phil Messina said in a studio statement.
▪ Julianne Moore joined the cast as Alma Coin, District 13’s steely leader. More magazine (no relation) says Moore tore through her son’s copy of “The Hunger Games” a few years ago. When she heard that the part of Coin was up for grabs, she went after the role without waiting to be asked.
▪ Effie Trinket, the prissy Capitol fussbudget, barely appears in Suzanne Collins’ “Mockingjay” book, but here she is, helping the cause in District 13. Says director Francis Lawrence: “When Suzanne saw ‘Catching Fire’ she called and said, ‘There’s no way Effie Trinket cannot be in the “Mockingjay” films.’”
Elizabeth Banks, who portrays Effie, says she loved putting her pampered fashionista in utilitarian clothes: “We called her outfits the Project Runway of District 13, taking the standard-issue stuff people wear and turning it inside out,” Banks said in a studio statement. “You get a sweater, some tights and a shirt. And it was like, OK, well, the shirt’s now going to be a dress and the tights are going to be sleeves and the sweater’s going to go on my head.”
▪ Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Gamemaker-turned-rebel Plutarch Heavensbee, died of a drug overdose in February, just before filming was completed on “Mockingjay” Parts 1 and 2.
Hoffman had two “substantial” scenes left to shoot, one for each film, director Francis Lawrence told the Los Angeles Times, so the scripts were revised. “We gave the scenes to other people,” he said. “What we didn’t want to do was try to do any kind of digital trickery, not have a digital Phil speak and trying to patch together his voice somehow or anything like that.”
“Mockingjay — Part 1” is dedicated in his memory.
Reach Sharon Hoffmann at shoffmann@kcstar.com.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE IS KEEPING BUSY
In addition to “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2,” arriving Nov. 20, 2015, look for Jennifer Lawrence in plenty more movies:
▪ “Serena,” March 27: Lawrence reunites with “Silver Linings Playbook” co-star Bradley Cooper for this Depression-era story about a newlywed couple and their timber empire. Susan Bier directs.
▪ “Joy,” Dec. 25, 2015: “SLP” director David O. Russell helms this biopic about a struggling Long Island single mom who became rich with her invention of the Miracle Mop.
▪ “The Rules of Inheritance”: In this adaptation of Claire Bidwell Smith’s memoir, a woman loses both her parents to cancer. Bier directs this one, too.
▪ “East of Eden”: Gary Ross, who directed the original “Hunger Games,” adapts the John Steinbeck classic.
▪ “X-Men Apocalypse,” 2016: Lawrence returns as the blue, shape-shifting Mystique.
▪ “The Glass Castle”: Lawrence will produce and star in this adaptation of Jeanette Walls’ memoir about growing up in a dysfunctional family.
This story was originally published November 20, 2014 at 10:36 AM with the headline "‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay’: Your guide to District 13 and the rebellion."