Gary Ross Says No to a Katniss Voice-Over in ‘The Hunger Games’

Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games
Jennifer Lawrence in ‘The Hunger Games’ – © Lionsgate Films

And if you read that headline and have no idea what we’re talking about, then you’re not a big fan of The Hunger Games – yet. The first film to be based on Suzanne Collins’s bestselling trilogy of books is set to hit theaters on March 23, 2012, and Lionsgate Films has a lot riding on The Hunger Games‘ success. The most expensive film from the studio to date, The Hunger Games is a difficult story to bring to life due to the fact it centers on the death of kids in an arena (think Thunderdome), fighting on behalf of their ‘Districts’.

Hopefully, director Gary Ross and Lionsgate were able to bring the disturbing story to life without compromising Collins’s vision, and the most recent trailers seem to indicate the film’s tone is in keeping with the book.

In an interview with MTV, director Ross explained how the story is basically told from Katniss’ (played by Jennifer Lawrence) point of view and revealed that he won’t be using a voice-over to introduce audiences to this world.

“I’m not using voice-over for her. This thing is all from Katniss’ perspective. It is a first-person point of view. How do we put the viewer immediately and urgently in that experience they had when they read the book and they’re in Katniss Everdeen’s shoes? A lot of that is done cinematically. I spent a lot of time wondering and thinking about at the beginning of this process, ‘What does it really mean to be in the character’s point of view cinematically?’ I looked at a lot of really interesting references for that, but it comes down to: You don’t know more than the character knows,” said Ross.

The Plot: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, 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 Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. 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.