Francis Lawrence Answers Your Questions on Reddit

Francis Lawrence took part in a Q&A on Reddit last night (AKA my favorite F-Law interview, EVER). Check out Francis' answers to some of your burning Catching Fire and Mockingjay questions. There are SO many Mockingjay answers (and answers disguised as non-answers and massive hints) in this interview! Read on:

I am a huge fan of both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire movies! My question is were you a big fan of the books when they came out in 2008? And were you expecting the films to become as popular as they have?

I was a big fan of the books. I was actually making Water for Elephants when I read the first book. And I enjoyed it a lot. I thought it was a really interesting world, really great story and great characters, but no one can ever guess that something is going to be as big of a phenomenon as something like the Hunger Games series. You can never predict those things. You really can't. I imagine you can guess a little from book sales and the kind of book sales data that can gather, but you can't really predict it, it's a mixture of themes, ideas, stories, the cast that is in the movies, all of that somehow comes together and either creates magic or it doesn't.

How was it working with IMAX cameras on Catching Fire?

The results are amazing. Working with them was tough. We were working in the rainforest, which is a tough environment anyway, but then lugging these two IMAX cameras around the rainforest wasn't easy. They are big, heavy, they run through film really quickly, and they are very loud, so all dialogue shot using IMAX cameras has to be replaced. So it's tough, and it's slow, but the results are amazing.

Hi. I wanted to know what was the reasoning behind leaving out the scene where Plutarch shows his watch to Katniss during the ball?

And what was the reasoning for completely changing the type of cat use for Buttercup? Yes, the THG: CF cat was closer to the correct type for Buttercup but he'd already been established as a different cat in the first movie.

There's a very easy reason. We shot the watch, we tried the watch in the cut, and we took it out. Because we don't have the option of having Katniss wonder and doubt the meaning of the watch in the film, it becomes way too clear what the watch means in the movie, and that would have been a mistake.

This was a request by both Suzanne Collins and Nina Jacobson that they wanted the cat situation to be fixed, to cast the appropriate looking cat, and I was happy to oblige.

Judging by Catching Fire, you seem like a really faithful fan of the books. What's your own personal favorite scene from the book and was there one favorite you wanted to bring to the screen but for whatever reason, couldn't make it work?

Again I've always been attracted to the first stop on the Victory tour. I think that's where the story really kicks into another gear and you start to understand that the stakes are far greater than just Katniss's. And there were some scenes with Peeta and Katniss on the roof of the Tribute center that I always liked from the book that we were unable to get into the film.

SO much more about Catching Fire and Mockingjay after the jump!

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Elizabeth Banks Improvised Your Favorite Lines in 'Catching Fire'

Some of the best lines in Catching Fire are uttered by the incredible Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket. She provides much needed comic relief in the film, and some of the most heart-wrenching emotional moments as well. So we were thrilled to hear that Elizabeth actually improvised most of those hilarious one-liners, and fought for them to be included in the movie for the sake of the fans. Read her interview with MTV for more:

While the wild wigs, costume and makeup that make Banks nearly unrecognizable go a long way to building the memorable character, it turns out that the actress herself came up with several shout-outs and lines that will undoubtedly further cement Effie's place as a fan favorite.

For example, remember the best line of the first movie? Of course you do:

In Catching Fire, Banks managed a sly wink at the infamous quote while offering a running commentary on the Capitol landmarks she's walking Katniss and Peeta through: "The library, all mahogany."

"I brought that back, I threw it in there," she said of the line, which was unscripted. "I did it, and Francis called cut, and I went over to him, and said, 'You have to keep that in the movie, because the fans will go bananas.' " (We DID!)

Lawrence left it in and the fans did indeed go bananas, if exclamation point-filled Tumblr reactions are any evidence. Banks didn't just put her own spin on hardwood references though. She also revealed that the "Ooh, curtains" comment about a fellow Capitol citizen's choice of accessory, as well as the memorably snapped "chins up, smiles on" tossed in the glum Katniss' direction were her ideas.

"I get to improv a lot with Effie, which is fun," she said. "There were really very few words scripted so I got to have fun with that sequence."

VIDEO: Josh Hutcherson on The Late Show With David Letterman

Josh Hutcherson stopped by The Late Show with David Letterman today. He talked about Jennifer Lawrence with Dave. Check out the video:

Full interview:

New 'Catching Fire' TV Spot: "World"

Check out the latest Catching Fire TV spot, 'World.'

Capitol Couture by Trish Summerville NOW Available at Net-A-Porter

Capitol Couture by Trish Summerville has officially launched on Net-a-Porter.com. The 24 piece capsule collection contains items inspired by the costumes in Catching Fire. Katniss' laser-cut leather chariot dress is re-imagined in a patent leather mini dress, her mockingjay dress reworked into a short, silk-chiffon number, digitally printed with a mirrored feather design with a silver underskirt that adds a hint of shimmer.

The Capitol Couture by trish Summerville version of Katniss' chariot dress

The pieces are truly aspirational, the most expensive item topping out at nearly $1000. But you can get your hands on a Katniss inspired arrow t-shirt for $75.00.

Check out the whole collection HERE.

Which District Are you? Take the Quiz from The Fandom, Fandango & Movies.com

Which District are you? The Fandom, Fandango and Movies.com, are going to help you find out. Take the quiz, which uses a complex formula to figure out what Panem district you truly belong in. Do you belong in District 4 with Finnick or District 12 with Katniss, or maybe you’re even a citizen of the Capitol? Click HERE to take the quiz and get your District card to share on social media.

We found out that we are truly District 11! I'm going to put my overalls on right now.

More VIDEO: Interviews With The 'Catching Fire' Cast

The interviews keep coming! Here's a batch of the latest interviews we've found with Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Francis Lawrence, Jea Malone, Sam Claflin, Elizabeth Banks and Lenny Kravitz.

Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth talk to Le Figaro about Katniss, kissing both Peeta and Gale and they clarify the threesome rumors:

Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson burp in sync while talking to E! Online.

Francis Lawrence Talks to Fast Company about Catching Fire:

Many more after the jump!

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Box Office: 'Catching Fire' Breaks November Record

Catching Fire burned up the weekend box office, pulling in an estimated $161.1 million. That gross beats the $152.5 million opening of The Hunger Games, which opened in March 2012, and it stands as the best November debut of all time ahead of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which bowed with $142.9 million in 2009.

According to EW.com, only three films have ever opened higher than Catching Fire: The Avengers ($207.4 million), Iron Man 3 ($174.1 million), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($169.2 million). Many odds-makers thought Catching Fire might surpass Iron Man 3‘s opening earlier this year, but the superhero sequel had the notable advantage of 3-D ticket sales, and Catching Fire fell short. Still, if estimates hold up when final grosses are released tomorrow, Catching Fire will have bested The Dark Knight Rises as the highest 2-D opener of all time. Rises pulled in $160.9 million during its opening weekend in 2012. Even without 3-D appeal, Catching Fire played very well on IMAX screens. The large-screen format accounted for $12.6 million of its domestic debut.

Catching Fire played to audiences in all four quadrants. Crowds over 25 and under 25 were evenly split, and although the film had more female viewers than males (59 percent vs. 41 percent), more men turned out on opening weekend than for the original Hunger Games. Females made up 61 percent of that film’s opening weekend audience. The passionate moviegoers who saw the film this weekend awarded the film an enthusiastic “A” CinemaScore grade, which will yield great word-of-mouth as the film enters the lucrative Thanksgiving period next weekend. It seems likely that holiday business will help Catching Fire surpass The Hunger Games‘ $408 million domestic total, but we’ll have to wait and see whether that actually happens.

Internationally, Catching Fire is already doing double the numbers of The Hunger Games, which pulled in $283.2 million overseas for a $659.2 million worldwide total. Catching Fire grossed $146.6 million overseas in its first weekend from 63 territories, giving it a dazzling $307.7 million worldwide opening weekend. That’s up 45 percent from The Hunger Games‘ $211.8 million global debut — a whopping $152.5 million of which came from the U.S. and Canada.