NEW 'CATCHING FIRE' MOVIE STILLS: UNLOCK THEM AT THE HUNGER GAMES EXPLORER

Effie Trinket - the only reason Katniss and Peeta get anywhere on time.

New year. New Head Gamemaker. President Snow and Plutarch Heavensbee conspire

It was impossible for her to forget...Katniss Everdeen by Murray Close

A Promise Kept by Murray Close

The heart of a rebel...Gale Hawthorne by Murray Close

The Hunger Games Explorer launched with a tweet to unlock campaign for new Catching Fire movie stills. Use the hashtag #HungerGamesExplorer in your tweets to unlock 5 new movie stills. Daily surprises await so check back for more info! And follow us on twitter @panempropaganda. 

New photos will be added as we unlock them!

Vote for Josh Hutcherson in Socialite Life's Most Charitable Celebrity Poll

We know all about Josh Hutcherson's philanthropic side, his work as a founder and advocate for Straight But Not Narrow made him the youngest-ever recipient of the Vanguard Award at last year's GLAAD Media Awards (Jennifer Lawrence will be appearing at this year's Awards on April 20th), and we just saw his beautiful photo for the NOH8 Campaign. 

Now Socialite Life (a division of Celebuzz) has nominated Josh as one of their Favorite Charitable Celebrities and you can vote for him as YOUR favorite until April 22nd. Yes, it's a gossip site, but we'll give props to anyone promoting JHutch's charitable side! Vote for him HERE.

'Mockingjay Part 1' Casting Call Issued

Image by Nikola-Nikart

Acting-Auditions is reporting that casting calls have been issued for principal actors and extras on Mockingjay Part 1, confirming earlier reports that production is starting on September 16, 2013 and will shoot in Boston and Atlanta.

From Acting-Auditions: 

Color Force/C4 Productions in association with Larger Than Life Productions are in pre-production on the feature film "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1". This is the first half of the third installment in the blockbuster hit The Hunger Games trilogy, and will be filmed back-to-back with "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2". Shooting will run from September 16, 2013 through May 20, 2014 and will take place in Atlanta, GA and Boston, MA.

Principal actor casting for the main roles will take place in Los Angeles with additional actor casting in Atlanta and Boston. Extras will be cast throughout the entire production in both cities.

Details on how talent can submit for acting roles, and registration information for extras can be found HERE.

Update on Sat, April 13, 2013 by PanemPropaganda

Production Weekly just confirmed that 9/16/13 - 5/20/14 production schedule and added Los Angeles as an additional filming location for Mockingjay. 

Elena Sanchez Talks to Desde Hollywood About Her Role in 'Catching Fire'

The lovely and kick-ass (check out her stunt reel below!) Elena Sanchez plays Cecelia in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Desde Hollywood sat down with her to discuss the movie and her career as a stunt woman and actress. 

From DesdeHollywood:

What attracted you to the risky business of performing stunts?

Doing stunts is basically like being a professional athlete. When I stopped competing gymnastics after college I was looking to fill the hole that left in my life. I started acting and going to drama school. Stunts then gave me a reason to keep training, stay in shape, and continue performing!

What was your reaction when you found out that you had been cast in Catching Fire?

To be honest, I didn’t really believe it until my first day on set. When I got the call, after about five minutes of hyperventilating, I told myself not to get too excited. In this business there are a lot of disappointments. I kept thinking they had made some kind of mistake and were going to find someone else!

In what ways can you relate to ‘Cecelia’, your character?

Since Cecelia is only mentioned a few times in the book, the love she has for her children that are taken away from her as she is chosen for The Hunger Games kind of becomes a defining characteristic. I have never had to make that kind of sacrifice, but love for people, the world, and life is one of the most important philosophies I live by. I tried to relate to her by thinking about what it would be like to give up some of the most important things in my life, but knowing that it was for a greater cause.

How did the established actors welcome a newcomer like yourself?

On every movie I’ve been on I’ve had the honor of working with people who are extremely talented and have been in the business for years, if not decades. Every day on set is like being in a classroom, I learn so much from them. Not once have I come across someone who was not welcoming! I have been very blessed.

How well would Elena Sanchez do in a “Hunger Games-like” event?

Well, it would all depend on my competition. But beware! I can climb on things, swing from trees, and flip around… AND I have been working on my Ninja skills!

Many thanks to Elena Sanchez for this exclusive interview (in Spanish here)!

See what Elena is up to and follow her at twitter.com/TheElenaSanchez andfacebook.com/TheElenaSanchez and check out her website elenasanchez.com.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is out in theaters November 22.

See the entire article HERE. Many thanks to our friends at RealOrNotRealNews for the tip!

'Mockingjay Part 1' To Start Production in September

Image by Nikola-Nikart

Production Weekly just revealed that Mockingjay Part 1 will start production September 16th with locations in Atlanta and Boston! What do you think? Wouldn't it be fun to get some Mockingjay set photos just as we're gearing up for the Catching Fire premiere? 

Update on Sat, April 13, 2013 by PanemPropaganda

Production Weekly just confirmed the Mockingjay production schedule as Septermber 16th through May 20th, 2014, and says Los Angeles will be an additional location for the shoot. 

Nelson Ascencio Films 'Catching Fire' DVD Extras Interview

The film has barely wrapped and Nelson Ascencio (Flavius) has already filmed his interview for the Catching Fire DVD/Blu-Ray Extras! Nelson shared these photos on his Facebook page and added:

Today i was interviewed for the DVD/BluRay Special Features for "Catching Fire". Call me dorky but i was very excited about it. Thanks to all the cool fans of the films who said "hello". Can't wait to see it myself.

We definitely won't call you dorky and we can't wait to see it either! Along with some deleted scenes, right Lionsgate?!

You should definitely like Nelson's Facebook page and follow him on twitter @nelson_ascencio. 

What is The Hunger Games Explorer?

The thrilling peek at the Catching Fire Trailer and news of the TWO-AND-A-HALF minute full trailer premiering at the MTV Movie Awards almost overshadowed a very significant detail: The trailer will be available online at a NEW website after the awards, TheHungerGamesExplorer.com.  New website?! What the Finnick?

A closer look at the official press release reveals that the site is a partnership with Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer just partnered with the Webby Awards on their Winners Gallery + Archive in what Forbes calls, "a stunning display that makes use of the best of IE 10′s capabilities and latest Web standards, leveraging technology in a way that is more intuitive and collaborative." Check it out HERE. Maybe we're getting a slick, new, intuitive Hunger Games site! Or maybe it's a lame marketing tie-in. Fingers crossed for slick!! We'll keep you posted.

From the official press release:

SANTA MONICA, CA (April 3, 2013) –MTV announced today that the “2013 MTV Movie Awards” will exclusively debut the never-before-seen official teaser trailer for the long awaited second installment of Lionsgate’s Hunger Games film franchise, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” LIVE on Sunday, April 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. To celebrate the premiere, the film’s star Liam Hemsworth will officially give the world its first glimpse of the film. The teaser trailer will then be available online at TheHungerGamesExplorer.com, in partnership with Internet Explorer, after it airs on television.

Jena Malone Makes Her Directorial Debut With Lavender Diamond's Video "I Don't Recall"

Jena Malone & Becky Stark behind the scenes of "I Don't Recall" Photo: Adarsha Benjamin

Jena Malone just made her directorial debut with Lavender Diamond's brand-new music video, "I Don't Recall."

MTV Buzzworthy has an exclusive interview with Jena about her inspiration (and a tiny-but-excellent tidbit about Catching Fire) :

 Buzzworthy: How did you and Becky Stark (aka Lavender Diamond) come to work together?

Jena Malone: We met over six years ago and became instantly enamored with each other. It's gorgeous when two women can meet and inspire each other and share their creative endeavors in a supportive way. Of course I also fell in love with her music. She is such a pure light and is able to transmit that into song in a honest and transformational way. We have collaborated on many stories and ideas for projects together, but I think this one was just the first that was solidified into existence. I heard her new album, Incorruptible Heart, and just fell in love. I had the song "I Don't Recall" on repeat for days. And the song jarred in me a story I felt I needed to tell. After that it all came together quite simply. I shared my idea with her, we found a little money and drove up to Ojai with a small incredible crew and made the video over a weekend.

BW: The video has an undercurrent of ironic, resigned humor to it. Was that intentional? What do you see happening to this poor woman in the future?

JM: This video was inspired by a painting I've been obsessed with for years. It's called "Christina's World " by Andrew Wyeth. As an actor I love using painting and photographs when I'm in the beginning stages of developing a character. And Andrew Wyeth is an artist I seem to always come back to again and again. No one can touch how we sees women. His mood and tone are so raw and personal but heart achingly beautiful. In the painting a young woman is laying in a field looking back at a farmhouse. But it's her body language which is the most impactful. It looks like she has been crawling or has fallen in the dirt. Her body language plays between that wonderful balance of longing and acceptance of one’s fate. And when I listened to the song, I felt it spoke of similar things. Instantly I knew that I wanted set a lighthearted, humorous as you say, tone to play into the therapeutic aspect of dealing with a broken heart. While exploring her own private female disasters.

BW: How do you pick your projects?

JM: I've always let my heart guide me. Much to my agents chagrin sometimes! Hehehe

BW: Which new bands or artists you're listening to these days?

JM: Lots of different things: Lavender Diamond, Igor Stravinsky, Drake.

BW: Are you working with any other musicians right now? Another other directorial projects?

Well I have to say that directing this video was the single most rewarding experience of my life. I literally wrapped the first day of shooting and had such a rush. I have been on sets for 18 years, so to be able to "run" my first set was a dream come true. I felt like a kid who had finally figured out what they want to be when they grow up. So, yes! I'm writing a short film right now and looking for other musicians to collaborate with! Of course I still love acting and could never give it up. It's just nice after 18 years of doing something I can find another aspect of it that makes me feel like a kid again.

BW: What music did you listen to on the "Hunger Games" set?

JM: I didn't really listen to much music on that one. It was more important to have a sense of deprivation. I'm working on another film right now called "Angelica," which is set in 1880 Victorian London, so all I have blasting is classical and Victorian parlour music!! But occasionally when I need a break, I turn on Pandora to the En Vogue station. Nothing like a little '90s hip-hop and R&B to make me feel like me again.

Check out the video:

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