'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Covers Variety

Photo by Williams + HirakawaJennifer Lawrence, Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson are featured on the cover of the latest Variety, along with a great article and NEW PHOTOS!

photo by Williams + Hirakawa

Photo by Murray Close 

Photos by Tim Palen/Lionsgate

In the upcoming Catching Fire, Katniss returns for another fight to the death after her Hunger Games victory has sparked a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.

“She really is the reluctant hero,” Lawrence says of her character. “She’s brave, but she’s also scared, and she knows that things may wind up being far worse.”

On the set, the actress is anything but reluctant about returning to the role, despite the pressure of portraying a screen personality that’s become iconic. “I love being here,” she allows. “It’s like going back to school where it’s a really fun school.”

Jacobson, whose producing endeavors also include the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” films and the underperformer “One Day,” starring Anne Hathaway, appreciates the “just-folks” side of Lawrence — and Jacobson has worked with a lot of A-list stars during her years as a studio executive.

“She’s not a diva — she’s the anti-diva,” she says of Lawrence. “One of my favorite moments is where she has the wedding dress on for the interview (scene) in ‘Catching Fire.’ It’s a big cumbersome dress, and she fell down, so we played that over and over on the monitors. There’s such a lack of pretense with Jen; she’s more than happy to laugh at herself.”

Click to read more ...

US Weekly 'Catching Fire' Special Edition Scans

Thanks to lawrence-daily and strawberrycupcakeprincess on tumblr (thanks for the scans!), we can show you some peeks at the US Weekly Special Catching Fire Edition. The issue should hit November 1st, but it looks as though some people are getting their copies early. If you pre-ordered the issue on BN.com, keep an eye on your mailbox! We did, and we'll have the HQ scans for you as soon as we get the magazine- plus some issues to give away. We've lightened and sharpened them up as much as possible. Stay tuned for the HQ versions.

We're loving the pic of Johanna. We've heard there's something changing in the way they do the interview sequence with her, and this looks like it might be part of that moment. And Peeta being painted by the morphling?? I need to go lie down now.

More pics after the jump!

Click to read more ...

Jennifer Lawrence and Sam Claflin Talk 'Catching Fire' With Teen Vogue

Image by Murray Close Jennifer Lawrence and Sam Claflin talk about training, filming Catching Fire in Hawaii, and dealing with fame and paparazzi in a hilarious, extended, online-only interview with Teen Vogue.

Jennifer, what did it feel like to revisit your character for the second time?
Jennifer Lawrence: It was kind of weird to go back because I had this idea when I first signed on to the franchise that it would get boring playing the same character. I've never done that—I've always played a brand new character. Katniss is the same character but in completely new circumstances. She's changed.

Was it important for you to set a certain tone on set as the leading lady?
JL: Yeah, I needed everyone to know I was in charge. (Laughs) I just wanted everyone to be comfortable. When there are new people, it can get awkward, but everyone was so great—including you, Sam.
Sam Claflin: I first bumped into you at stunt training. Your archery put me to shame. I was quite intimidated.
JL: By the sight of my face.
SC: Yea. It really put me off. (Laughs) No, obviously you are a good role model.

How will your characters interact with each other in the movie? You have a ... complicated relationship.
JL: Finnick is the most seductive man in the Capitol. At first Katniss is very put off by him, but the more she learns about him, the more she starts to understand and respect him. They become weird friends.
SC: He has charm and charisma going for him, but deep down he has insecurities, which overshadow his "external beauty."

Sam, Finnick has a very physical role. How did you train?
SC: I had quite the journey. If you read the description of Finnick in the book, then pin my face next to that, there's quite a long way to go.
JL: He was drastically overweight.
SC: I was definitely not in shape. There was a lot of training involved. Months and months of eating the same meals every day. Omelet in the morning, protein shake in the afternoon. The same routine of gym and stunt training. I'm happy with the end result. I did the best I could.
JL: You can't diet on these movies. It's impossible.
SC: It's pretty tough.

You shot most of the movie in Atlanta but the arena scenes took place in Oahu. How was Hawaii? JL: Oh, it was like a different movie. Try being stressed in Hawaii, I dare you.
SC: There's something about Hawaii where you step off the plane and you feel really chill. Spiritually, it was like a different film. The crew and cast were downsized and it felt more like a small family unit.
JL: We went swimming in between takes. We would go paddle boarding at lunch. It was amazing. But the scenes got a lot more intense. Things get terrifying.

There was a lot of paparazzi following you guys on this journey. Did that make it hard while you were filming intense scenes?
SC: They weren't around when we were doing scenes so much. It was worse during our downtime.
JL: I mean, paparazzi suck all the time. When you're working, it's distracting and when you're not working, it's annoying. I don't feel like anyone is entitled to know what we're doing on our weekends and for some reason, the world thinks they are. That's just how I feel.
SC: I was lucky. I didn't have to deal with it as much as her and Josh—partly because no one knows who I am. I'm lucky.

Jennifer, have you given Sam any advice?
JL: I told him that everything's going to change really fast. I haven't really stopped working, which has been exhausting, but also a blessing because I don't have time to think about it.
SC: I've had a very busy year thus far and when this film comes out, we'll be in the middle of shooting the next one! It's going to be another busy year.

'Catching Fire' Article in Sci Fi Now

Sci Fi Now Issue 86 has arrived on newsstands in the UK featuring The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and thanks to ThePeacekeeper's keen eyes, we have some of the article for you! The issue includes interviews with Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin , and Francis Lawrence and a really cool guide to the layout of the Quarter Quell arena and a Hunger Games survival guide. We'll update with HQ scans when available. 

Here are excerpts from the interviews. Read Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin, and Francis Lawrence's interviews after the jump:

Jennifer Lawrence on signing on as Katniss:

"When I first signed on to it, I expected to have a lot of regrets," admits the 23-year-old on her decision to break out of independent movies for a big studio spectacular. "But fortunately I haven't. I am happy I did take the role. [If I hadn't] I would still probably be able to go to restaurants without becoming a nervous wreck or go to Starbucks and get my own coffee - that would be different. That would be lovely."  

"Originally it was just reading scripts, talking to directors and making movies," she recalls, "and then all of a sudden it was like, 'Oh yeah, you have to wear high heels and make people like you.' So when I read the book, I was laughing at that, going 'Yeah, I know how that feels.'"  

On Katniss in Catching Fire:

"She's suffering from post-traumatic stress from the first Games, and she's trying to get her life back. She is living in the Victors' Village now, she doesn't have to hunt any more - which makes her feel useless and bored - and there is part of her life that Gale will never understand. Peeta is the only one that truly knows what she went through. And when she has to go back to the Capitol, it's not a foreign world to her anymore. Not that she likes it, but she understands it now and how to work it."

"The wedding dress was incredible because it's stunning, but I'm not good with big dresses - and stairs. I'm so bad"..

On being a role model and body image:

"In the first movie, when it was obviously being talked about, like, 'It's The Hunger Games, you have to lose ten pounds.' I said 'We have control over this role model. Why would we make her something unobtainable and thin?' This is a person that young girls will be looking up to, so why not make her strong? Why not make her beautiful and healthy and fit? I was very adamant about that, because I think that our industry doesn't take enough responsibility for what it does to our society. I remember what it felt like to be 14 years old, looking at a Victoria's Secret model and thinking, 'I'll never look like that.' I don't want to make someone feel like that."

Click to read more ...

Katniss & Gale Cover Cineplex Magazine

Cineplex posted a sneak peek at their November issue (on newsstands 10/25) to their Instagram account today. The issue features Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Liam Hemsworth as Gale on the cover. The issue will feature an interview with Liam. Here's a bit of it:

Catching Fire’s Liam Hemsworth on what the franchise has meant to him:

"Hunger Games absolutely changed my life. It’s brought up so many different questions about my own personal growth and where I was heading."

We'll get you the full interview as soon as we get it into our hands.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Covers Hero Complex Magazine

Jennifer Lawrence is looking fierce as Katniss on the cover of the Fall/Winter edition of L.A. Times' Hero Complex Magazine. The article takes a look at the new wave of empowered young women in genre films — not just Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, but also Divergent’s Shailene Woodley and Ender’s Game actress Hailee Steinfeld. You can pick up Hero Complex in Los Angeles at Meltdown Comics or at both Earth-2 Comics locations, in Sherman Oaks and Northridge. In New York, the magazine is available at all three Midtown Comics locations and this weekend at New York Comic-Con.

You can also download the magazine through the Hero Complex iPad reader app. The app is 99 cents, but each magazine is free.

Teen Vogue talks to Catching Fire Cast

Teen Vogue's latest issue includes an interview with Willow Shields, Jennifer Lawrence, and a small Q&A with both Jennifer and Sam Claflin.

Willow on learning to identify with Prim:
"My sister, Autumn, and I are twins [...], Shooting a dramatic scene like the reaping, I imagine it happening to Autumn in real life. Having a sister is very helpful for this role."

On Mockingjay:
"What Prim has to do in Mockingjay will be a real challenge. But I love a challenge."

The article is definitely worth checking out for the banter between Jen and Sam:

Sam: I first bumped into you at stunt training. Your archery put me to shame. I was quite intimidated.
Jen: By the sight of my face!
Sam: Yeah, it really put me off. 

Image courtesy of QuarterQuell.org 

Image courtesy of QuarterQuell.org

Image courtesy of QuarterQuell.org

New 'Catching Fire' Stills

Some brand spankin' new Catching Fire stills showed up today on the facebook page of The Hunger Games Peru! Check them out!

 Thanks to Real or Not Real News for the tip!