Second Theatrical Trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES; Plus Details On IMAX Release and New Social Game


Back in November we brought you the first full-length trailer that Lionsgate released for director Gary Ross‘ (Pleasantville) big-screen adaptation of the first novel in Suzanne Collins’ best selling trilogy, The Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen.

Now, the studio has released the second theatrical trailer for the film. Check it out below!

Trailer: The Hunger Games
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUT7q2iTbQ[/youtube]

We also have two, count ’em two press releases for The Hunger Games. The first is about the IMAX release of the film (in case you want to see a HUUUUGE version of that Mockinjay pin), and the other is about a new adventure-based social game called The Hunger Games Adventures. Check them both out below for all the details!

Press Release:

THE HUNGER GAMES TO BE RELEASED IN IMAX

Limited One Week Engagement Starts March 23 With the Film’s Wide Release

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2, 2012 – IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) today announced that Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games, the first installment of the trilogy based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novels, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in IMAX® digital theatres in North America day-and-date on Friday, March 23, 2012.  The film will have a limited one week engagement in IMAX theatres.

Written and directed by Gary Ross and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik, The Hunger Games: The IMAX Experience stars Academy-award® nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novels have already developed a massive global following, with more than 23.5 million print copies in the United States alone.

“With this news, the release of The Hunger Games has truly become an epic event,” said Lionsgate’s Joe Drake.  “The Hunger Games and IMAX are a match made in heaven – fans love this book because its world is so vividly imagined and seeing the film in IMAX will make them feel as if they have landed right in the middle of the action. It is the ideal way for fans to experience this film for the first time.”

The Hunger Games is one of the most popular properties in recent memory and we’re excited to offer this passionate fan base the opportunity to experience this exciting adventure in the most immersive way,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment.  “We’re proud to kick off our relationship with Lionsgate around this highly anticipated film that will make a strong addition to our 2012 film slate.”

The IMAX release of The Hunger Games will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About The Hunger Games
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.

About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution. New channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets.  Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning “Mad Men”, “Weeds” and “Nurse Jackie” along with the comedy “Blue Mountain State,” the Golden Globe-winning drama “Boss” and the syndication successes “Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne”, its spinoff “Meet The Browns”, “The Wendy Williams Show” and “Are We There Yet?”.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as THE LINCOLN LAWYER, TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, THE EXPENDABLES, MARGIN CALL, THE LAST EXORCISM and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, the Company now has the two leading young adult franchises – the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA, which has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and the HUNGER GAMES franchise, whose first film will be released on March 23.  Recent Summit hits include RED, LETTERS TO JULIET, KNOWING, the STEP UP franchise and the Academy Award winning Best Picture THE HURT LOCKER.

Lionsgate’s home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is one of the world’s leading entertainment and technology companies, specializing in the creation and delivery of premium, awe-inspiring entertainment experiences. With a growing suite of cutting-edge motion picture and sound technologies, and a globally recognized entertainment brand, IMAX is singularly situated at the convergence of the entertainment industry, innovation and the digital media world. The industry’s top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and as such, the IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe. The Company’s new digital projection and sound systems – combined with a growing blockbuster film slate – are fueling the rapid expansion of the IMAX network in established markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, as well as emerging markets such as China and Russia. IMAX theaters deliver the world’s best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, and IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-Mastering) technologies. IMAX DMR enables virtually any motion picture to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing.  As of September 30, 2011, there were 583 IMAX theatres (441 commercial multiplex, 23 commercial destination and 119 institutional) in 48 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience® and The IMAX Experience® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management’s assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Important factors that could affect these statements include, but are not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions, including the length and severity of the current economic downturn, the opportunities that may be presented to and pursued by IMAX, the performance of IMAX DMR films, conditions in the in-home and out-of home entertainment industries, the signing of theatre system agreements, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry, the failure to convert theatre system backlog into revenue, new business initiatives, investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions, foreign currency fluctuations and IMAX’s prior restatements and the related litigation.  These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Press Release:

LIONSGATE AND FUNTACTIX ANNOUNCE
THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES

Social Game Brings Players Into Panem Through A Vividly Detailed And Compelling Experience That Will Thrill Fans Of The Series

New York, NY – February 2, 2012 – Funtactix, a worldwide developer and publisher of social games based on the world’s premiere entertainment brands, in partnership with Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced that THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES will launch day and date with the highly anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ runaway bestselling novel on March 23rd, 2012. The perfect companion for fans of the franchise, THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES enhances the movie experience through an unprecedented journey into the fantastical world that has enthralled millions since the books first hit shelves.

THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES is an adventure-based social game where fans can explore the world of Panem – the setting for The Hunger Games trilogy. Players will explore Panem and complete missions that will take them to each of the Districts and the Capitol where they will interact with the familiar characters from the book. With each mission they complete, they will advance their own storyline within the world. As the official game of the series, THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES will be the first place fans can see the official map of Panem, and how the districts are laid out. Details for the Map of Panem will be rolled out in the game with a steady stream of chapter expansions as the game, and the world, reveals itself over time.

“As a company that wants to align itself with the most beloved entertainment properties and passionate fans in the world, joining forces with Lionsgate on The Hunger Games was a very easy decision,” said Sam Glassenberg, CEO of Funtactix. “Suzanne Collins’ amazing novel delivers an unbelievably detailed world that completely immerses the reader. Fans want to enter this world, interact with the characters and truly become a part of it. That is the magic that THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES will provide to the millions of people who love the book series and watch the movie.”

“What makes fans of The Hunger Games so amazing is the level of personal investment they have in the characters and the story,” said Lionsgate’s Joe Drake. “We chose Funtactix to create this game because they bring the level of authenticity and quality to their movie-based social games that is crucial to fans of The Hunger Games.”

For more information about Funtactix and The Hunger Games Adventures, please visit www.TheHungerGamesAdventures.com

About THE HUNGER GAMES

The first in a series that Lionsgate is making based on the book trilogy that has become a worldwide phenomenon, The Hunger Games pairs Oscar® nominee Jennifer Lawrence (WINTER’S BONE, X-MEN FIRST CLASS) with Josh Hutcherson (THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT) and Liam Hemsworth (THE LAST SONG) in the key young adult roles. Rounding out the cast is a who’s who of acclaimed adult actors: Oscar® nominee Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Oscar® nominee Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley and Toby Jones.

The story takes place in the ruins of what was once North America, where every year 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.

THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 23.5 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.

Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES on March 23, 2012. For more information about the film please visit: www.thehungergamesmovie.com

About Funtactix

THE HUNGER GAMES ADVENTURES is the latest social game based on a blockbuster movie from the award-winning design team at Funtactix, following on the heels of recent releases Mission: Impossible The Game and Rango: The WORLD. Funtactix consistently works with leading entertainment companies to deliver visually stunning, highly innovative online games around the biggest movie franchises in the world.

Founded in 2006, Funtactix is a pioneer in web-based gaming. Led by industry veterans, the Funtactix team champions a streamlined production approach: delivering highly-innovative gaming experiences on rapid production timelines with tight community iteration. Funtactix works with leading entertainment companies to deliver visually stunning, micro-transaction-based online games around leading media franchises. In early 2008, the studio was first-to-market with in-browser 3D multiplayer action as featured in Moondo, an award-winning online world of deeply-integrated avatar-based games. Funtactix continues to blaze a trail through social gaming with the first social game to launch day and date with a film (Rango: The WORLD), the first debut of a music video, single and album in a game (New Boyz: The WORLD) and the first game on Facebook based on a box-office movie (Mission: Impossible – The Game).Funtactix is backed by Jerusalem Venture Partners, and is based out of New York with development studios in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.funtactix.com

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution. new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning “Mad Men”, “Weeds” and “Nurse Jackie” along with the comedy “Blue Mountain State,” the Golden Globe-winning drama “Boss” and the syndication successes “Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne”, its spinoff “Meet The Browns”, “The Wendy Williams Show” and “Are We There Yet?”.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as THE LINCOLNLAWYER, TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, THE EXPENDABLES, MARGIN CALL, THE LAST EXORCISM and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, the Company now has the two leading young adult franchises – the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA, which has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and the HUNGER GAMES franchise, whose first film will be released on March 23. Recent Summit hits include RED, LETTERS TO JULIET, KNOWING, the STEP UP franchise and the Academy Award winning Best Picture THE HURT LOCKER.

Lionsgate’s home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

Synopsis:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part 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.

The Hunger Games is slated to hit theaters on March 23rd, 2012.


Jason Moore
Written by Jason Moore

is a member of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and the Founder/Editor In Chief of SciFi Mafia®