The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

The film is based on the first part of Mockingjay, the third novel in the underlying book trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence based on a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong.

It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and Sam Claflin. In the film, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) joins Alma Coin (Moore), the renegade leader of the underground District 13, in a mass rebellion against the Capitol.

Development on a third Hunger Games film was announced in May 2012, after Lionsgate announced Collins’ novel would be split into two parts. Lawrence was confirmed to return to direct the final two installments that November, which would be filmed back-to-back.

Most of the main cast was rounded out by September 2013 when principal photography began, lasting until June 2014, with filming locations including Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Paris, and Berlin. The film faced controversy after its content was used in political protests in 2014 and 2015.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on November 10, 2014, and was released in the United States on November 21, by Lionsgate. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its acting, music, and political subtext, but criticism for its pacing and the decision to split the novel into two films.

It grossed over $755 million worldwide, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2014; it set the record for the largest opening day and opening weekend of 2014.

Among its accolades, Mockingjay – Part 1 was nominated for Best Science Fiction Film at the 41st Saturn Awards, while Lawrence was nominated Best Actress in an Action Movie at the 20th Critics’ Choice Awards. The song “Yellow Flicker Beat” by Lorde, the lead single from its soundtrack, was nominated for Best Original Song at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards.

The film was followed by the series’ fourth and final installment, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015), almost exactly one year later.

Katniss is reunited with her mother and sister Prim and is introduced to President Alma Coin, the rebel leader. Katniss is told that her arrow destroying the forcefield led to riots in over half the districts, joining District 13 in the rebellion, which caused President Snow to bomb District 12 in retaliation.

Coin asks her to become the “Mockingjay”—a symbol of the rebellion—as part of a “hearts and minds” strategy. Katniss reluctantly agrees after seeing Peeta being manipulated on state television to quell the rebellion. She visits the ruins of District 12, her old house somehow untouched with white roses from President Snow inside.

Katniss meets her film team and is given Effie Trinket as a stylist and her close friend Gale as a bodyguard. They travel to District 8 where Katniss is filmed being saluted by dozens of wounded civilians at a hospital; Snow, seeing the footage, orders an airstrike at the hospital, killing everyone inside.

The crew films Katniss and Gale shooting down two Capitol hovercraft and Katniss’ rage-filled threatening speech, which inspired District 7 to revolt against the Capitol.

Katniss and her team travel to District 12 to film her singing “The Hanging Tree”. Rebel forces in District 5 launch an attack against a hydroelectric dam, the Capitol’s primary source of electricity. The attack successfully implodes and breaches the dam, causing a blackout throughout the Capitol.

That night, Katniss watches Peeta being interviewed by Caesar Flickerman, the Games’ former presenter, when Coin and Beetee hijack the signal to air a clip of Katniss. After seeing it, Peeta suddenly shouts a warning that the Capitol is about to attack District 13. Coin orders a mass evacuation further into underground shelters, and the facility survives the attack.

Upon emerging, Katniss discovers the area littered with white roses; she concludes that Snow orchestrated this to inform her that whenever she condemns the Capitol, they will torture Peeta in retaliation.

Coin dispatches a strike team to rescue Peeta and the remaining victors Johanna Mason, Enobaria and Annie Cresta from their prison. Beetee hijacks the Capitol’s defense system with a “propo” narrated by Finnick to convince more districts to side with the rebellion in which Finnick reveals that Snow would force “desirable” tributes (including Finnick himself) into prostitution with the threat of killing their families if they refused (which happened to Johanna), and that Snow only became the leader of Panem because he poisoned his opponents.

When the propo proves not to be enough, Katniss communicates directly with Snow to buy enough time. Gale’s team rescues the victors and escapes the Capitol easily, indicating the Capitol reduced its security on purpose. When Katniss greets Peeta, he unexpectedly attacks and nearly strangles her to death before being knocked out by Boggs.

Katniss wakes up and is informed that Peeta has been “hijacked” — brainwashed into trying to kill her, which explains why the Capitol allowed them to escape with him. Peeta is placed in solitary confinement, while a serum is developed to reverse the hijacking effects. Coin announces that the rebels’ next objective is the Capitol’s principal military stronghold in District 2, the only district remaining loyal to the Capitol.