Catching Fire

***Catching Fire***, also known as ***The Hunger Games: Catching Fire***, is a 2013 American dystopian science fiction adventure film based on Suzanne Collins' dystopian novel *Catching Fire* (2009), the second installment in *The Hunger Games* trilogy. The film is the sequel to *The Hunger Games* (2012) and the second installment in *The Hunger Games* film series, produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, with co-production by Lionsgate Films and distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment. Francis Lawrence directed the film, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt (credited as Michael deBruyn). Adding to the existing cast, Calum Kelmer joins in a main role as Hunter Greene who replaces Peeta Mellark for the games portion of the film while the supporting cast was filled out with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Lynn Cohen, Jena Malone, and Amanda Plummer. Filming began on September 10, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving to Hawaii. The plot of *Catching Fire* takes place a few months after the previous installment; Katniss Everdeen and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark have returned home safely after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Throughout the story, Katniss senses that a rebellion against the oppressive Capitol is simmering throughout the districts.

The Film is notable for taking a turn from the books and is considered an adaption of the book as opposed to being completely based on it. This is due to Hutcherson's death prior to filming. Instead of recasting the role of Peeta, Lawrence decided to write in a new character; Hunter Greene who would be portrayed by Calum Kelmer, a district 12 victor who won the 73rd Hunger Games. Hutcherson appears through unused footage from the 1st installment in the series as well CGI footage, although his role is severely minimized. This film acts as Hutcheson's final appearance on screen which he filmed, while he does 'appear' in both "*Mockingjay*" and "*A Girl at War*" his face is applied to a stand in actor through CGI. Though many were initially scepticle due to the changes, the adaption was praised for the efforts taken to keep Hutcherson in the series, Kelmer's performance was also praised.

*The Hunger Games: Catching Fire* premiered in London on November 11, 2013 and was theatrically released on November 15, 2013, in Brazil; November 20 in Finland, Sweden, and Norway; November 21 in the United Kingdom; and November 22 in IMAX, in the United States. The film set records for the biggest November opening weekend and biggest three- and five-day Thanksgiving box-office totals, surpassing the first film's box office grosses. It ranks as the 26th-highest-grossing film at the domestic box office[5] and the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office of 2013, becoming the first 2-D film since *The Dark Knight* (2008) to top the yearly box office, as well as having a lead female top the box office since *The Exorcist* (1973). The film has grossed over $865 million worldwide and is the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2013, the highest-grossing film released by Lionsgate, and the highest-grossing entry in *The Hunger Games* series. The film was followed by *The Hunger Games: Mockingjay*, a two-part sequel and finale of the franchise: *Part 1* was released on November 21, 2014, in the United States, and *Part 2* on November 20, 2015.

*Catching Fire* received positive reviews and is widely considered by critics to be an improvement over its predecessor, with the sentiment being that it's "a more-confident, more-polished movie"; praise also goes to Lawrence's performance as Katniss. It's the most critically acclaimed chapter in *The Hunger Games* series, according to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The film also received numerous nominations, with a nomination for the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Action Film and a Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. For her performance, Lawrence was nominated a second time for the Empire Award for Best Actress as well as the Saturn Award and Broadcast Film Critics Association Award. Kelmer was nominated for, and won, the BAFTA's rising star award for his portrayal of Hunter Greene. The song "Atlas" was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

## Plot

Sometime after Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return to District 12 following their victory in the 74th Hunger Games, President Snow visits Katniss and explains that her actions in the Games have inspired uprisings. He orders her to use the upcoming Victory Tour to convince people that her actions were out of love and not defiance against the Capitol, warning her that her friends, family, and District 12 will otherwise suffer, but she is unsuccessful in doing so. During the tour, Katniss' mentor Haymitch Abernathy and Hunter Greene, two victors from District 12, warn her that she and Peeta, as Victors like them, will now have to serve as mentors to future tributes and that their show of love will be forced to continue for the rest of their lives.

Peacekeepers enter District 12 to crack down on illegal activity, and Katniss's friend Gale is publicly whipped after attacking the Head Peacekeeper. However, Hunter, Peeta and Katniss use their influence as Hunger Games victors to save Gale from being executed. This is broadcast on state television; in response, Snow decides that the Hunger Games victors have too much power and need to be eradicated. He announces that the upcoming Hunger Games - the 75th overall and the third Quarter Quell - will involve tributes selected from previous victors, allowing him to dispose of almost all of them. Katniss is devastated, knowing she will be forced to participate as she is the only living female Victor from District 12, and she immediately devotes herself to ensuring Peeta survives. On Reaping Day, Haymitch's name is drawn, Peeta immediately tries to volunteer, but Hunter shockingly silences him and volunteers instead to take his place. Haymitch reveals that the tributes are angry about being forced to return to the Games and will most likely attempt to stop it. For her pre-Games interview, Katniss wears a wedding dress, as ordered by Snow, but her stylist Cinna sets it to transform into a symbol of a mockingjay. Hunter announces that Peeta and Katniss, who had previously announced their engagement during their Victory Tour in an unsuccessful attempt to quell the Districts, are expecting a child. The citizens then protest for the Games to be stopped to no avail. Just before Katniss enters the arena, Cinna is severely beaten by Peacekeepers in front of her as punishment for his tampering with her dress and then dragged away.

In the Games, Katniss allies with District 4 tributes Finnick Odair and the elderly Mags, his mentor. When the arena's forcefield shocks Hunter, 'stopping his heart', Finnick attempts revive him. However, Hunter is pronounced dead. The group is then forced to flee from a poisonous fog; when Finnick cannot go on, Mags sacrifices herself so that Katniss can help him. When mandrills attack, Katniss is saved by the unexpected sacrifice of a hiding tribute. The duo escapes to the beach, where Finnick greets District 3's Wiress and Beetee and District 7's Johanna Mason. Wiress repeats the phrase "tick-tock", leading Katniss to realize that the arena is designed like a clock, with unchanging hazards each hour contained within their respective zones. Wiress's throat is slit by Harriot, one of the new Careers. Harriot is then fatally shot by Katniss and is almost killed by Marian; his district partner, when Hunter kills her, revealing himself to be alive. Finnick is injured by another Career, and the Gamemakers spin the clock to disorient the tributes.

Beetee suggests luring the rest of the Careers to the wet beach and electrocuting them, which was how he himself previously won the Games. The group separates to prepare the trap. When Brutus and Enobaria emerge, Johanna cuts the tracker out of Katniss' arm and flees. Katniss finds an unconscious Beetee. Unable to recover Hunter, and hearing a cannon (Hunter killing Brutus), Katniss almost kills Finnick, thinking he betrayed them, but he reminds her to remember who the real enemy is. Katniss attaches some wire to an arrow and shoots it into the arena's roof just as lightning strikes a nearby tree to which the wire is attached. The roof of the arena breaks and the lightning strike paralyzes Katniss and incapacitates Finnick. It also causes a power failure that brings down the dome and disables the security cameras, preventing the Capitol from observing the events.

Katniss awakens in a hovercraft with an unconscious Beetee. She finds Haymitch, Finnick, and Plutarch Heavensbee, the new head Gamemaker, who reveals himself to be a rebel against Snow. Katniss learns they are bound for District 13, the headquarters of the rebellion, and that half the tributes were recruited to help Katniss escape, as she is the symbol of the growing rebellion. After further learning that Hunter and Johanna could not be rescued: as well as Peeta being trapped in the Capitol, and are now captives, Katniss furiously attacks Haymitch for not keeping his promise to protect Peeta for her, but is quickly sedated. She awakens to find Gale by her side. He assures her that her family is safe, but also reveals that District 12 has been destroyed after Snow was made aware of the rebels' plot.