From budgets and salaries, to the accident that sent star Jennifer Lawrence to the hospital, the Feb. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter features director Gary Ross and never-revealed details about the fast-approaching pop culture phenomenon, in theaters March 23. In THR's exclusive gallery, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson and director Gary Ross get up-close and personal with photographer Joe Pugliese at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.
Fab Four
Hunger Games director Gary Ross (far right) and stars (from left) Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne) and Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) were photographed by Joe Pugliese for THR Jan. 11 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Ca.
Soon-to-Be Famous Faces
The film was shot for $9o million ($78 million after subsidies) in North Carolina.
Green Screen
"I'll probably get three or four weeks off before the next one starts," Ross tells THR of working on the sequel.
Sneak Peak
Creator Suzanne Collins told Lawrence she came up with the concept for Games "flipping between reality TV and the war in Iraq."
Unwanted Guests
There were some 300 bears living in the woods Games was filmed in, coming out at the slightest scent of food.
Family Ties
Hemsworth lost out on the part of Thor to his older brother Chris but says the two are very close and he asked Chris for advice on the film.
A Big Decision
"I thought about it a good three days," Lawrence says of being offered the role of Katniss. "It was very daunting to know that one 'yes' could change my life."
Three's Company
"I had to lie still in a riverbed for an hour and half while they did camouflage makeup and not move a muscle or it would mess it up when they shot," says Hutcherson of filming scenes inside the Games' arena.
Brotherly Advice
"My brother Chris texted me before shooting and told me to lose weight," Hemsworth tells THR. He said, 'It's called The Hunger Games, not The Eating Games!"
Solo Shot
Hemsworth, who is best known for acting alongside real-life-girlfriend Miley Cyrus in The Last Song, strikes a thoughtful pose.
A Global Phenomenon
When Games' trailer launched Nov. 14, there were 8 million views in the first 24 hours and the film was the number one Twitter trend on the plane
Staying the Same
Lawrence says that so far, her life "hasn't really" changed all that much. "I have my family, my friends, my dog ... and I'm leaving the country a little. But I haven't changed my personal life."
