Newsletter 1

A Look Back at The Hunger Games Movie Posters

Jessica Tripler

Staff Writer

Jessica Tripler is an academic who lives in Maine. Follow her on Twitter @jessicatripler.

Now that all four films based on Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy are in the can, let’s take a look back at the artwork that did so much to help set the tone for the series:

The teaser posters for all four films share the image of the mockingjay pin and flames, both major symbols throughout the series.

Hunger-Games-Teaser-Poster-Large

Catching-fire-teaser-posterMockingjay-1-teaser-poster

Mockingjay-2-teaser-poster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each installment also had a poster with Katniss amidst the flames. Notice how she transforms from being an ordinary girl with a bow and arrow to a flat out super hero, while becoming indistinguishable from the mockingjay.

The-Hunger-Games-Poster

hunger-games-catching-fire-movie-poster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mockingjay1-Jennifer-Lawrence-wings

Mockingjay1-Jennifer-Lawrence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For each film, a series of posters highlighted individual characters. Often, these posters were presented as Capitol-sponsored propaganda. The first two films had tribute posters:

hunger-games-character-poster-rue-389x600

Alexander-Ludwig-Cato-Official-Character-Poster-Hunger-Games

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunger-Games-Catching-Fire-Mags

o-CATCHING-FIRE-QUARTER-QUELL-POSTERS-570

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Faces of the Revolution” posters from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 showcase individual rebels with red mockingjay face paint. Unlike the tribute posters, they are staring the viewer down, fierce:

Natalie-Dormer-Cressida

Mahershala-Ali-Boggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katniss wasn’t the only character whose arc was told in promotional images:

hunger-games-character-poster-effie-1

2a7fdda6218c8eb9db85ae016672fa4f

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0b53eacbbb380749d770dc5e44b91877ea3fb069

thg-mockingjay-part2-pic04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 had “District Heroes” — propaganda from The Capitol. These seem to reflect current social issues in the US:

mockingjay-poster-7-full

hunger-games-district-heroes-district-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The filmmakers also supported  a Capitol Couture website. Not posters, but very arresting images that help build the world of the films:

tumblr_mrsh1wKKhs1r9i187o1_1280

tumblr_mwxu9741WI1r9i187o1_1280

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “throne series” images from Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2 tell a story. Not the most subtle, but I actually love them for that:

Mockingjay1-United-For-You

Mockingjay2-Snow-fallen

Mockingjay2-Jennifer-Lawrence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posters for the films in IMAX offer a little more complexity and symbolism:

catching-fire-IMAX-poster

mockingjay2-IMAX-Jennifer-Lawrence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following the anti-militarism theme Collins developed over the series, the posters promoting the Capitol’s agenda don’t look much different from those promoting the rebel cause:

the_hunger_games_movie_poster_catching_fire_victory_tour_-e1361560594846

vlcsnap-2015-07-08-21h29m06s57

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the way Lionsgate was very consistent with the red white and black color scheme, futuristic fonts and design, and symbolism of the mockingjay and flames, without being boring.

I also liked the way some posters played with color and texture. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire had a series of portrait posters:

cinna35S

haymitch35S

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t find promo images that featured Katniss looking torn between Peeta and Gale (for which I am grateful). But I’d be remiss if I left Katniss’s men completely out of this post. Here are Gale from the “Meet the Rebels” series (Mockingjay – Part 1) and Peeta’s tribute poster from the Quarter Quell in Catching Fire:

Mockingjay1-Liam-Hemsworth

The-Hunger-Games-Catching-Fire-Character-Poster-Peeta-Mellark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last butnot least, Katniss from the final film. I’m not thrilled with the tagline, but I like her expression, her almost-relaxed posture, and the way the natural elements  — clouds, sun, and the mockingjay — gesture away from the politics of war and back towards the life to which Katniss hopes to return to someday.

2C61E85100000578-3236911-Katniss_is_back_Jennifer_Lawrence_is_seen_in_a_new_poster_for_Th-m-24_1442412891158