The Hunger Games (novel) added to the cast, in the roles of Peeta and Gale, respectively. Production began in late spring 2011 and the film was released on March 23, 2012. The film's opening weekend brought in a non-sequel record $152.5 million (USD) in North America. "", based on the second novel in the series, was released the following year on November 22, 2013. The Hunger Games (novel) The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the future, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America.
The Hunger Games (film) the Shirley Jackson short story "The Lottery", with some criticizing "The Hunger Games" for being derivative of such works. Collins stated in an interview that her novel and screenplay drew on sources of inspiration such as the myth of Theseus, Roman gladiatorial games, reality television, and the desensitization of viewers to media coverage of real-life tragedy and war, not to think as just an audience member, "Because those are real people on the screen, and they’re not going away when the commercials start to roll." The song "Safe & Sound" won a Grammy Award and was nominated for a Golden