“We were so excited to carry the title that we acquired the rights as early as when the project was at the script level. We believed in the film’s appeal and were bent on being the first to deliver quality content to our viewers,” said Rohit Tharani, programming head of Star Movies.
Although the film is an adventure story that centers on the life of a young girl named Katniss Everdeen, its underlying themes resonate with issues that young Filipinos are facing today. In the fictional world of Panem, which is controlled by a wealthy authoritarian sector called The Capitol, severe poverty and oppression exists along with a widening gap between the rich and the poor. In such a society, residents from the 12 poorer districts do what they can to survive, and suffer quietly as each year a ritual called The Reaping is imposed upon them by The Capitol. Every year, two young “tributes”, a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18, are selected from each District to participate in The Hunger Games, where they fight each other to the death until a sole survivor emerges.
However, in this sea of hopelessness and ruthless self-preservation, goodness prevails in the form of Katniss, who volunteers herself as tribute in place of her younger sister Primrose. These qualities of upholding the importance of family and self-determination in the face of a challenging social and political environment are also bright spots in the Filipino psyche, which faces similar issues today that need to be analyzed more closely as the local elections draw near.
Katniss’ strength as the lead character of “The Hunger Games” was one of the reasons why it drew hordes of adoring audiences when it was shown in the Philippines in March 2012. Viewers identified easily with her character’s love for family and strong will to survive, which were excellently portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, who later won an Academy Award for her role in the movie “Silver Linings Playbook”. Her maturity lent well to the character of Katniss in “The Hunger Games,” and it was what convinced author Suzanne Collins to cast her in such an important role. Lawrence was supported by a cast of promising young actors, with Liam Hemsworth playing Katniss’ best friend Gale Hawthorne, Amandla Stenberg as Rue, and Josh Hutcherson as Katniss’ partner from District 12 Peeta Wellark. Hollywood heavyweights also gave the film amazing performances, with Woody Harrelson as her trainer Haymitch Abernathy, Stanley Tucci as host Caesar Flickerman, and Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow.
Widely considered by fans all over the world to be a first-rate adaptation of the first book of a well-loved series, “The Hunger Games” is another highlight in a long list of outstanding films featured on Star Movies that have made it the number one English movie channel. Catch “The Hunger Games” on April 28, Sunday at 9 PM exclusively on Star Movies!
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| Charo Espedido
Marketing Head D: +632-8698746 local 103 M: +939-9353178 charo.espedido@fox.com |
STAR Movies
STAR Movies is the region’s No.1 English Movie channel guaranteeing exclusive first-runs of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters alongside the best of independent cinema. Ranging across all genres and bringing the Philippines the TV premieres of such cinematic milestones as Avatar, and The Avengers, it is a one-stop shop for any movie-lover. Launched in 1997, STAR Movies & sister channel FOX Movies Premium are currently available in tens of millions of homes across Asia.
For more information, please visit www.starmoviesasia.tv
About FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 350+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 37 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1.1 billion cumulative households worldwide. FIC is dedicated to delivering high quality content to its global viewers. We acquire, develop, produce and co-produce scripted and non-scripted programming for our linear and digital platforms including, most recently, the Golden Globes nominated and hit series The Walking Dead. FIC owns and operates four production studios around the world and is responsible for the creation of hundreds of TV hours, including but not limited to the critically acclaimed drama series’ KdAbra (Colombia) and The Monster of Florence (Italy).
In Asia, FIC operates or distributes 32 channel brands, including the FOX, STAR and National Geographic brands, with over 100 feeds across 14 markets, As the leading pay-TV network in the region, FIC reaches more than 550 million cumulative subscribers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East with offices in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia, New Zealand and the UAE. For more information, please visit www.foxinternationalchannels.com.