It’s been a long road to Panem; MTV News takes a trip down memory lane as the adaptation hits the big screen! By Kara Warner Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Happy “Hunger Games” release day! What a long, bleak and dystopian road it has been so far. We’ve been waiting for this day so long and with so much hope and hype that it feels like we’ve been through the Reaping ourselves. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we have compiled a cheat sheet of everything you need to know about the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ beloved best-selling novel. The Prologue Back in spring 2009, just several months after the book’s well-received publication , Lionsgate won a bidding war for the rights to translate the gripping tale from page to screen. The next big question was, of course, who would be chosen to portray the impoverished “girl on fire” fighting for survival in a seemingly unjustly ruled society? The Reaping The highly publicized search for the perfect Katniss Everdeen featured a healthy list of young A-list actresses vying for the role, including Chloe Grace Moretz, Abigail Breslin and Hailee Steinfeld, all of whom were admitted fans . Finally, in May of last year, the suspense ended with the announcement that “Winter’s Bone” star and Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence had won the role. The rest of the “Games” puzzle pieces fell quickly in place, with “Pleasantville” helmer Gary Ross in the director’s chair , who reportedly beat out David Slade (“Eclipse”) and Sam Mendes (“Revolutionary Road”), and rising stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson claiming the roles of Katniss’ best friend Gale Hawthorne and the dependable “boy with the bread” Peeta Mallark . Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz and Wes Bentley would all later join the cast in the film’s key supporting roles of escort Effie Trinket , mentor Haymitch Abernathy, District 12 stylist Cinna and Seneca Crane, respectively. The Production Games Once the film’s March 23, 2012 release date was announced, production shifted into high gear in the forests of North Carolina. In spring 2011, we got our official first look at Lawrence in character, followed thereafter by glimpses of Hutcherson and Hemsworth . And although the matter of making the film was serious business, we later discovered that the castmembers had lots of fun on set, particularly Hutcherson, who told us the humorous tale of his successful, but sneaky, practical joke he played on Lawrence . After that, we were very happy to treat fans to MTV’s exclusive first look at footage of Katniss in action during the VMAs . The Fan Fervor and Whirlwind Promotional Tour Once production wrapped, we did our best to track down the stars for their thoughts about their roles and the filmmaking process. Lawrence told us all about her training regimen and admitted that all her hours spent with an archery coach were “really fun.” Hutcherson shared his perspective on the intense audition process and how he felt he is “so right” for the role . These little teases and costume reveals were enough to tide us over until we scored multiple sit-down interviews with the castmembers and the mall tours began, all leading up to the star-studded Hollywood premiere , for which we provided in-depth coverage via our live stream . With early ticket sales breaking records and box-office predictions very high , all that’s left to do is wait and watch as the engrossing story of Katniss and company continues to catch fire. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Hunger Games’ Live From ‘The Hunger Games’ Red Carpet Premiere Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ World Premiere Red Carpet The Hunger Games
Man, I love this Sara Jean Underwood hottie! I know I’ve said that before, but how could you not love a chick who hosts her own sexy Star Wars themed car wash for the Make A Wish Foundation and then follows it up by posing in her underwear with a team of hotties covered in food? The woman knows what I like. Here she is with the Rosie Jones , Emma Glover and Victoria Moore having themselves one hell of a sexy food fight. I’ve never been so hungry in my life.
‘It’s the greatest movie of all time,’ actress declares to MTV News. By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Elizabeth Banks at the “Hunger Games” premiere Photo: Getty Images As an enormous fan of “The Hunger Games,” Elizabeth Banks got to live out any book lover’s dream by starring in the film adaptation. The end result, in Banks’ objective opinion, was nothing short of the best movie ever. “Totally unbiased, as if I was just off the street: It’s the greatest movie of all time,” she declared. “It’s really good.” Banks spoke with MTV News’ Josh Horowitz about her emotional experience making the film and the real-life inspiration for her portrayal of Effie Trinket. Spoilers ahead. After seeing the completed film, one of the scenes that stuck out for Banks was Rue’s funeral, shortly after she’s killed in the Games. “I always knew that Rue’s funeral would be amazing. I mean, it’s one of my favorite parts of the book,” Banks said. “I think everybody loves the relationship between Katniss and Rue, and her funeral is exactly how I imagined it, just really beautiful. That she sings to her is amazing, and it’s so emotional. It’s a five-hanky moment. There’s some serious bawling happening by dudes in the theater.” Being a part of the actual filming of the story didn’t make watching the final product any less emotional for Banks. Even she couldn’t help but shed a few tears. “When watching it, I totally cried. I cried making the movie, seriously,” Banks said. “When we were shooting the Reaping, and the very first time Jennifer [Lawrence] came out and said, ‘I volunteer. I volunteer.’ I think it was rehearsal; we weren’t even shooting yet. I was like, ‘That’s the most amazing thing.’ ” As with all adaptations of books, not everything can be as the reader imagines. But Banks said that made “The Hunger Games” even better. “There were a couple things that weren’t how I pictured it, but I’m not even sure that I pictured Effie’s hair the way Effie’s hair ultimately ended up being, but I love everything,” she said. “It was better than what I thought. That’s what I loved about it. There were a lot of things that were a lot cooler than I thought they’d be.” To bring Effie to life, Banks worked closely with crew to create a truly unique villainess. As it turns out, the secrets to Effie’s origins lie in Hollywood history. “I had amazing collaborators, first of all, Gary Ross. Gary said, in his mind’s eye, he always imagined Effie’s face was like Joel Grey in ‘Cabaret.’ If you remember, he had really white skin, cracked and messed up, just kind of grotesque,” Banks explained. “Because Effie’s a villain, we really wanted her to be a little villainous in that way, so that was our jumping-off point.” Similarly, Banks owed the inspiration for Effie’s theatrical voice to one of the screen’s most iconic leading ladies. “[The voice] was very much inspired by Rosalind Russell ‘s ‘Auntie Mame.’ I really felt like Effie is everyone’s ‘Auntie Mame,’ just an outrageous person who says all of the wrong things and has all these crazy friends and lives a very extravagant lifestyle that’s beyond her,” Banks said. “She’s one of my favorite performers, and it’s one of my favorite performances. She just has that great New York Broadway accent in the film, so that was my jumping-off point for Effie.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Hunger Games’ Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ World Premiere Red Carpet The Hunger Games
British boy band are first U.K. group to have a debut album enter American albums chart in the top spot. By Gil Kaufman One Direction Photo: Getty Images British boy band One Direction will set a record next week when their first album, Up All Night, debuts at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Yes, believe it or not, Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis will be the first British group to have their debut album enter the chart at #1 with their first effort thanks to sales of 176,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. That’s just enough to keep fellow Brit Adele at #2 for a second week, as sales of 21 dropped 24 percent to 148,000. Last week’s #1, Bruce Springsteen ‘s Wrecking Ball, dropped by 71 percent to 57,000 as it falls to #4 in its second week. The only other new face in the top 10 is worship band Passion , whose White Flag debuts at #5 on sales of 49,000. The rest of the top 10: Guns N’ Roses benefited from 25-cent sales on Google Music and Amazon, as their Greatest Hits jumps more than 600 percent to #3 on sales of 85,000. Whitney Houston ‘s Greatest Hits holds steady at #6 (45,000), and Drake also hangs in at #7 with Take Care (36,000). NOW 41 falls five spots to #8 (29,000), Gotye moves up 7 spots to #9 with Making Mirrors (24,000) and fun. tick up a few to #10 with Some Nights (22,000). Further down the line, veteran rapper Tech N9ne debuts at #15 with the Klusterfuk EP (17,000) and Say Anything hit #22 with Anarchy, My Dear (14,000). Over on the iTunes charts, fun.’s collaboration with Janelle Mon
So this Jennifer Lawrence bitch, who you are about to hear a lot about, because she’s in some Hunger Games shit that is supposed to be the next Twilight, big deal, big scale, big budget, blockbuster franchise, so she’s gonna be around the next 10 years and worth 100 million dollars when it is all said and done, cuz she made the smart move of selling herself out as an actor for the money, typecasting herself for one brand, and making her a good candidate to K-Fed….especially now that we know she’s got tits…. I don’t really give a fuck about her either way, she does nothing for me, she’s not all that hot, she’s got a vagina, and I guess that’s good enough, but I’m already bored of her without even knowing who the fuck she is before a couple of weeks ago…. Here she is on David Letterman…. Here is the whole interview in garbage fucking quality…..because she talks about peeing. To See the Rest of the Pics FOLLOW THIS LINK
Movie events have become deadly little things, highly mechanized gadgets thrown by studio marketing departments into an audience’s midst in advance; then we just stand around and wait for them to explode. The Hunger Games , adapted from the first of Suzanne Collins’ hugely successful trio of young adult novels, was decreed an event long before it became anything close to a movie: More than a year ago its studio, Lionsgate, launched a not-so-stealthy advertising campaign that made extensive use of social media to coax potential fans into convincing one another that they had to see this movie. The marketing was so nervily persuasive that you had to wonder: How could any movie – especially one that, as it turns out, is largely and surprisingly naturalistic, as opposed to the usual toppling tower of special effects – possibly hope to measure up? The surprise of The Hunger Games isn’t that it lives up to its hype – it’s that it plays as if that hype never even existed, which may be the trickiest achievement a big movie can pull off these days. The picture takes place in a dystopian future, in a dictatorship called Panem that’s a thinly disguised version what used to be the United States. Panem’s richest and most privileged citizens live in the capitol city – called, conveniently, Capitol – while everyone else toils away in the 12 outlying districts to provide everything those Capitol dwellers might need, from food to coal to luxury goods. At some point in Panem’s history, the underlings in the districts revolted, French Revolution-style. As punishment, each district must now offer up two of its youngsters between the ages of 12 and 18, a boy and a girl chosen by lottery, to compete in a televised yearly event called the Hunger Games. The young people, called Tributes, kill one another off in an elaborately controlled stadium environment until there’s just one left standing: That kid earns accolades for his or her home district – and, more importantly, food. As allegories go, this is a pretty obvious one, particularly in the era of the 99%, although neither Collins nor Gary Ross, director of the movie version, really needs to belabor the point: The focus, in the book and in the movie, is on the storytelling: If the larger ideas are pretty elephantine ones, at least they emerge from the story rather than obscure it with their meaty flanks. Jennifer Lawrence plays 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a denizen of the poorest section of Panem, District 12, which specializes in coal production – Katniss’ father, a miner, was killed in a mining accident, leaving the young woman to fend for the family by using her crackerjack archery skills to hunt game (illegally) in the nearby forest. When Katniss’ impossibly young and extremely fragile sister Prim is chosen to compete in the Hunger Games – the announcements are made on a national holiday known, creepily, as Reaping Day – Katniss steps forward as a volunteer, desperate to take Prim’s place. Her male counterpart is the baker’s son, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, who played Laser, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore’s son in The Kids Are All Right ), and the complication, as you might guess, is that he’s been sort-of-secretly in love with Katniss since childhood. Now the two will be life-and-death adversaries, and Katniss’ mistrust of Peeta’s motives – complicated by her own confused affections, given her exceedingly independent nature – provides the movie with some strong but delicate bone structure. The Hunger Games may offer some reasonably effective metaphorical statements about class divisions in this country — and about the house-of-cards crassness of reality TV – but in the end, it works because of its deft handling of an even more universal theme: This is a movie about an independent-minded girl who just isn’t sure she can trust a boy, as true to the spirit of the Shirelles as it is to Greek myth. There’s action here, too, and a great deal of vitality that feels true both to the spirit of Collins’ book and to the idea of movie entertainment as it exists – or ought to exist – outside the framework of mere movie marketing. Ross previously brought us the 1998 Pleasantville , as well as the disappointingly perfunctory 2003 Seabiscuit , and there are ways in which The Hunger Games (whose script he adapted, along with Collins and Billy Ray) feels workmanlike instead of genuinely inventive. For one thing, Ross overuses the handheld camera, particularly in scenes that are supposed to be intimate and deeply emotional: When Katniss gets Prim ready for her first Reaping Day, she tucks in the tail of the little girl’s shirt with the kind of efficient tenderness that the best big sisters have in their DNA. The family lives in what appears to be a simple wooden house, if not a shack. In the book, Collins notes that District 12 is located in what used to be called Appalachia, and if the movie doesn’t stress that outright, it at least implies as much: Ross and cinematographer Tom Stern channel the mood of Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange with their muted — though not blanched — color palette and austere compositions. (James Newton Howard wrote the movie’s restrained score, and there’s additional music by roots-music craftsman T. Bone Burnett, which tells you something about the picture’s commitment to capturing the aura of this distinctly American landscape.) Ross’ instincts are so good that you wonder, particularly in the District 12 scenes, why he didn’t just screw the camera into the damned tripod: The stillness would have been classical and elegant and better suited to the emotional tone and texture of this part of the story. Still, there’s so much in The Hunger Games that Ross gets right. He understands the nature of visual storytelling, trusting the audience to follow the narrative without spelling out every little thing in actual dialogue. He trusts us to pick up on telling details – for example, the lacy, little-girl anklets worn by the youngest Tribute, a sparkplug named Rue (played beautifully by a young actress named Amandla Stenberg), when she appears for her pre-competition televised interview. And The Hunger Games , mercifully, doesn’t suffer from overproductionitis. The picture, like the book it’s based on, has a number of fantastical elements – the glossy, gleaming futuristic edifices of the Capitol; a competition arena that resembles the natural world but can be controlled by technicians to create extra challenges for the participants, like rolling balls of fire and snarling creatures that are half-dog, half-lion. Even so, it relies mostly on a deceptively soothing kind of naturalism. These trees look like real trees; the sunlight certainly seems bright and strong. Their familiarity only adds to the story’s sense of menace, particularly when the going gets really ugly, as it inevitably does: At one point a crew of bloodthirsty Tributes surround a tree Katniss has climbed for safety, exhorting one of their members to “kill her.” The action in The Hunger Games is often a bit of a jumble – it’s sometimes hard to tell who’s coming from where. But Ross takes care to give the violence — which is discreet but visceral — the proper amount of weight. These are, after all, young people killing other young people. And one scene, in particular, conjures just the right level of Ophelia-floating-down-the-river grace — the simplest wildflowers become a kind of benediction. The picture makes room for a number of standout supporting actors: Stanley Tucci as an unctuous yet sympathetic games commentator; Elizabeth Banks as the fluttery, ineffectual official helper-outer Effie Trinket; Woody Harrelson as Katniss and Peeta’s boozy mentor; and Lenny Kravitz, sadly underused, as Cinna, who’s in charge of “styling” the District 12 entrants. (At one point in the pregame festivities, he puts Katniss in a dress whose fluttery, feathery skirt turns to fire as she twirls.) Wes Bentley has a turn as a smooth, unnerving semi-villain, and Donald Sutherland shows up as a malevolent elder statesman, a role he digs into with sly gusto. But Lawrence holds the real key to the effectiveness of The Hunger Games , and she plays Katniss as the best kind of fallible heroine. Hutcherson may be teen-heartthrob material – in other words, wholly nonthreatening — but he has the right amount of prickly sweetness to make the character of Peeta work: He can’t be too much of a sap, or you’d wonder what the hell Katniss sees in him. And as Lawrence plays her, Katniss – a sturdy girl, both physically and emotionally – deserves the best. There’s something primal about the way Katniss strides through the forest in the movie’s early scenes, stalking a deer with a rudimentary bow and arrow. She aims for the head and then, distracted by a District 12 pal (his name is Gale, and he’s played by Liam Hemsworth), misses. Lawrence has all the boldness and delicacy of her intended prey: Like that deer, she doesn’t miss a trick — her senses are aquiver every moment. Her Katniss is both tender and fierce, a character with contours and shadows, not just a cutout-and-keep role model. When she succumbs at last to Peeta’s earnest charms, it’s as if she’s finally captured the most elusive of prey, if only temporarily: She’s at peace with herself, but her very restlessness is part and parcel of that peace. As Katniss, Lawrence never stops moving: Even in her stillness, she always hits her mark. Read more on The Hunger Games here . Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Depp and Manson’s song will appear on the shock rocker’s upcoming album, Born Villain . By Gil Kaufman Johnny Depp and Marilyn Manson Photo: Getty Images One is considered to be one of the most handsome Hollywood icons on Earth and the other is … well, half-named after a big star. It might not seem like Johnny Depp and aging shock rocker
Now that we’ve seen the 10-second teaser, here’s our wish list for the trailer, in ‘Twilight’ Tuesday. By Kara Warner Taylor Lautner in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Photo: Summit Entertainment All right, “Twilight” fans: Now that we’ve had our curiosity piqued and our hearts made all aflutter via the release of the brand-new “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” trailer sneak peek, it’s time to take a break from re-watching it 20 more times and think about what didn’t make the 10-second spot that we hope we see in the full-length trailer debuting in front of “The Hunger Games” later this week. This week’s “Twilight” Tuesday is dedicated to our “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” trailer wish list, featuring thoughtful commentary from one of our favorite experts, Kallie Mathews, webmistress of TwilightSeriesTheories.com . Arm Wrestling and Other Bella-as-a-Vampire Scenes So Bella is a vampire now. Hopefully that doesn’t surprise anyone at this point, since everyone who saw “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” got a little sneak peek of those freaky-colored eyes of hers. As such, we should see a whole new side of Bella in this movie, my favorite scene being the one between her and Emmett and their arm wrestling. “I am ‘hoping’ to see some vampire action in the full trailer,” Mathews said. “There are some great training scenes from the book I hope they include, as well as some great cottage scenes with Bella and Edward! I ‘expect’ to see lots of Bella as a vampire, and I’m OK with that!” A Lee Pace Sighting I’ve mentioned my enthusiasm for the new castmembers before, particularly my affection for Lee Pace , but it is worth repeating until more people appreciate him. Pace, whom you might recognize from his excellent work on the short-lived TV series “Pushing Daisies” or Tarsem’s “The Fall,” plays American nomadic vamp Garrett in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” and although he isn’t one of the major players in the film, his character still has a nice arc and I’m dying to see more of him. Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee Cullen Remember when Edward and Bella had a baby? Of course you do; how can anyone forget that graphic scene? Anyway, baby Renesmee grows up really fast in the second film, and she’s being played by beautiful young actress Mackenzie Foy , who has already told us a few adorable things about working with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner . I would very much like to see her in action in the trailer. A Shirtless Pattinson or Lautner I’m sure there is a highbrow, intellectual approach to take here, but instead, I’m going to channel my inner-teenage girl and hope that we get to see some shirtlessness from Pattinson and Lautner. Trailers are all about enticing audiences to come see the movie, so why not serve up some gratuitous shots of the film’s very handsome men for the very dedicated fans? “I have a feeling we will see tight close-ups of the Cullens, a shirtless werewolf and lots of trees,” Mathews predicted. “Plus, you know there will be some great one-liners!” Appropriately Angsty Background Music In addition to the fanfare that surrounds the film’s stars and the actual movie itself, there is plenty of enthusiasm for the various “Twilight” soundtracks that have been released over the years, so much so that certain bands have been rediscovered by making the cut. I’d like to hear either a familiar favorite, like Sleeping at Last’s “Turning Page,” or a brand-new and soon-to-be hit song over which we can swoon for a few months. What would you like to see in the new trailer? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet me @karawarner! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Top Five Favorite Moments From The ‘Twilight Saga’ Related Photos ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere
‘The dress [had] a very big chance of coming off as cheesy,’ Judianna Makovsky says of Katniss’ interview frock. By Amy Wilkinson Jennifer Lawrence in the girl on fire costume in “Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Costume designer Judianna Makovsky has been a member of Gary Ross’ cinematic glam squad for years. That’s why when ” The Hunger Games ” director was piecing together a pitch as to why he should helm the dystopian drama, he made a late-night call to his trusted colleague. The thrice-Oscar-nominated designer has collaborated with Ross on a number of his films, including “Pleasantville” and “Seabiscuit,” and now the duo may be working on their highest-profile project yet — one in which wild wigs, garish gowns and flame-licked jumpsuits are just another day at the office. In anticipation of the March 23 release of “The Hunger Games,” MTV News put in a call to Makovsky to talk about the Capitol’s crazy couture and how author Suzanne Collins’ elaborate vision was brought to life — albeit with a few alterations. MTV : How much did you know about “The Hunger Games” before Gary Ross came calling? Judianna Makovsky : I had not read them, I have to admit. I hadn’t even heard of them. But Gary Ross had called me, and his kids loved them, and he said, “I really want to do this movie.” I was on another movie set in Shreveport, Louisiana. He said, “You have to go get it,” and I said, “It’s 10 o’clock at night.” He said, “You have to get it first thing in the morning. You have to read it.” I’m like, “OK.” And then I was sending him images every day so he could start thinking. They were talking to several directors, and he really wanted to do it. It was great to start that early with him — trying to find images that were useful to him. MTV : I have to imagine reading the series and Suzanne Collins’ vivid descriptions were an evocative experience for an artist like you. Makovsky : I have to say, I try to read everything like a fan, but I also read it as a costume designer, and I go, “Oh my god. How do you do that?” Also, I was lucky enough to have a meeting with Suzanne, and a lot of things that are in the written word do not translate well to film. Lucky for me, she understood that and knew that and said, “Do what you need to do. If you think it’s not going to translate, I understand.” And she was great about it. MTV : Did you show her any of your drawings? Makovsky : At that point, if was fairly early. We had very few. We had already done mood boards for the districts and where we wanted to go. And, yes, she was there for that and loved all of that. It was great. MTV : What were your initial discussions with Gary Ross like? Makovsky : The initial discussions always start with character. I would say on this movie, we started with the world that they were going to live in. Philip Messina is the production designer. I’ve worked with him before; we’re a great team. Gary, Phil and I all sat down and just talked about what this world was going to be, and how do you have District 12 — how does that reflect in the Capitol? Because it is all the same planet, it is all the same time period. So they have to make sense together … Before Gary got the job, we sent him all these images of coal-mining towns and all these things. He picked up some of them and just went, “This is it. This isn’t a period movie, but I want the feel of these photographs.” So it was basically a discussion about the world they lived in, and then we started talking about individual characters. MTV : As you started working on each character, how much input did the individual actors have? Makovsky : There’s no point in designing particular things until you know who the actor is, whether I have a discussion with them or not. Katniss, I worked very closely with Jen [ Jennifer Lawrence ] because she was cast first. I had actually worked with Josh [Hutcherson] before, so that made that easy. I had worked with Donald Sutherland before. A lot of the actors were unavailable for fittings. They were all over the world shooting things. I sent them images, then I did sketches for them. Then we basically made it without them and they showed up and put it on! I have to say, the age of the Internet is a fabulous thing. You can scan things and send things and have these discussions at three in the morning when they’re in Budapest or wherever. MTV : Which outfit posed the biggest challenge to you? Makovsky : I think the interview dress. I think it was the hardest because the description in the book was something every fan loves but, honestly, in my opinion, and in all of our opinions, it wasn’t going to translate. Having this dress covered in flame-like jewels, you know, it’s no longer about Katniss. It’s about the dress. Also, the dress has a chance, a very big chance, of coming off as cheesy. MTV : I can see how it might verge into figure-skating-costume territory. Makovsky : See, that’s what I was worried about. It was going to be a “Dancing With the Stars” dress. I said, “I think we shouldn’t go that way.” First of all, all those jewels, it’s going to be so heavy it won’t twirl. She won’t be able to move or walk. People don’t realize that. I decided that it should really be about Katniss, and I wanted a young, fresh, modern couture cut, that when you first see her beautiful dress and she does her twirl, it does what it does. I mean, the bottom does have Swarovski crystals on it. But I really wanted it to be about Katniss. How beautifully she has transformed. It’s not the dress that transformed her. It’s her. Her beauty comes through. MTV : Fans were also really excited to see Katniss’ sleek Girl on Fire outfit. You have a bit of experience with jumpsuits from working on “X-Men: The Last Stand.” Did you hearken back to those superheroes for inspiration? Makovsky : I actually had the woman who made my “X-Men” jumpsuits make these costumes for me. She’s a genius at that kind of fit. Everyone thinks it’s leather — it’s not leather. It’s a novelty stretch fabric with this embossed plastic on it. It’s a very strange fabric. There’s also some stretch patent leather in there, but there’s no leather. I just wanted something that would have this incredible silhouette and have the shine of coal. In the books, it’s actually described a little bit more bland to me. It sounds like leotards and tights with high boots. It has a cape. There were all kinds of things that had to change because of physical and practical things on a chariot. The description in the book — Katniss and Peeta wear the same thing. Katniss had this fabulous headdress, but you put the headdress on Peeta and it looks pretty stupid. You can’t always do the same for a boy and a girl. MTV : Even though Katniss is the one in the spotlight, everyone seems to be most excited about Effie Trinket’s looks. Makovsky : She’s the essence of the Capitol. Working with Elizabeth [Banks] — Oh my god! I had so much fun. I’ve worked with her before. She actually called me before she was allowed to because her deal wasn’t done. She said, “I think we should start now. I’m coming over.” I had all these ideas that I had pulled out, fabric swatches and whatever. She came over and looked at what would work for her. We tried shapes on her, and they kept growing and growing and growing. It was really funny. Just to give her a certain walk. Effie is very prim in a funny way. So we wanted that primness to come through even though we sort of wanted to lampoon high fashion a little bit. It’s a little bit silly but it is still pretty. Check out everything we’ve got on ” The Hunger Games .” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Josh Hutcherson Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ World Premiere Red Carpet
