The 'Mockingjay' Cast is Making Their Way to Paris

Fan pic courtesy http://instagram.com/idiloksuz

Jena captioned this #musingsontheseine. From her instagramLooks like the Mockingjay cast have made their way to Paris to shoot the final installments of the The Hunger Games films. Jena Malone, Stef Dawson, Meta Golding and Wes Chatham have posted Parisian updates to social media and Josh Hutcherson was snapped with a fan on the streets of Paris. Liam Hemsworth, Evan Ross, Elden Henson and Chatham were spotted in the airport in Paris together yesterday.

From Stef Dawson's instagram

Stef and Meta at the Eiffel Tower. From Meta's instagram

If you'd like to follow Jena, Stef and Meta on instagram and Wes on twitter, click the images and head over to their socials.

No New Info in the 'Mockingjay' Article From SFX Magazine

"Hunger Games 3: All You Need to Know" was splashed across the top of the latest issue of SFX Magazine. Unfortunately inside there's no new Mockingjay information, it's basically a catch-up (albeit one with major spoilers). Don't play with our poor Mockingjay news-starved emotions, SFX!

And I don't even need to tell you how we feel about "Hunger Games 3." You'll make it up to us later, right guys?

From SFX:

What's Katniss Up To Now?
When we last saw the bowing belle of District 12, she was being carted off by rebels to the fabled-and-decidedly-unwiped-out District 13. So expect Katniss to spend a goodly portion of Mockingjay Part 1 mulling over her new propaganda role in the revolution - as the iconic Mockingjay - before inevitably taking a leading role in the decisive battle against President Snow and the Capitol, a battle that'll take a devastating personal toll on our Kat.

So we'll get to see District 13 this time...
Yep, and it's there that the reluctant pin-up Katniss meets a whole new set of characters.  Chief among these are the propaganda team, led by Natalie Dormer's shaven-headed Cressida alongside Messalla (Evan Ross) and photojournos Castor and Pollux (Wes Chatham and Elden Henson). Another fan-favourite is Kat's bodyguard Boggs (Mahershala Ali) who'll lead a climactic sortie into the Capitol.

Who's pulling the revolutionary strings?
Every revolution needs its Lenin - but is Alma Coin its Stalin? The biggest addition to Panem's expanding role of characters is Coin, District 13's president. When casting the role - as with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeffrey Wright - Team Hunger Games have pushed the button marked "class in a morally ambiguous glass": Julianne Moore.

Sounds like things are really about to, er, catch fire...
With the grand finale getting split, [we'll bet $5] on the big movie axe landing just as Katniss - on that major assignment to the Capitol - finds herself taking charge of the big push to President Snow's house: the book's biggest setpiece in the absence of the usual Hunger Games.
"The Capitol IS the arena," suggests director Francis Lawrence, who'll now get to kick off the otherwise action-light Part 2 with the majority of the battle's intense warfare. In retaliation, we'd reckon the book's other skirmishes - the rescuing of (brainwarped) Peeta, the hoverbomber assault on District 8 - become heftier action beats.

Surely some people won't make it out alive
Katniss' little sister Prim, due to a tragic ending at the Capitol battle's finale, will live to see at least another movie, we think. "I'm just trying to avoid thinking about it right now," says actress Willow Shields. "It's one of those scenes that I feel is going to be one of those really sad days, but it could be really cool to shoot."

How are they adapting to the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman?
The awful news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's passing inevitably caused the Hunger Games team some some issues. While he'd finished his Part 1 scenes as secret rebel leader Plutarch Heavensbee, he still had filming left to do on the franchise's finale. They're not recasting though, with sources suggesting they'll go down the digital double route, with some judicious character-shifting.

When to expect it?
Mockingjay Part 1 will be out on November 21 2014 with Part 2 out one year later.

Jena Malone Talks 'Mockingjay' on Her Reddit AMA

Jena Malone and Lem Jay Ignacio did a reddit AMA this morning in support of their band The Shoe's upcoming debut album release (be sure to check out I'm Okay on June 3. Pre-order in their store or iTunes). Jena answered some of your Mockingjay questions during the Q&A and even confirmed  - once again - that she's a Joniss shipper.

We've transcribed all the Hunger Games/Mockingjay-related questions for you but you can also check out the entire reddit AMA HERE.

I've always wondered this about movies - did you really strip naked during the elevator scene in Catching Fire, or did you have something to cover up?

naked!
hahah no not really. I had little stickers on parts I wanted covered

Has it been difficult to interpret Johanna in Mockingjay?

Mockingjay is a whole new world !! It's very thrilling and nerve wracking making it perfect.

First, thanks for doing this AMA! And congrats on the new album! I pre-ordered the vinyl and I'm super psyched to hear it! (Spoilers ahead for those silly enough not to have read the Hunger Games trilogy..)
For Jena - I'm a huge fan of your work and particularly fond of Johanna. Since we only experience Katniss's perception of Johanna after her torture in Mockingjay, how did you get inside her head? How different was portraying this Johanna from the one we know in Catching Fire?

PS - I know you were upset they didn't make a Johanna Mason barbie, and I may or may not definitely have gotten one commissioned by this badass girl who does amazing custom barbies. When I get it, I will definitely post you a photo!

Johanna was very hard bird to crack. I think the first entry into her was discovering what true anger felt like and living in it for a prolonged amount of time.
Can't wait to see a little Johanna doll!

I would like to ask Jena, what was it like to act along with such amazing group in Catching Fire? What would you say about Jennifer Lawrence? And I love The Shoe, really want to get that album. xx

Its been a dream working with the Hunger Games cast. I love them all so much. Jenn is the best person ever (besides my little sister) and she is truly inspiring to work with

Hey Jena, do you have an OTP (One True Pairing) from the Hunger Games? x

I don't know what this is.

You guys create such beautiful music together, you should be seriously proud. Thank you for becoming The Shoe and sharing your magic with us! Jena, YOU SHIP JONISS. You don't understand how crazy we all went when you replied to a fans twitter question the other day and answered with 'Joniss.' How did you come to like Johanna and Katniss together, and do you see them purely as a friendship or do you see the chemistry that hundreds of us can totally see?! Joniss rules.

I recently discovered the whole "joniss" phenomenon and think it is so amazing that the fans have created our backstorys and worlds out of these characters!! I can't help but love it!

Jena, what was the most rewarding experience in filming Catching Fire? Also, did anything funny happen on set? I preordered the signed album. I can't wait!

The most rewarding experience was getting to work the amazing cast. We have all kind of fallen in love with each other so going to work every day is such a treat

Hi Jena! Big fan of yours since Sucker Punch, also loved you as Johanna Mason and congratulations on The Shoe. My question is how was it like filming the Hunger Games now knowing that the end is approaching & that you'll no longer play Johanna Mason?

It makes me sad, actually.

Jena, what was your favourite part of playing Johanna?

The fans!

Hey Jena, do you think you (not Johanna) would be capable of winning the Hunger Games?

Yes!!! I would totally win!
hahah not really prob just run and hide

Hi Jena, If you could have written music for any movie you have already starred in, which would it have been? And would you have preferred writing the score or just a single song?

Gosh we would love to write something for the new Mockingjay films!!

Elizabeth Banks Wraps Up Playing Effie and Says, "That Was Heartbreaking For Me"

Elizabeth Banks as Effie. Photo courtesy Vanity Fair Oct '13Elizabeth Banks said in a recent article,

“I just wrapped playing Effie Trinket and that was heartbreaking for me. She was one of my all-time-favourite characters that I’ve played.”

Elizabeth is out promoting her new movie, Walk of Shame (in theaters May 2nd) and, of course, EVERYONE asks her about The Hunger Games. 

Fans (including this fan) are speculating (hopefully) whether Effie's part in the Mockingjay films is expanded from the tiny part her character played in the final book.

Thousands Lined up for the 'Mockingjay' Casting Call in Berlin

Tributes at the Mockingjay casting call in Berlin. Photo courtesy Berlin MorgenpostThousands of people queued up for the Mockingjay casting call at the Delphi Movie Palace in Berlin today. According to Berlin Morgenpost, over 3500 people were funneled through the theater by 11:00am today and the line was still growing. We've translated the article for you here but keep in mind that we're not expert German translators, so it may be a bit rough! And they aren't stating "officially" that this casting is for Mockingjay but it seems like pretty common knowledge unofficially.

Photo courtesy Focus online

From Berlin Morgenpost (translated):

The human chain, hundreds of meters long, snakes down the street to the Delphi Film Theatre. People of all colors: blond, dark, light-skinned, Asian, dark-skinned, tall, short. They all hope to be part of a major Hollywood production.

The Berlin-based agency "Film Faces" is doing the extras casting. The first to arrive came two hours before admission. Wwin brothers Burkhard and Stefan Klimek have been in line longer, "For the past eight hours we've been here", says Burkhard, "but it's still fun. The weather is beautiful, the people are nice."

The 49-year-olds have acting experience. What are their chances of success? "Well, we have the twin advantage," they say at the same time and have to laugh.

The agency had sent out the first casting call for gaunt Mediterranean or Asian-looking men with eccentric, character faces and tattoos. The twins have long black hair and easygoing faces.

Shortly before 10:00 am it begins. Agency head Johanna Ragwitz starts the process. "And nobody has to sing and dance," she calls out to the crowd, which now pushes into the cinema. Fill in the application form, take a photo, and you're done. "Is Dieter here?", calls a young man. "No, and Heidi's not here either" answers Ragwitz.

They're referring to Dieter Bohlen, the judge of StarSearch Germany and Model-mom Heidi Klum. Inside there is the registration list. Categories on the list: eye color, hair color, hair length. "Hair length" asks Stefan Klimek. "Maybe one meter," his brother comes to the rescue. The dress size question triggers a frown and shrug.

Actually, the movie they're casting is not official yet. The rumor has spread anyway. It is said to be Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2, the third and fourth "Hunger Games" films. Actress Jennifer Lawrence announced at the premiere of Catching Fire that they'd be shooting in Berlin soon.

However, the casting Agency and Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam remain silent on what film is actually being cast. Also, access to the movie theater, where the candidates are getting photographed, remains restricted only to those applying. Actually, the agency allowed access at first, but shortly thereafter restricted access.

Shortly after 11:00am, police estimate that 3,500 people have already been funneled through the cinema.

Video of the queue for the Mockingjay casting in Berlin today.

Read the original casting call post here.

Natalie Dormer on Her 'Mockingjay' Audition and Shaving Half Her Head for the Role of Cressida

Natalie Dormer talks about her audition for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and shaving half her head for the role on Today this morning.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Natalie also stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers, mostly to chat about Game of Thrones but they also snuck in a little snippet about Mockingjay.

Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Dormer Wrap Up 'Mockingjay' Shoot With Farewell Dinners in Atlanta

Acccording to Jennifer Brett at Access Atlanta, the Mockingjay team bid farewell to Atlanta with a few separate dinners around town:

Natalie Dormer was spotted in Atlanta Thursday night. The actress dined at Veni Vidi Vici in Midtown and posed for this nice photo with beverage manager Madison Burch.

Up in Buckhead, her colleague Jennifer Lawrence, along with director Francis Lawrence and producer Jon Kilik, ate at the sushi counter at Buckhead's Umi Sushi. The Hunger Games team have been loyal patrons of Umi and, to say goodbye, Chef Fuyuhiko Ito prepared a special farewell dinner.

Producer Nina Jacobson confirmed the Mockingjay team wrapped in Atlanta today. The Mockingjay shoot moves on to Europe after a short break with shooting locations including Paris and Berlin. Filming is expected to continue until early June.

'Mockingjay' Wraps in Atlanta

According to Mockingjay producer Nina Jacobson, filming has wrapped in Atlanta. They'll head to Europe soon to shoot in Paris and Berlin. Filming is expected to continue until early June.

Marian Green, our District 9 female tribute in Catching Fire was also busy on twitter today! She revealed that she's also been working on Mockingjay. We're assuming it's as a stunt woman or stunt double but we'll have to wait and see.

Update on 2014-04-19 19:06 by Dan McCall

Francis Lawrence addd his thanks to the Atlanta Mockingjay crew with this tweet on Saturday:

Lionsgate-Summit Marketing Shake-up: Tim Palen Now Head of Lionsgate, Summit & Pantelion Theatrical Marketing

Image courtesy The Hollywood ReporterAccording to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate marketing chief Tim Palen will now oversee all theatrical marketing for Lionsgate, Summit, and Pantelion with the late April departure of studio executive Nancy Kirkpatrick. Tim Palen is the maverick marketing chief responsible for all of The Hunger Games films' marketing campaigns. He even photographs the campaigns himself (read more on Tim Palen and the Catching Fire marketing campaign here):

When Lionsgate bought Summit two years ago, their respective marketing operations were kept separate in order to service Summit's remaining stable of films. Kirkpatrick continued to serve as worldwide president of marketing for Summit, while Palen continued to head up marketing for Lionsgate.

Upon Kirkpatrick's departure, Palen will have oversight of Lionsgate and Summit titles, as well as Pantelion Films. He'll also have expanded merchandising and theme park duties.

Among other Summit properties, Kirkpatrick ran the marketing campaigns for the blockbuster Twilight franchise. More recently, she successfully launched Divergent, the first title in a new Summit franchise.

“Now was the right time to take the next step in integrating the marketing departments of our Lionsgate and Summit film labels as we continue to achieve significant operational synergies following the acquisition of Summit Entertainment two years ago,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chairman Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger.

It's Officially Not Official! No 'Mockingjay' Teaser Trailer at Cannes

Sooooo, this morning a very nice Cannes Film Festival blog, Cannes Coverage, posted a tweet that said they had confirmed a Mockingjay teaser trailer would debut at Cannes. We also know from this January Variety article that there will be a Mockingjay marketing presence at the film festival, but it's NEVER been confirmed that a trailer will be released there. Just speculation and hope (and we have certainly been guilty of both here at Panempropaganda).

Lionsgate has confirmed with us this morning that there will NOT be a trailer shown at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Adam Vary of Buzzfeed also confirmed with the studio (see his tweet here) that there is no Mockingjay teaser trailer planned for the festival.

FYI, studios deal behind the scenes at the Cannes Film Festival to acquire films and sell existing properties to foreign buyers. Cannes is basically the marketplace for the international film industry. Lionsgate will certainly present something to foreign film distributors at the festival. Lionsgate marketing head Tim Palen:

“A big part of the second film [Catching Fire] was growing the franchise, and the greatest potential was international,” he says. “We did a major presentation to distributors in Cannes, and did six premieres outside the U.S. And we still have room to grow. We’ve matched Iron Man 3 on domestic, but we can do better on international.”

What does this mean for fans? Cannes is a huge show - last year there was a massive Catching Fire beach party to celebrate the Covergirl partnership, lots of marketing presence and red carpet appearances by Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth and Francis Lawrence. But it was all very hush-hush right up until early May. So, if you like pretty cast pictures and marketing reveals (hey - we LOVE them!) the Cannes Film Festival could be a bonanza for you this year.

But no Mockingjay teaser trailer at Cannes. At least that's the "official" word for now.

First Casting Call For 'Mockingjay' In Berlin!

 

The first extras casting call has gone out for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay in Berlin! Our friends at Mockingjay.net first discovered this post in a German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost. I've re-translated it here for you so it's a little bit easier to read and understand. Such exciting news! German tributes - let us know if you get a peek at any of the filming.

From Berliner Morgenpost:

Hollywood returns to the region – and many can join. The casting agents of Berlin agency “Film Faces” are looking for approximately 1000 extras for an international film which shoots in the early summer at, among other places,studio Babelsberg in Potsdam. The applicants should have “character” faces, as the agency said. The men must be between 18 and 65 years, and of foreign nationality – for example African, Asians, south Europeans and Middle-Eastern as well as African-Americans.

The casting call boasts working alongside actress Jennifer Lawrence (23) in the American science fiction film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. At the German premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lawrence announced she’d be returning soon to Berlin. That time is finally here. Mockingjay Part 1 & 2 are being shot in different locations around Berlin and Brandenberg. Studio Babelsberg have already started pre-production on the project. Studio spokesman Eike Wolf did not want to confirm this for “privacy reasons” however.

"Film Faces" will be casting for extras 26 April in Berlin at the Delphi Movie Palace. Those picked should expect one to three days of shooting.

VIDEO: Sam Claflin on His 'Mockingjay' Annie Cresta, "Stef Dawson and I Are Like Best of Mates"

Sam Claflin recently told Digital Spy that he and his co-star Stef Dawson (who plays Finnick's love Annie Cresta) are, "like best of mates."

Sam Claflin bonded with his The Hunger Games: Mockingjay co-star Stef Dawson over Twitter before the pair became good friends.

"We got in touch via tweet immediately when the news broke," revealed Claflin, who will play District 4 tribute Finnick Odair opposite Dawson's Annie Cresta in the franchise's two-part finale.

"The moment she set foot on the Mockingjay set, the two of us are like best of mates. She's great."

Gwendoline Christie Will Replace Lily Rabe as Commander Lyme in 'Mockingjay'

Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones

Breaking News: The Hollywood Reporter says Gwendonline Christie will replace Lily Rabe as Commander Lyme in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Be sill my fangirl heart!! I love Lily Rabe but I ADORE Gwendoline Christie and think she's a hell of a lot better casting for this role! 

From THR.com:

Gwendoline Christie, who plays the tough warrior Brienne of Tarth on HBO's Game of Thrones, has nabbed another military leader role. The actress will play Commander Lyme in Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2. She's replacing Lily Rabe, who was originally cast in the role.

Rabe had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict with a previous commitment to Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare in the Park.

Lyme is one of the leaders of District 13, the district in the futuristic Panem that is rebelling against the government. She hails from District 2 is a past victor of an unknown Hunger Games.

And as one of our readers (thanks Sabrina) pointed out, technically Commander Lyme is a military Commander and former Victor from District 2 who leads the rebellion in D2. From Mockingjay:

"The commander from 2, a middle aged woman named Lyme. She’s memorable enough, standing over six feet tall and heavily muscled. But it’s only when I see a clip of her in the field, leading a raid on the main entrance of the Nut, that something clicks and I realize I’m in the presence of another victor."

Is Lionsgate Using Our Designs in Their Propaganda Posters?

Panem banners from the Mockingjay set in AtlantaIt's been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, color us flattered! New photos from the set of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay feature a propaganda poster that is flatteringly close to the one our site co-founder and Art Director Dan McCall designed for our site back in 2012. I guess The Capitol is always watching! Hey Lionsgate, need an art director for your marketing campaign? Call me!

Our original propaganda designs by Dan McCall

If you dig these designs you can get them on all kinds of different products in our Cafe Press store HERE.

New 'Mockingjay' Set Photos Feature Jennifer Lawrence, Capitol Citizens, Peacekeepers

Hooray! New Mockingjay set photos are here! Thanks to the Daily Mail we have a peek at The Hunger Games: Mockingjay set in Atlanta and a tiny sliver of Jennifer Lawrence's beautiful mug inside a voluminous hood (most of the pics feature her stunt double), some Peacekeepers and Capitol citizens.

Looks like Jackson Spidell, who played our District 10 tribute in Catching Fire and was Sam Claflin's stunt double is also playing a Peacekeeper in Mockingjay. He has his helmet off in the photo below.

The large stone objects above are called Czech hedgehogs. They are an anti-tank defense that were widely used by Soviets in World War II. Czech hedgehogs were especially effective in urban combat, where a single hedgehog could block an entire street. They became a symbol of "defence at all cost" in the Soviet Union. Sounds like a perfect fit for The Capitol. (thanks to our followers Don Carpenter and Liam Baker for this info!)

Swan House Preps For 'Mockingjay' Return

Swan House stood in for President Snow's mansion in the Catching Fire party sceneAccess Atlanta's Jennifer Brett was on the Mockingjay set today and she spoke with Jeffrey Ellis of Atlanta Creative Studios, the team responsible for transforming Swan House into President Snow's mansion. Mockingjay will return to film at Swan House in the next week or so.

Workers are putting in long hours to ready Swan House for Mockingjay. All photos Jennifer Brett/AccessAtlanta

From Access Atlanta:

President Snow has some sumptuous accommodations awaiting him in Buckhead as Mockingjay continues filming in Atlanta.

The elegant Swan House, site of a good bit of filming for Catching Fire, is readying for the return of the Hunger Games series.

Catching Fire filmed in areas including the dining room, an outside courtyard and an upstairs room in scenes featuring Donald Sutherland's character, President Snow, along with lead Jennifer Lawrence's character, Katniss Everdeen and others.

This time, workers are prepping a downstairs room to serve as Snow's quarters. The room, normally stately and sort of subdued, has been rendered positively resplendent by Jeffery Ellis and his team at Atlanta Creative Studios.

Jeffrey Ellis preps a room in the Swan House for Mockingjay filming. Photo by Jeenifer Brett/Access Atlanta"We've been busting it," he said, and by that he means working long and hard hours. Initially he thought workers could spray-paint the ceiling and do the detail work by hand. But the Swan House and spray paint have nothing in common. All the work must be done by hand, to protect the interior of the home, on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center.

"They said, you're not spray-painting anything!" Ellis said. He also worked on Catching Fire, and other projects have included The Walking Dead, Zombieland, Stomp the Yard and a number of Tyler Perry productions. He also does corporate work but enjoys the hustle of movie-set design.

"The time element" is the biggest challenge, he said. "They keep changing it. You'll finish and they'll say, 'what about this?'"

There's a joke among folks in his line of work:

Q: How many artistic directors does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Does it have to be a lightbulb? Could we try something else?

You get the idea.

Mockingjay is due to return in the next week or so, and as Ellis' team works inside, a crew outside is prepping some of the exterior areas. The outside of the Swan House was featured extensively in Catching Fire party scenes but Ellis wasn't able to say exactly what will be going on this time. He did salute everyone at the Swan House.

"All the people here are great," he said.

Josh Hutcherson "Called To Set" - Misses Kentucky Sports Radio Appearance

Josh at the UK game in December '13

Josh Hutcherson missed his scheduled Kentucky Sports Radio appearance this morning because, as his mom relayed to fans listening to the show, he was "called to shoot a scene" on the Mockingjay set in Atlanta. Josh's mom Michelle was on the broadcast and couldn't patch him through to the show.

The only consolation if you wasted TWO HOURS waiting for Josh's voice is that's he's back on the Mockingjay set! He's BACK ON THE MOCKINGJAY SET!!

A little birdy tells us Josh was on set today to film a movie exclusive scene from Mockingjay Part 1. Possibly some behind the scenes footage of Peeta in the Capitol? *cue sobbing*

Natalie Dormer Featured in GQ's April Issue

Image courtesy sylviagetyourheadouttheoven.tumblr.comNatalie Dormer is featured in the April issue of GQ and talks a bit about her transformation into "bad-ass" documentarian Cressida for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2.

Image courtesy sylviagetyourheadouttheoven.tumblr.comShout out to the clipper-happy groomers at The Hunger Games: Mockingjay who shaved half of Dormer's head for her role as "bad-ass" documentarian Cressida. (She'll be in both finale installments.) She didn't mourn very long for her lost mane before moving, she says, into "Phase 'Rock It Out.'"
In other words, despite her milkmaid face and her rosebud mouth - usually fridge magnet askew - the buzz cut gives her a "shitload of attitude." Which is good because that's kind of her thing.

The recovering tomboy and adrenaline junkie lives like the kind of action-movie lead she hopes to be someday. She's currently training for the London marathon, would rather you NOT open difficult jars for her, thanks, and picked up a scuba diving addiction after filming an underwater crash scene at some "post-Iron Curtain leisure center" (her words) in the Czech Republic. "I love going out of my comfort zone. I LIVE to go out of my comfort zone," she says. Obviously, you have quieter years than others - you don't go jumping out of a plane every day."