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The Hunger Games movies are based on a series of novels written by Suzanne Collins and first published in 2008. Collins herself served as one of the screenwriters for The Hunger Games as well as Mockingjay Part I.
Like all movies adapted from books, a number of key details aren’t included in the movie. Whether it’s for time, pacing or just to move with the times, there are quite a few differences between the four films and the books.
The hugely popularmovies quickly became one of the biggest and most influential Hollywood franchises in recent history, grossing $2.97 billion worldwide. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as Katniss Everdeen was met with widespread acclaim, firmly establishing the actress as a household name.
Here are some of the biggest differences and omissions between The Hunger Games movies and books:
9 How Katniss Got The Mockingjay Pin DIffers In The Hunger Games Book
In the film, Katniss buys the Mockingjay pin, but this iconic symbol has a very different origin in the books.
In the books, the daughter of District 12’s mayor, Madge Undersee, visits Katniss before she is taken to the Capitol. She gives Katniss the circular gold pin that she was wearing.
“They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena. One thing to remind you of home. Will you wear this?” She tells Katniss.
The Mockingjay’s symbology carried far more weight as it was seen an act of rebellion against the Capitol. It was also the same pin as the worn by Madge’s aunt who was a former tribute.
8 Katniss Goes Deaf In One Ear During The Hunger Games
When Katniss blows up the stockpile of food around the cornucopia, she damages her hear significantly. In the movies, we see her get knocked back by an explosion, and she is injured, but it’s not as serious as the novels.
“Have I gone deaf from the explosion? The idea frightens me. I rely as much on my ears as my eyes as a hunter, maybe more at times,” reads the book.
For the rest of the novel, Katniss is deaf in her left ear. She only regains her hearing once she wins the Games and the Capitol fixes it.
7 Katniss Gets A Gift After Rue’s Death In The Hunger Games Book
When Rue dies in The Hunger Games film, we see District 11 start a revolt against the peacekeepers. This is quite different from in the book, where District 11 send Katniss a gift instead.
The parachuted-in gift features a small load of broad. “I cautiously lift the still-warm loaf. What must it have cost the people of District 11 who can’t even feed themselves? How many would’ve had to do without to scrape up a coin to put in the collection for this one loaf? It had been meant for Rue, surely. But instead of pulling the gift when she died, they’d authorized Haymitch to give it to me.
“As a thank-you? Or because, like me, they don’t like to let debts go unpaid? For whatever reason, this is a first. A district gift to a tribute who’s not your own,” Katniss ponders. It is never clear if the gift is sent out of gratitude, in memory of Rue, or as an indication that Katniss is their rebellion leader.
6 The Half-Dead Victors Mutt Hybrid In The Hunger Games Book
There is nothing special about the mutts at the end of the first film. In the book, there is a much more sinister twist to these animals!
In the book’s climax, the Gamemakers unleash terrifying dog-creatures made from the DNA of the dead Tributes, iRue: ”The smallest mutt, with dark glossy fur, huge brown eyes and a collar that reads 11 in woven straw.”
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Katniss notices that the eyes of the mutts belong to the victors who have already died. “The small one with the red coat and amber eyes… Foxface! And there, the ashen hair and hazel eyes of the boy from District 9 who died aswe struggled for the backpack! And worst of all, the smallest mutt, with darkglossy fur, huge brown eyes and a collar that reads 11 in woven straw. Teethbared in hatred. Rue…”
5 Katniss Drugged Peeta In The Hunger Games Book
The scene of selfless Peeta slowly dying from an infected wound made a huge impact on The Hunger Games film audiences. Katniss has to figure out how to escape the cave they are staying in to grab the much-needed medicine at the Cornucopia.
In the movie, Katniss simply waits for Peeta to go to sleep, and she leaves to get hold of medication. In the book, she manages to get hold of the sleep syrup without him knowing. She mixes it with berries and gives it to him without him realizing it.
4 What Are Avoxes In The Hunger Games?
Avoxes appear in the film but unless you are a devoured fan you might not understand who are the people serving the tributes and Capitol citizens.
In The Hunger Games novel, Katniss and Gale meet a runaway girl who later ends up at the Capitol with her tongue removed. Katniss recognizes this Avox (what these tongue-less people are called) once she reaches the big city. In last two films, we see Pollux, an Avox who now fights with District 13 but little is explained about the background.
“We didn’t really have time to engage that subplot,” director Gary Ross told Slashfilm. “I was actually sorry about that, but Suzanne [Collins] agreed. There was no way. And again, it’s so important for the movie, because we are not writing in the first person the way the book is, it’s so important for the movie never to step out of Kantiss’ shoes. That digression would have done that in a way that it would have taken a long time to get the train on the tracks.”
3 The District 11 Riots In The Hunger Games Movie
Whilst the movies usually cut subplots and characters from the book, there was one thing that was expanded in the movies.
Following the tragic death of Katniss’ ally Rue, a massive riot takes place, with the people taking their grief and anger toward the injustice to the streets. The scenes received positive comments as it added scope to her death and worked with the growing theme of rebellion.
In the books, what happens in the district after her death is left to the reader’s imagination.
2 The Significance Of Greasy Sae In The Hunger Games Books
Grease Sae’s appearance being cut down caused anger to readers of “The Hunger Games” books.
In the movie, Greasy Sae is first seen at the Hob with Katniss and then appears again very briefly in Catching Fire. Her most significant role in the final film was actually cut entirely from the narrative.
In the book, Greasy Sae acts as Katniss’ motivator and caretaker when she returns home after losing Prim and killing Coin. None of this appears in the movie.
1 Peeta’s Prosthetic Leg In The Hunger Games Books
Probably the biggest difference between The Hunger Games movies and the books is Peeta’s leg!
In the books, part of Peeta’s left leg was amputated following the 74th Hunger Games, forcing him to walk with the aid of a prosthetic leg for the rest of his life. The prosthetic was made using state of the art technology which didn’t affect his performance. In the 2012 film adaptation, his leg is never amputated.
