After the two deliciously unconventional teasers ("Together As One" and "Unity") for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part I, which were basically Donald Sutherland propaganda speeches on behalf of "the Capitol" with little-to-no mention of the fact that they were advertisements for The Hunger Games, it's almost a little disappointing to see this far more run-of-the-mill teaser. Having said that, it's a solid and sparse teaser, running about one minute and giving away very little beyond the rather obvious broad strokes. The Capitol is upset over the events of the first two films, Katniss is the face of the rebellion and thus must take a leading role whether she wants it or not, etc., etc. We get Phillip Seymour Hoffman doing most of the narration, which is an encouraging sign that Lionsgate (
It's bad enough that trailers no longer premiere in theaters, but Lionsgate, Samsung, and
Anyway, I didn't get exact numbers, but the Best Buy sales people assured me that quite a few people had checked out the teaser on Saturday, meaning that however many die-hard fans walked into their local Best Buy and watched an 88-second presentation now have basically paid for their ticket to the third film in the franchise. Let's hope they all decide to bring a friend. Anyway, it's not quite Avatar Day, but the Best Buy/Samsung trailer preview actually went pretty well if my personal experience is any indication. But getting back to the trailer itself, the teaser, as well as the previous propaganda commercials, highlights what I most appreciate about Lionsgate's marketing campaign for the entire Hunger Games saga up to this point. In short, they know they don't need to give away the store so they only tease as much as they absolutely have to. The marketing campaigns for the first two films basically left the second half of each respective picture (the games themselves) almost completely unspoiled. Since I presume these last two films won't have the same structure, it will be interesting to see what Lionsgate chooses to divulge. At this point, all they'd have to do is show the title card and the fans would show up.
As someone who admires the franchise in theory more than in execution (I hated the first film and more-or-less liked the second), I'm looking forward to this third installment precisely because it won't have what I find to be the weakest components of the first two films, the "most dangerous game" competitions themselves. I still think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part I is the best of the eight-film franchise, and that's partially because it junks the structure of the previous six films. Catching Fire was basically a glorified remake of the first film, but this time around, with little knowledge of the source material, I'm looking forward to a different kind of film involving this particular universe. As far as box office, the second film was actually bigger than the first, which is impressive when you consider the first film topped $400 million domestic. I don't want to presume a similar run (point being, let's not break out the pitchforks if the third film "only" earns $375m), but if it can top $400m again it will be the first franchise to have three $400m+ entries total. Heck, aside from Hunger Games and maybe the Marvel Universe (do we count Avengers and Iron Man 3 as part of the same explicit franchise?), only Star Wars has two $400m+ installments, and the original needed a release or twenty to get there.
So yeah, at least domestically speaking, Hunger Games will likely end its four-film run as the most consistently successful franchise in modern cinematic history. It did so with a female in the lead, with a story that explicitly criticized modern day bread-and-circuses politics, without a 3D bump, and with a marketing campaign that didn't feel the need to spoil or even reveal all that much about the films being advertised. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part I opens November 21, 2014 in glorious 2D but not (as I incorrectly wrote when writing this originally) in glorious IMAX 2D (thanks a lot, Interstellar). As always, we'll see, but I wouldn't bet against it.
* I was not at Comic-Con this weekend, but Forbes's LA Bureau Chief Dorothy Pomerantz attended and lived to tell the tale. So for first-hand accounts and commentary, read the several pieces she already put up over the weekend. To wit:
Comic Con Fans Are Ready For Some Female Superheroes
Can Marvel's 'Age Of Ultron' Match 'The Avengers'?
With 'Crimson Peak,' 'Warcraft' And 'Skull Island,' Legendary Lays Out Its Future With Universal
The Next Season Of 'The Walking Dead' Will Melt Your Brain
The Weinsteins Try To Break Into The YA Market With 'The Giver'
Guillermo del Toro Gives Fans A Look At His New Thriller 'Crimson Peak'
Also on Forbes: