Hidden Details You Missed in The Hunger Games

1. The meaning behind Katniss' name

(Image/ Source: popsugar.com)We know just how good Katniss is with a bow and arrow. So much so, author Suzanne Collins decided to name her after an arrowhead plant. A Katniss plant has arrow-shaped leaves and is edible, which is perfect for our forager protagonist. Her surname is also taken from Far From the Maddening Crowd, as she’s named after Bathsheba Everdene- who is fiercely independent!

2. The inspiration for President Snow

(Image/ Source: cinemablend.com)Suzanne Collins also drew some literary inspiration for President Snow. His full name is President Coriolanus Snow- which is taken from the Shakespeare play Coriolanus. In the famous tragedy, Coriolanus believes common people can’t rule themselves, and has some pretty extreme views on social classes. Notice any similarities?

3. Peeta is named after pita bread

(Image/ Source: screenrant.com)Yep, you heard that right. One of our starring characters is named after the humble pita bread. It’s quite fitting for Peeta though- he comes from a family of bakers, and happens to be pretty good at making bread. He also uses his cake-decorating talents to camouflage himself in the games in the first movie.

4. The origins of the nightlock berries

(Image/ Source: screenrant.com)The name nightlock comes from two real-life poisonous plants- deadly nightshade and hemlock. These nightlock berries eventually go on to cause a LOT of chaos in Panem, and the eventual downfall of Seneca Crane. As Katniss once said, it must be a fragile system if it can be brought down by just a few berries…

5. Panem has roots in Roman history

(Image/ Source: insider.com)In a link with Peeta, Panem actually means “bread” in Latin. This word appears in the famous Latin phrase “panem et circenses,” which translates to "bread and circuses." It’s been said that this translates to “sustenance and entertainment provided by the government to appease public discontent.” Which kinda sums Panem up really!

6. The Mockingjay pin changes in each movie poster

(Image/ Source: variety.com)Have you noticed that the Mockingjay on each of the movie posters changes over time? The bird can be seen with its head down for the first film, but as Katniss becomes more confident as a leader, the Mockingjay begins to change. It starts to raise its head in Catching Fire, and by Mockingjay Part 2, it’s facing upwards with its wings held high.

7. Peeta only has three nails painted in Catching Fire

(Image/ Source: insider.com)An eagle-eyed viewer took to Twitter to note that Peeta only has three of his fingernails painted at the Capitol party in Catching Fire – the three fingers that everyone uses for Katniss’s salute. It becomes a key symbol of rebellion in Panem, but it also shows Peeta’s love for our favorite archer. Bless him.

8. The franchise took inspiration from the Great Depression

(Image/ Source: insider.com)The aesthetic for The Hunger Games franchise took cues from photos of the Great Depression- including the famous photograph taken by Dorothea Lange. This was recreated in the first movie, which featured a woman holding her face with her hand. The shot is almost identical to the one that Dorothea took all those years ago.

9. Like mother like daughter

(Image/ Source: insider.com)Katniss’ mother Mrs. Everdeen is played by actress Paula Malcomson- and she’s starred alongside JLaw before! The pair have actually played mother and daughter before in a grizzly episode of Cold Case, where Paula played a woman called Marlene who disappears- and is then found at the bottom of a lake.

10. PDL-736

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)As movie in-jokes go, this is a good one! In Catching Fire, eagle-eyed viewers will spot that the tunnel leading into the Capitol Arena is labeled PDL-736. Apparently this is the name of the nightclub that the cast and crew went to on the reg while filming the movie in Atlanta, according to Josh Hutcherson (aka Peeta).

11. Buttercup the cat was recast

(Image/ Source: pinterest.com)A lot of actors get recast these days- but now cats do too! Author Suzanne Clarke actually requested that producer Nina Jacobson recast the cat, as she wanted it to closely resemble the cat in her books. And this was a fair request- the cat in the first film was black and white, when in fact, Buttercup should have been ginger.

12. The flowers disappear during the runway ceremony

(Image/ Source: screenrant.com)Movies are full of continuity errors if you look closely enough. And the first Hunger Games film is no different! As the tributes take a super-fancy chariot ride on the runway in the first ceremony in the Capitol, people in the crowd start throwing flowers at their favorites. However, in the next aerial shot of the tributes, all the flowers are gone.

13. The tribute to Phillip Seymour Hoffman

(Image/ Source: ign.com)Unfortunately, the celebrated actor died of an overdose during the filming of the final Mockingjay movies. Fans and cast members were devastated, but the films never over-egg Phillip’s final few moments on camera. Instead, they give him a simple tribute after the closing title card to mark their respect.

14. JLaw's wig

(Image/ Source: hollywoodreporter.com)A lot changes about Katniss over the course of the movies- including her hair! Jennifer Lawrence is a natural blonde, so the constant dying to red and brunette had destroyed her hair by Mockingjay: Part 1. The hair and makeup team eventually bought her a fancy wig, which was a much more bearable solution for her!

15. No cannon sound for Marvel

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)Every time a tribute dies in the games, a canon is sounded. But there seems to be one exception- Marvel! In the first movie, Katniss shoots him with an arrow after he attacks (and kills) Rue. But when he dies, there’s no canon sound. Apparently the director and sound engineers never noticed until the movie was released.

16. Lyric changes to the Hanging Tree

(Image/ Source: dailymotion.com)Katniss’ version of The Hanging Tree is the soundtrack to the Mockingjay movies, but the song is butchered to make it fit in with the themes of propaganda and altered images. The line “wear a necklace of rope” is also changed to a “necklace of hope”, which fits in with the films a little better. It’s still a controversial decision with some fans though.

17. Effie and Haymitch take Plutarch's lines

(Image/ Source: huffpost.com)We already know that Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death had a huge impact on the Mockingjay films. While body doubles helped a little, there was still the problem of some pretty important dialogue, which the director decided to pass to Effie and Haymitch. Effie doesn’t take such a central role in the Mockingjay books, but it felt more natural for Effie and Haymitch to step in to speak to Katniss in the movies.

18. Pollux isn't thr first Avox to appear on screen

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)The Mockingjay movies introduce us to Pullox, who is an Avox- a former rebel against the Capitol who's then had their tongue cut out, and forced into slavery. Pullox’s arrival means it’s the first time the word has been used on-screen, but we’ve actually met the Avox people before! In the first two movies, the masked servants who serve the tributes in the Capitol before the games are Avoxs.

19. Disappearing arrows

(Image/ Source: icollector.com)We’ve had disappearing flowers- well, there are disappearing arrows too! As Katniss trains for the games in Catching Fire, she starts shooting arrows at holographic tributes. It’s a very cool, CGI-lead scene, but fans have spotted a mistake- all the arrows Katniss fires at her enemies mysteriously disappear.

20. The post-credit scene in Mockingjay: Part 1

(Image/ Source: hollywoodreporter.com)You know like we mentioned the evolution of the Mockingjay bird? Well, it has its own post-credit scene in Mockingjay: Part 1. The forty-second sequence shows the bird transforming into the logos for the first three movies before flapping its wings and smashing the outer ring. A metaphor if we ever saw one!

21. Capitol fashion

(Image/ Source: pinterest.com)Did you know that the OTT outfits in the Capitol were actually inspired by the Victorian era? While there’s no hint of Steampunk, we get to see large ties, ruffles, and tons of silk, which team nicely with the extravagant hairstyles. It’s the perfect contrast to the grey, drab peasant outfits of those who live in the districts.

22. Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth tried to gross each other out

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth have known each other for years- and even kissed offset back in the day! When they had to do their kissing scenes in the Hunger Games series, they decided to have fun and see how much they could gross each other out by eating the smelliest foods possible. Tuna, garlic, you name it!

23. Rue's odds of winning increase out of nowhere

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)We meet little Rue in the first movie, where she’s put through her paces for training with Katniss and the other tributes. They’re then given a score at the end of training based on their chances of winning. Rue originally gets a score of 60-1, but later in the film, the scoreboard changes to 7-1- with no explanation given.

24. The intensity of the Reaping

(Image/ Source: aleksybusygin.medium.com)The Reaping scenes for the first movie were pretty intense- and they were difficult to film too! There were tons of extras on set, and as space was limited, they didn’t really have many places to go other than having to stay outside. To make matters worse, it was ridiculously hot during the filming days, so the extras weren’t all that happy. Apparently JLaw handed out some autographs to keep the peace.

25. Why President Snow has a red mouth

(Image/ Source: thathashtagshow.com)In Catching Fire, President Snow is often looking a bit red around the mouth- and the glass he drinks from at a Capitol party also looks like it has blood in it. Turns out, this red substance is actually poison. In the books, he would share this substance with anyone who he saw as a threat to his ruling of Panem, and would even go so far as to take it himself to throw any suspicion off. He always had an antidote with him, but still…

26. Only 20 platforms are spotted in the first games

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)As we know, each district reaps two tributes every year- one girl and one boy. And as there are twelve districts, there should be twenty-four tributes competing in the games. However, as the games are about to start in the first movie, there is a wide shot that only shows twenty platforms, which has raised questions about where the other four participants went…

27. The on-set swear jar

(Image/ Source: intofilm.org)You might not have noticed this in the behind-the-scenes footage from the first film, but it turns out that the cast and crew had an on-set swear jar to try and keep them in check during production. Unsurprisingly, the jar was full before they got to the end of filming! The cast and crew decided to donate the money to a charity.

28. The sewer scenes in Mockingjay Part 2 are real

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)While tons of movie scenes are filmed in front of a green screen these days, The creepy sewer scenes in Mockingjay Part 2 were filmed in an actual sewer. This was to make these scenes feel much more claustrophobic and authentic. However, the cast really started to struggle with the smell, so the crew eventually built a “sewer” set for the final few shots.

29. No explosion at the Cornucopia?

(Image/ Source: pinterest.com)In one memorable scene in the first film, Katniss decides to blow up the Cornucopia thanks to some well-placed arrows and a few apples, which land on a mine. But later on in the movie in the final showdown, the Cornucopia is pristinely intact, and there is no sign of damage. The grass isn’t destroyed either!

30. JLaw gave Josh Hutchinson concussion

(Image/ Source: teenvogue.com)On the set of The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutchinson would often practice shadow boxing together in between takes. However, JLaw was a bit over-enthusiastic, and ended up kicking Josh in the head. Josh was attended by medical staff, who said he had a concussion. He forgave Jennifer in the end though…

31. Jennifer Lawrence's Hair Game Cost $30,000

Image Source / heros.fandom.comInitially, blonde Jennifer Lawrence was faced with reality of dying her hair to match Katniss's shade in the books: dark brown. Due to the damage of repeated dying and the resultant switch to wigs, it actually ended up racking up a pretty hefty hair bill, as they rented five lace wigs at $6,000 each.

32. You Can Get Your Own Hunger Games Barbie Doll!

Image Source / MetroNot only can you get a Hunger Games Barbie doll, but it's not just original blonde barbie dressed up as a Mockingjay with a bow and arrow, either. The doll has actually been made to look like Jennifer Lawrence, if one man and his artistic hobby is anything to go by (he's called Noel Cruz and he makes custom dolls!).

33. There Was A Huge Surge In People Taking Up Archery

Image Source / Archery 360Wanting to follow after their heroine, a lot of people - especially young girls - flocked to take up archery following the movies, according to the CEO of USA Archery. They undoubtedly wanted to learn to use the same type of bow Katniss uses in the movies.

34. Jennifer Lawrence Went Partially Deaf In One Ear

Image Source / Teen VogueYou probably wouldn't notice it watching the movies because she didn't let on, but yep she unfortunately went a bit deaf in one ear after she got more than one ear infection with all the deep underwater scenes she was filming during Catching Fire.

35. The Winner's Dress Katniss Wears Is Inspired By Princess Beatrice's Hat

Image Source / BuzzFeedThis isn't supposed to be a compliment either, apparently. The dress Katniss wears after she has won is actually supposed to look like a bad fashion choice where she looks uncomfortable but also of low status. Design critic Alexandra Lange said it was like the hat British Princess Beatrice wore to a royal wedding - tacky and a reminder of her low status as a royal. Ouch!

36. Finnick Odair's Actor Sam Claflin Is Actually Scared Of Large Crabs

Image Source / POPSUGARDespite his character being a whizz with a net, trident and handling any manner of sea creature, actor Claflin is quite the opposite. He's admitted to being rather scared of large crabs - and attributes it to maybe because his star sign is Cancer!

37. But Jennifer Lawrence, On The Other Hand, Is As Well Equipped As Her Character

Image Source / The Hunger Games Wiki - FandomWhile Claflin is a little fearful when it comes to all the stuff his character can do, Jennifer isn't afraid to get hands-on. She can skin and cook a squirrel in real life, just like Katniss can. Although whether that's because she already knew, or because she learned for the movie, is another story!

38. The Hunger Games Book Was Almost Banned In The US

Image Source / eBayAnd no, it wasn't President Snow stirring the pot. Apparently certain people in the US were pretty unhappy with some of the book's content, including its religious viewpoint and the belief that it was inappropriate to the age group it was written for...

39. Effie's Nails Take A Long Time To Do

Image Source / Guest of a GuestDo you remember Effie's nails from the movies? Of course you do! These aren't just a quick stick-on either. Apparently when it comes to Effie's style and design - which takes long enough for all that makeup on the actress anyway - it's her long and elaborate nails that take the longest time, averaging around 45 minutes.

40. There Is Actually 70s Electro Music Hidden In The Soundtrack

Image Source / Sonic Boom RecordsDid you ever notice that? The official soundtrack for the very first movie did include some well-known names, like Taylor Swift, but for the subsequent movies, there was a much more subtle inclusion of track samples from the 70s. In particular, for the Cornucopia scene, there was a sample used from a Laurie Spiegel track originally made with a synthesizer and retro tape machines.

41. President Snow's Donald Sutherland Went Full Method Actor

Image Source / 34th Hunger Games Wiki - FandomWhen he auditioned to nab the role of President Snow, legendary actor Sutherland embraced method acting by sending in a letter to the director of the Hunger Games. The letter was three pages, and was titled 'Letters from the Rose Garden'.

42. Jennifer Lawrence Was Only Paid $500,000 For The First Hunger Games Movie

Image Source / BBCWe say 'only' like it's still not a lot of money, but it's really not in the world of showbiz. You can see the difference when you then discover she was paid $10 million for starring in Catching Fire! Bit of a jump, to say the least. And, of course, her appearance in this movie franchise only did wonders for her already-sparkling career.

43. The Cornucopia Reached A Speed Of 35 Mph When Spinning

Image Source / Amino AppsWhen the actors needed to film in the spinning cornucopia, it was actually moving for real. It went up to spin speeds of 35 mph, and the actors actually had it so bad that they had to wear motion sickness bracelets to stop themselves from puking.

44. Elizabeth Banks Based Effie's Iconic Voice On A Few Other Hollywood Performances

Image Source / The Hunger Games Wiki - FandomThe voice of Effie Trinket is one all fans will remember easily from the movies, and Elizabeth Banks gave an amazing performance. The unique voice was actually modelled by the actress on the performances of both Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame and Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story.

45. All Three Leads Changed Their Hair Color For The Films

Image Source / Yahoo Movies UKIt wasn't just Jennifer Lawrence that had to have A LOT of money and attention on her hair - all three of the leads (Lawrence, Liam and Josh) all had to make a change with the hair dye. Liam died his naturally sandy-coloured hair a darker shade of brown, and Josh made sure to go super duper blonde for Peeta, of course.

46. Jena Malone's Strip Elevator Scene As Johanna Mason Caught A Stranger By Surprise

Image Source / The Hunger Games Wiki - FandomWe all remember the scene where Johanna Mason strips in the elevator in front of Katniss and Peeta, but it was actually filmed in a working elevator - in a working hotel. The hotel was actually being used at the time of filming, and when the elevator doors opened unexpectedly during one take, a man caught a glimpse of - well - everything.

47. The Body Count Of The Hunger Games Is 39

Image Source / Entertainment WeeklyIs this more or less than you thought? For a film franchise that's about humans fighting to the death, you may have actually thought it was more... But the total is 39, 17 of which occur during the flashback scene when the miners (including Katniss's father) are killed.

48. The Mockingjay Song Only Has Four Notes

Image Source / TuneFindNot only does the song only have four simple notes, they're also the very same notes which are used for the opening of the Love Theme of Romeo and Juliet from the 1968 production of it. So if you're a Shakespeare fan and thought they sounded a little familiar, there you go!

49. The Rather Crazy Look Of The Cornucopia Was Inspired By An Architect's Very Specific Style

Image Source / Smithsonian MagazineWhen you look at that cornucopia with all its funky, jagged edges, you just know that it makes you feel on edge, and that's a testament to its specific architectural style. The style in question was inspired by the works of Frank O. Gehry, who is known for very wacky and amazing architecture.

50. The A113 Easter Egg

Image Source / Yahoo UKA113 is a very common Easter egg and inside joke to many people in media. The number itself refers to a classroom at the California Institute of the Arts which has been used by many famous design students in the industry. In this movie franchise, you can see A113 appear on one of the video screens when Katniss is shown in the games.