Without having read the books or knowing too much what the movie is about, I'd say perhaps the biggest thing is it appears to be a parable to events happening to us at this time. Again, I really haven't a clue other than one or two things I've read that seemed to suggest there's a ruling class which makes me think of the whole 99% thing and the stories we hear of people doing the things they do to get by. There's also the whole "reality" tv angle to which this might be some form of commentary on - Survivor to the extreme. Just a couple of hunches from what little I know, both of which the movie could be seen as a reflection of society in a meaningful way we may not otherwise consider.

From the trailer, seems like beat for beat a Hero's journey which is a familiar story to most of us. Probably has a bit of the Romeo and Juliet style love story mixed in. Also, the world of the Hunger Games just looks interesting. I'm a firm believer if you paint a unique word, the audience is can be completely intrigued by just that (well that plus a good story, well told). My example is Slum Dog Millionaire, seeing a story set in the slums of India was just fascinating to me. I've knew nothing about India prior to that. I have to agree with TB3 above, the reality show aspect might be part of it. A touch of the voyeur aspect in all of us. The characters are unique with cool names and the way they dress. The main character is probably relateable (a little more universal). An everyday person from meager beginnings, thrust into a unique, big situation, on a public scale no less with giant stakes (her life). We want to see what happens to her. Plus she's at the age where that demographic of girls and boys will flock to the theaters. Heck people my age will flock just because it's a post apocalyptic setting. Anyway, my $.02.

It has numerous elements which keep you drawn further and further into the story. An Underdog. An unresolved relationship which we are keen to see develop/ resolve. Stakes, big Stakes. If Katniss doesn't win she is toast. We are kept on the edge of our seats because there are always twists and turns. It's a classic story of survival of the fittest told in a new and original way.

1. Hit book 1a. Hit book starring attractive female teenage protagonist who has to fight for her life while navigating a love interest (see Twilight) 1b. The attachment of Jennifer Lawrence. 2. Story about fighting for one's life in gameshow format. These are always compelling stories when done right. 3. Great trailer with great music that brings seminal scenes from the book to life. 4. Flaming mockingjay logo.

Doesn't hurt that it's a best selling Young Adult book franchise either. Ala Harry Potter/Twilight. That alone is a major contributor to the potential success of a film version of it. Scott -- If you're resurrecting this series (ANATOMY OF A HIT MOVIE) I think you should clear up some definitions. By HIT -- you mean box office smash, correct? I bring this up mainly because there's plenty of terrific movies that didn't find their audience in theaters (SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION comes to mind). While I also think you're not talking about movies that do well financially despite being shitty (INDY 4, SPIDERMAN 3 come to mind). Other definition -- STORY -- specifically what are you referring to? Anatomy of a hit MOVIE -- implies we are talking about the story that makes it to the screen. What about the story in the book? I bring this up because the simplest answer to how the story in a hit movie works (or why it was successful) -- was because it was already successful in book form. I'd imagine you'd have to address the difference between something like a STAR WARS / AVATAR that's story is crafted in film vs HUNGER GAMES / HARRY POTTER / TWILIGHT that were crafted in a book first and are then adapted to the screen. To me, there's a little less mystery in why something that has already been successful is once again successful than something that never was becoming successful. But then that begs the question -- why was it successful in book form? So -- are we really talking about the anatomy of a hit movie? Or just a hit mainstream story?

Damn, wish I didn't take so log to write my post. Totally 100% agree.

Having been a hit book is huge, and it seems like everyday word is spreading. I remember my sister asking for the books at Christmas and I'd never heard of it, and now I have friends asking me if I've read the books and what I thought (which I haven't). It's been touched on, but these kinds of Teen/Young Adult stories have done very well lately. I think there's a strong correlation there as these are years that are very formative, emotional, and turbulent for most people, and we hold on to memories and feelings from that time in our lives even as we become adults. There was still a wonder to the world back then, you experienced new things regularly, you had your first kiss, fell in love, etc. Any story that brings people back to that time connects on a deeper level. Also, it's taking the ordinary person and placing them into the extraordinary, just like with Harry Potter and Twilight. Again, when you're younger, I think a lot of us have those daydreams about being transported into another world, something much more fantastic and exciting than 12th Grade English. If a story hits that note, and can connect the individual to the protagonist, again, the story rings even more true. The underdog aspect is always good, as is the romantic subplot, and the stakes are very high. It's themes do also make for a good comparison to what's happening in the world today. It's also a historical tale, in that its roots are from the time of Gladiators in Rome, and film wise it's basically a young adult sci-fi version of the movie Gladiator.

There's a lot to dissection but I want to focus on just one thing -- the ending. The entire book sets up the biggest choice that Katniss will have to make, the one at the end, and it's a choice between two BAD things. And it's inevitable. To get us there, to build that tension, and to resolve it somehow, that's a thrill that readers (I'm going with that, since I'm basing it off the book) don't always get. Isn't that why so many movies/books fall flat? The girl has to choose between her high-stress lame life and cutting loose with her love? We are unfulfilled by easy choices. We are thrilled by characters that are tested and forced to act. And we admire the writers that can pull it off without being gimmicky (which I do think the trilogy unravels to later in the series). Like I said, there are other aspects, but I think the ending captivates with how strongly it resonates. I'm super stoked, can you tell? Amy

Scott, this touches on something I've been thinking about for a couple of weeks -- Why do we like stories at all? They are, practically, useless. Is it purely because they appeal to our emotional, sentimental side? What makes a story more effective than a list of instructions? I was reading through your posts, catching up, and I almost got chills reading, "In the beginning was the Word." Being a theologian and a scholar, what resources have you come up with that have explained our affection for storytelling? I think if I am going to whittle myself into a better writer, I have to understand our love of stories better. Thank you!

The success of this movie has nothing to do with story. It boils down to one thing: Four years. The first Harry Potter book was published in June 1997. The first movie came out in November 2001. Four years had passed. The first Hunger Games novel was published in September of 2008. The movie will be out this month, four years later. If you were 12-14 years old when you read the novel, you'll be 16-18 years old now which puts you right in the middle of Hollywood's favored demographic. So if you write a bestselling young adult novel, by the time Hollywood can get a movie put together, the audience for the book will be the prime moviegoing audience. Note that Hunger Games tells a story that's appealing to boys, but features a female protagonist that is appealing to girls. Harry Potter centered on a boy, but featured a number of strong female characters that female readers could identify with. I also want to point out that both of these were written by women. They've been able to tap into something from their own experiences that appeals to young adults both male and female. It's also remarkable that two of the best selling YA novel series (which will spawn a series of blockbuster movies) of the last twenty years were created by women, while Hollywood has so few opportunities for women writers.

The most profound thing I've realized concerning stories is that the three main components, beginning, middle, end, or Campell's separation, initiation, and return, are the key building blocks to a living organism surviving successfully. It's a pattern found throughout the universe. An organism must go out and find energy, explore the world, and most importantly *return* with that energy, in order for successive organisms to survive. As they say, a journey in which the hero does not return to his ordinary world is not actually a journey. It's not enough that a hero defeats a villain or a bee finds honey, that hero or that bee must return for that journey to feel complete and thus have any future impact. The cyclical qualities of conflict leading to growth and change is embedded into nature. We like stories not only for the entertainment and information they provide, but we like stories because it's integral for our species to understand the importance of becoming better, more complex than when you started, and returning with that information and setting a path for the future. A good story reflects this powerful mechanism for evolution. When a story is successful, it becomes itself an organism of nature. And greater than the words, sounds, and images it contains.

James, you are right to push for a clear delineation. As much of what I do on the blog and with this proposed series is pedagogical in nature [that's my 25 cent word of the day!), I am going to target movies that are commercially successful. For example, The Vow, Chronicle, Act of Valor all would be good choices. Especially targeting surprise movies, I think, can be meaningful for writers.

Why stories? We could spend a lifetime discussing that subject I suppose and never come to any comprehensive conclusion. But it's such a hugely important question, why don't I do a blog post on it and see what the GITS community says. Here are a couple of thoughts: * By the time a college student graduates, s/he will have heard, read, or seen 10,000 stories. * "Tell me a story." Every parent has heard this God knows how many times from children. * Speaking of children, I know this for a fact having experienced it firsthand with my two sons: Stories are a safe place into which children can project themselves and experience any sort of feeling the story creates. If you want to know how it is we as human being somehow manage to contextualize a truly existential fact -- that each of us is going to die -- it is, I would argue, largely through the power of story. By the time a child reaches 6 years of age which is generally when they first have an authentic sense of permanence, they will have already heard hundreds of stories about animals, people, kingdoms, planets and other organic beings dying. The harsh reality of death gets demystified in a way by stories enabling us as individuals to incorporate that reality into our lives by the time we understand permanence. Think on that: If a story has the power to enable us as human beings to make sense out of death, then story must be one of the most powerful interfaces that exist in human culture. But I'm sure readers will come up with a zillion more ideas. Thanks for your question. Do you mind if I quote you for the GITS post?

Matthew, that is really interesting, isn't it? Two of the biggest YA book series written by women. Can throw in "Twilight" although I imagine I would hear howls of protest comparing that title to the other two.

Beautiful, Claude. Andrew Stanton said almost as much in his recent TED Talk: Stories are about change. Campbell said that transformation is the point of the Hero's Journey. Jung described the psychological journey of individuation as the great story of human existence. To him, nothing in all of human history compared to each individual's unique transformation journey toward unity. I've often said that one of the reasons we are drawn to movies is that most of them show a character or characters who go through a remarkable metamorphosis over the course of 2 hours. We find that not only compelling and entertaining, but also reaffirming because we want to believe that we can change.

Yes, please! And thanks for the great answer. I've already listened to Stanton's TED talk but I'm going to go back and do that again today.

Firstly, the book was a big hit across genders and age groups - just look at the reviews on Amazon - I rarely read books but couldn't put this one down and I'm in my 30's. The Hunger Games has a wonderfully strong three act structure and for Blake Snyder fans, a huge "Save the cat" moment which is featured prominently in the trailer. The marketing was extremely well done and puts John Carter's expensive, bloated but ultimately heartless campaign to shame. Interestingly all the trailers for The Hunger Games feature footage from the first act with only mere seconds of obscure footage from the second and third acts. In the trailers, we get to know the character, she has a heart and a personality we care about, want to know, before we step in to the cinema. I can't wait to see it. The second and third book will be another issue though...

Producer Hat ON - Hunger Games is a best selling book. It is a brand that already comes with a built in audience. Awareness is high to begin with. I'll put on my screenwriter hat after I see it. I will be going this weekend and adding to it's massive opening. The commercials so far have been very appealing. I also read a lot about the book on social networks from parents posting that their kids are into the book or that they've read it and like it too. I did see John Carter so after you catch it maybe we can compare the storytelling approach between these two projects? With John Carter it seems that an over fascination with the official particulars of story telling led to it's stale and flat feel. The devil really is in the details.

Haha -- You sparked something else! PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 was a huge hit. It was also released in a surprisingly Horror film deprived October. (Only 2 major Horror releases for that October. Compared to previous years where 2 or more Horror films a weekend is not uncommon). So timing is another factor. I think THE VOW capitalized big time on a lack of similar genre competition. THE HELP is another example of this. And a best selling book. Haha, I realize I'm taking the "anything kinda works" approach to something you're trying to dissect in specifics. Lol. Was trying to help to break these ideas apart into a couple major categories, but it seems like there's more than a couple.

I included TWILIGHT and I'm not a fan. Lol. You can't argue with its success and appeal to... someone. I dunno who, but they bought a lot of tickets and books.

Umm, if you think there's any less money behind Hunger Games advertising campaign than John Carter's you are mistaking. You can argue which one was more effective -- but both are MAJOR STUDIO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS with hefty pricetags.

I have no doubt both campaigns were expensive - my guess is JC was more so but that is a guess only based on the huge billboards vs smaller posters I have seen around my city. I suppose I was arguing that Hunger Games was more targeted, intelligent, personable and ultimately effective.

Thanks Scott! I'd just like to correct myself - Bees don't find honey, they make it. I really did know that, I swear! :)