Hunger Games

With our discussion on media convergence and participatory culture I thought back to how I predicted that Hunger Games will be the next big thing and it slowly is becoming so. The Hunger Games is a science fiction book made for young adults. I have read this series and as much of a nerd it makes me, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an interesting premise and a super easy read. These books have caught the attention of many readers and it is now becoming a movie (media convergence!). It is following the same pattern that Twilight and Harry Potter went through. The book was the “book” part that Jenkins talked about. The “hooks” part would be the easy to follow narrative of the series. It will also have the “looks”. The CNN entertainment section is always announcing the newest actors to be in the movie. So far, they have chosen actors who are not A-listers, but that is also how Twilight and Harry Potter picked its cast. Now everyone knows who Rob Pattinson is. I think it’s only a matter of time before the cast of Hunger Games will be known world-wide.
I looked up Hunger Games on Google to see if there were any fan sites committed to it already and the results were positive. The websites have forums and news updates on the movie. They each have countdowns and their interpretations of the book. I went to MyHungerGames.com and clicked on the fan art section. It turns out that fans even made a movie on YouTube of Hunger Games. There are many drawings and videos of Hunger Games characters. There are fans who also dressed up as the characters for Halloween even though this series is not well-known yet. I think this is exactly what Jenkins was saying in his article. People now have the resources to make their own movies or art and be a part of something. These fans have their own culture. Any fan can make their own movie based on the book and their own interpretation of it and post it on the internet for anyone to see.