Soderbergh Explains Hunger Games Work

Director Steven Soderbergh is talking about his role as part of the crew on  Gary Ross' adaptation of The Hunger Games telling Heat Vision he was well aware of all the "crazy-ass speculation" that followed when it was revealed that he was working on the film.

Soderbergh explains "Back in April, Gary [Ross] -- who is a close friend of mine [and] I've exchanged creative favors with non-stop over the last 15 years -- when he got the boards for the shoot ... called me and said, 'Hey, first week of August, I got these two days of second unit, Is there any way you can come down and help me out? Because I'd rather have you do it than hire somebody who I don't know'. I said, 'Actually, that works out.' We'll just be finishing Contagion and prepping Magic Mike, and yeah, it could be fun."

Soderbergh adds that it was his duty just "to come in and duplicate exactly what Gary and [cinematographer] Tom Stern ... are doing, to mimic as closely as I can to their aesthetic… that's what I attempted to do. But if I've done my job properly ... by design, you won't be able to tell what I did because it's supposed to cut seamlessly into what they're doing."

The story involves a young love triangle playing out against a dystopian future where North America has been divided into twelve oppressed districts, each of which is forced to send tribute in the form of a boy and a girl to compete in a televised battle to the death once a year.

Jennifer Lawrence plays heroine Katniss Josh Hutcherson is Peeta and Liam Hemsworth plays Gale Elizabeth Banks will play Effie Trinket; Wes Bentley is Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane; Woody Harrelson is drunk, yet endearing mentor Haymitch: Stanley Tucci will play the ebullient and relentlessly upbeat Flickerman, host of the Games; Donald Sutherland has been cast as President Snow Amandla Stenberg and Dayo Okeniyi are set to play the characters of Rue and Thresh; Jack Quaid and Leven Rambin play District 1 tributes Marvel and Glimmer; Willow Shields will play Prim Everdeen; Paula Malcomson is Mama Everdeen; Ian Nelson and Kalia Prescott are playng Tributes from District 3. Ashton Moio and Kara Petersen are playing tributes from District 6. While Samuel Tan and Makenzie Lintz occupy District 8; Sam Ly and Leigha Hancock appear as District 7 Tributes; Imanol Vepez-Frias and Annie Thurman inhabit District 9; Jeremy Marinas and Dakota Hood are playing the District 10 Tributes.; Latarsha Rose and Brooke Bundy will play Portia and Octavia; Lenny Kravitz will play the role of Cinna and Toby Jones is legendary arenas announcer Claudius Templesmith. Amber Chaney will play the Avox girl, Kimiko Gelman and Nelson Ascencio are Venia and Flavius respectively.

Author Suzanne Collins adapted her novel series into script form which Billy Ray re-wrote.

The first film is due out March 23rd, 2012