The Hunger Games

OPENING:

KATNISS:

(V.O.)

Winning means fame and fortune.

Losing means certain death. I guess

I wouldn’t mind dying, but dying

means losing the ones I love.

INT. Cinna’s workroom.- DAY.

The lights flicker on. KATNISS bats her eyes at the sudden

light, trying to adjust her eyes to the bright lights,

slightly startled. She is naked, except for a bra,

underwear, and a tank top. CINNA circles her, examining her

body like a piece of work.

DISTRICT 12

DAYS EARLIER:

INT. Everdeen household- DAY.

Katniss stretches on her bed from the effects of just waking

up. She finds the other side of her bed empty. She props

herself on one elbow, finding PRIM curled up by her MOTHER

on another bed, both asleep. BUTTERCUP, the cat, sits at the

feet of Prim. Katniss gets up to get ready to hunt. Once

ready, she takes goat cheese from the table. Katniss goes to

Prim and kisses her on the forehead.

KATNISS:

(whispered)

Thanks, Prim.

Katniss puts the cheese in her pocket as she steps outside.

She proceeds to walk towards the edge of Seam. She leans

towards the fence and listens. It’s silent. She slips

underneath the fence. She picks up her archery set and

equips herself. She looks at a kid trying to retrieve an

apple from a tree.

KATNISS:

District Twelve. Where you can

starve to death in safety.

She climbs hills to join GALE. She sits beside him.

GALE:

Hey, Catnip. Look what I shot.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
2.

He holds up a loaf of bread with an arrow stuck through it

for Katniss to see. She laughs. Katniss then takes the bread

from Gale’s hands and pulls out the arrow.

KATNISS:

Still warm. What did it cost you?

GALE:

Just a squirrel. Think the old man

was feeling sentimental this

morning. Even wished me luck.

KATNISS:

Well, we all feel a little closer

today, don’t we? Prim left us a

cheese.

Katniss takes the cheese out from her pocket.

GALE:

Thank you, Prim. We’ll have a real

feast.

He rips a piece of the bread off.

GALE:

I almost forgot.

(capitol accent)

Happy Hunger Games! And may the

odds-

She finishes the phrase in a similar imitation.

KATNISS:

(capitol accent)

-Be ever in your favor!

They laugh. They settle down and eat.

GALE:

We could do it, you know.

KATNISS:

Do what?

GALE:

Leave the district. Run off. Live

in the woods. You and I, we could

make it... if we didn’t have so

many kids around to take care of.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
3.

KATNISS:

I never want to have kids. Prim and

my Mother are enough. How about

you?

GALE:

I might, if I didn’t live here.

KATNISS:

But you do.

GALE:

Forget it.

Beat.

KATNISS:

What do you want to do? I was

thinking hunting, or fishing. Maybe

gathering too.

GALE:

Let’s fish at the lake. We can

leave out poles and gather in the

woods. Get something nice for

tonight.

They leave.

CUT TO:

TRADING:

EXT. Lake, Forest at border of Seam- DAY.

Gale fishes. Katniss gathers. Gale glances at her.

GALE:

Having fun there, Catnip?

Katniss smiles at Gale and they go back to work. He casts

his line.

CUT TO:

They enter the Hob with seven fish, 4 salt water filled

bottles, vegetables, a dozen strawberries, and a butchered

paraffin.

EXT. The Hob, Seam- DAY.

They walk to GREASY SAE’S stall.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
4.

GALE:

So, we got six fish, two salt water

bottles, 4 strawberries, and a few

chunks of paraffin to spare. Wanna

trade?

GREASY SAE:

Whatever tickles your fancy. I’ll

give you twenty five for it.

GALE:

Done.

They hand Greasy Sae the food. Greasy Sae gives them a stack

of money.

GREASY SAE:

There you are, folks. Twenty-five

for your families.

KATNISS:

Thanks, I’ll stop by for some soup

in a few days. Hey, what’s the meat

you put in there?

GREASY SAE:

Variations. But once it’s in the

soup it’s always beef.

Greasy Sae winks. Katniss raises her eyebrows. Gale yanks

her away.

CUT TO:

GALE’S EQUALITY

EXT. Mayor’s house, District 12- DAY.

They go to the mayor’s back door to sell half of the

strawberries to him. They knock on the door. After a few

moments, the mayor’s daughter, MADGE, opens the door.

GALE:

Pretty dress.

MADGE:

Well, if I end up going to the

Capitol, I want to look nice, don’t

I?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
5.

GALE:

You won’t be going to the Capitol.

He looks at the gold mockingjay pin she has on.

GALE:

(cont’d)

What can you have? Five entries? I

had six when I was just twelve

years old.

KATNISS:

Hey, Gale, that’s not her fault. Be

a little nicer.

GALE:

It’s just the way it is.

Madge hands money to Katniss.

MADGE:

Good luck, Katniss.

Katniss gives the berries to Madge and puts the money in her

pocket.

KATNISS:

You, too.

Madge steps inside and closes the door. They split the food

and money and carry their own rations home. Katniss and Gale

walk in silence.

GALE:

Katniss?

KATNISS:

What?

GALE:

This is stupid.

KATNISS:

What’s stupid?

GALE:

This Hunger Games thing. Why would

they kill people like this?

KATNISS:

I know. We all hate it. But we have

to face the truth that-

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
6.

GALE:

What truth? Nothing is positive

about this. Nothing. They’re all

idiots! Why would they do this to

us? It’s like they think they’re

the only ones that live! What ever

happened to equality?

He mutters his curses at the capitol. Katniss rolls her eyes

at the sight of Gale pouting.

KATNISS:

See you in the square.

GALE:

Wear something pretty.

They part in different directions.

CUT TO:

REAPING:

INT. Everdeen household- DAY

Katniss enters her house to find that Prim and her Mother

are ready to go to the reaping, tidied up and neat. Prim

runs to Katniss, hugging her. She’s breaking down.

PRIM:

Katniss! Katniss, I don’t want to

go to the reaping. What if they

pick me?

KATNISS:

Shhhh, Prim. It’s okay. You won’t

be picked. Trust me. The odds are

one to hundreds for you. I’m sure

you’ll be safe.

PRIM:

But... what if you get picked? You

have so many entries...

KATNISS:

I’m sure both of us are safe. I

mean, look at Gale. He has 42. My

entries don’t come close to his.

PRIM:

But he’s a boy.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
7.

KATNISS:

It’s just a comparison.

She kneels down in front of Prim until she’s eye level.

KATNISS:

Now, when I come back, I want to

see a smile. Okay?

Prim nods.

KATNISS:

Good.

She kisses Prim’s cheek. Katniss leaves to get ready.

CUT TO:

INT. Bedroom, Everdeen household, Dist. 12- DAY.

Katniss walks out of the bathroom and into the bedroom with

a towel wrapped on her head and another around her body. She

already has a tank top, bra, and underwear on underneath.

She sees her Mother’s favorite dress laid out on the bed

with matching shoes. Her mother walks into the room.

MOTHER:

Go ahead and use those.

She gestures to the dress and shoes.

KATNISS:

Mother... this is so unlike you.

Are you sure?

MOTHER:

Of course.

Her Mother sits on the bed. Katniss puts the dress on.

MOTHER:

Let’s put your hair up, too.

She pats the spot beside her. Katniss sits there and lets

her Mother towel dry and braid her hair.

KATNISS:

So?

MOTHER:

See for yourself.

Katniss gets up and looks into the aged body mirror. Prim

enters and stops in the doorway.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
8.

PRIM:

You look beautiful.

Katniss turns away from the mirror and walks to Prim.

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