It’s nice to see MTV is no longer trying to disguise their annual marketing extravaganza, the Video Music Awards, as an actual “awards” show any longer as it has now become a place where movie studios provide first looks at their upcoming films en masse. This Sunday, the highlight doesn’t appear to be The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and the Harry Potter franchise has come to a close so Lionsgate has stepped in for their turn with The Hunger Games.
Set to premiere at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, which will air Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 9PM (Live ET/Tape delayed PT), will be the first trailer for The Hunger Games and MTV just sent me an email with the following promo saying it “features a snapshot from The Hunger Games exclusive first glimpse.” It’s an accurate description since it may not even last a second.
Thing about all of this is, I don’t think The Hunger Games has the audience Lionsgate thinks it does. Is this franchise as big as the studio is hoping? It’s definitely nowhere near the phenomenon of Twilight as I can still remember seeing people walking around with the first book, but I don’t recall ever seeing someone reading “The Hunger Games”. Maybe once the first trailer is released the phenomenon will gain a larger public persona, but for now it doesn’t seem to me like it’s the major attraction Lionsgate is painting it to be.
The Hunger Games hits theaters on March 23, 2012. For more information and a look at my gallery for the film click here, and stay tuned as I’m sure The Hunger Games trailer will be online as soon as it airs on television this Sunday.
