First look at 'Hunger Games' set, as Lenny Kratitz joins the cast

By Sarah Sluis

I'm two-thirds of the way through the Hunger Games series, and I can't wait for the movie. Unlike the Harry Potter books, which have so many unique subplots and details that the movie must pick and choose what to include, The Hunger Games is incredibly lean. It even reads like a novelization of a screenplay. While I've never liked the Harry Potter movies as much as I liked the books, The Hunger Games will make a great movie. Even while reading the books, I wanted to see the action sequences and environments off the page and on the screen.

Today, some blogs have posted two pictures of District 12. The book takes place in a futuristic America that is ruled by a capitol, with twelve districts that provide agriculture, fish, textiles, etc., to the district. Our heroine Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in District 12, the coal mining district.

The first photo is probably of the Hob, an old warehouse where people go to sell black market goods like bootleg liquor and game from the surrounding, forbidden forest.

The second is a more generic picture of a coal railway car--it's not of any significance to the story, but it helps you get a feel for the Appalachia location.

Lionsgate also announced the casting of Lenny Kravitz, who is going to be absolutely perfect for the role of Cinna. People in the Capitol dress kind of like Lady Gaga, and as a musician Kravitz knows how to rock some weird looks (the photo below proves this point). Cinna becomes the confidant of Katniss, and he also uses his role as dressmaker to subvert the Capitol's intentions.

As The Hunger Games begins filming in order to make its March 23 release next year, there should be more set photos and some final casting announcements. One last reason I'm excited about this movie is director Gary Ross. A big part of The Hunger Games is the transition from the parched, dismal environment in District 12 to the modern, wealthy Capitol region, and then again to the Games. Ross pulled off a similar transition in Pleasantville (you know, the one where they go inside the TV and then turn from black-and-white to color), and I'm confident he will imbue The Hunger Games with that same satisfying sense of transformation.