Latest ‘Hunger Games’ film due out in China in February

Los Angeles: The latest Hunger Games movie is to open in China on February 8 in more than 4,000 theatres, after grossing nearly $700 million elsewhere in the world, its producers said Wednesday. Lionsgate said "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" would be the biggest-ever rollout in China for the Hunger Games franchise, and the first with 3D screenings. The film, directed by Francis Lawrence, initially came out in North America and a handful of overseas markets, including India, Indonesia and Malaysia as well as Britain, in November. To promote the dystopian sci-fi drama, star Jennifer Lawrence has recorded what Lionsgate called "a special greeting" for Chinese fans, following on a previously released trailer. Overseeing the release in China is Film Import, a state-run film conglomerate that has a virtual monopoly on foreign movies appearing in Chinese cinemas. "Mockingjay - Part 1" is the penultimate film to be spun out of young-adult novelist Suzanne Collin´s best-selling trilogy about a rebellious teenager in a totalitarian state of the future. The final chapter, "Mockingjay - Part 2," is due out worldwide on November 20. (AFP)