Hunger Games Fireside Chat Podcast

The Capitol stole our airwaves on March 23 when this show was supposed to happen, so let's come back with more fire and more bread than ever before! Monday, March 27

In a tremendously exciting episode, the Hunger Games Fireside Chat will be broadcasting live from the Hunger Games Exhibition at Discovery Times Square, as part of New York Super Week. Host Adam Spunberg will be joined by Ariel Birdoff and Kim Denny-Ryder as on-site fans ask questions and take part in some Hunger Games trivia. See details for the event, which takes place Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 7:30-9:30 p.m., by clicking here!  Leave comments for us to discuss on the show and see the full episode info on our website, here!

Some of us were lucky enough to attend an early preview of The Hunger Games Exhibition at Discovery Times Square, featuring an amazing collection of costumes, props, and interactive features from The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay: Part 1. Now, the exhibit is open to everyone! We are extremely excited to share our experience with all of you, in addition to covering all the news related to the exhibition. We will also have a very special guest: Dean O’Carroll, author of The Humor Games, a friendly parody of The Hunger Games series. See more info here, and read a big selection of the play here. You won’t want to miss this one! We are eager to hear what you think about the exhibition and The Humor Games — and to answer any questions you might have — so please leave a comment on our website!

Can you believe Mockingjay: Part 2 is just five months away? Neither can we. To all our old fans and future listeners, please join us as we do another one of our "famous" second-by-second, obsessive breakdowns of the new 'Mockingjay Part 2' trailer. We are absolutely salivating to know what YOU think about the new trailer, so please leave a comment on our website, and don't be afraid to express your feelings! In addition, we will talk/come to grips with the end of shooting, reflecting on what an extraordinary franchise this has become and how wonderful it has been to be part of this fandom. How could we not be touched by the tweets from Nina Jacobson and Francis Lawrence? This has been our journey almost as much as it has been theirs, and we hope you jump on board for the final stretch.

What are we going to talk about? The movie OF COURSE! We’ll share our thoughts on how true to the text it was, on the acting, on the directing, on the cinematography, and on anything else we can possibly discuss. We’ll also talk about the box office performance, which has been below the first two films but still nothing to be ashamed of. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE MOVIE?? Share it all in the comments on our website!

Well, the title of this episode says it all. There are premieres happening, new TV spots, stills exploding across the internet, interviews galore. There’s so much to talk about, we’re not even going to structure it. This episode will be an ABSOLUTE FREE-FOR-ALL! How do you feel about the world premiere being in London again? Are you excited for the movie?? Tell us in the comments on our website!

Has fan reaction been so unified against the song, “This is Not a Game,” the conglomeration of The Chemical Brothers, Miguel, and Lorde? We will also talk about the majestic new TV spot, “Most Anticipated Event,” that has dazzled many HD screens and the District Voices campaign. Do you like “This is Not a Game?” What did you think of the TV spot? Don’t hold back — speak your mind in the comments section! on our website!

The Hunger Games franchise has been synonymous with many colors. President Snow’s white roses. District 12’s black coal mines. Katniss’s orange backpack, which we have popularized on this show in the past. Now, we add Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat” to the spectrum and discuss the quality of its hue. We are chomping at the bit to know what YOU think about Lorde's song, so please leave a comment on our website!

Our love for the Hunger Games franchise may have withstood the test of time, but we have all gone through several transformations, both as participants and as spectators. The same can be said for certain characters in the story, such as Effie, and in this episode, we juxtapose our own changes with those of the characters. We are eager to know what YOU think about the changes within the fandom, so please leave a comment on our website! In addition, we will continue our discussion of Luly's piece on whether there's a lack of critical discussion in the fandom today.

In a bombastic return to the airwaves, we do one of our "famous" second-by-second, obsessive breakdowns of the new 'Mockingjay Part I' trailer. We are dying to know what YOU think about the new trailer, so please leave a comment on our website, and don't hold back! In addition, we discuss Luly's piece on whether there's a lack of critical discussion in the fandom today.

After over a year of waiting, Catching Fire is out for the world to see! We spend Episode 130 discussing the film in-depth: What did we like? What didn't we like? What book-to-movie changes did we especially enjoy? Etc. Spoilers abound, of course, so if you have not yet seen Catching Fire, you may want to wait to listen to this one. If you have any specific talking points that you think we should address, just leave a comment over on our site. We also look at the sequel's box office performance thus far.

Catching Fire Week is finally here! Can you believe it? We certainly can't! We'll be seeing Catching Fire on Monday, November 18, which is why this episode has been scheduled for the following night (Tuesday the 19th). We'll spend the entirety of Episode 129 offering up as spoiler-free a review as possible, sharing our initial impressions and reactions and letting you know what to expect! If you have any specific questions about the film that you'd like us to answer during Episode 129, just leave a comment over on our website. Please keep in mind that we do want to keep this review spoiler-free, so don't ask anything too detailed! 

In Episode 128 of Fireside Chat, we reflect on the night's events at the world premiere of Catching Fire in London and take a look at some early reviews. We also chat about the latest Catching Fire clips to have been released and weigh in on a particularly sticky subject: the [very real] possibility of a Hunger Games theme park. Please leave a comment over on our website and let us know what you think about this idea.

Since our last unscripted episode wasn't quite as unscripted as we'd hoped given the new Catching Fire TV spot and TheCapitol.PN relaunch, we figured we might as well have a little fun before the premiere next week! We'll spend the whole night pulling all sorts of thought-provoking and crazy topics out of our trusty grab bag/topic cornucopia. We'll also briefly chat about our experience interviewing Sam Claflin and Jena Malone on Sunday. Update: Did we jinx ourselves or something? Subway just unveiled another new Catching Fire TV spot set to "We Remain" by Christina Aguilera and...oh, the feels! As we write this, we're still teary-eyed. Mags! Johanna! So, yes, we will absolutely be discussing this new TV spot. Update #2: Below you'll find a list of all the topics we pulled from our grab bag! - From Marce: Do you think if Peeta hadn't been hijacked that he and Katniss would have been together from that point forward? - From Satsuma: If Peeta hadn't been reaped for the Games, would he have volunteered?  - From Anonymous: Where is Cinna from? The Capitol? District 8? District 12? - From 4LoveIsStronger: If you could spend a whole day with a tribute from the 75th Hunger Games (excluding Katniss and Peeta), who would it be?

In a special Tuesday night episode, we do one of our "famous" second-by-second, obsessive breakdowns of the new (and final) Catching Fire trailer. The arena! The locket! The fog! Monkey mutts! Jabberjays! We discuss it all. Obviously, we want to know what YOU think about the new trailer, so please leave a comment on our website and let all your thoughts and emotions out! We also chat briefly about the latest stills released in Us Weekly and People.

In Episode 125 of Fireside Chat, we compare the first film in the Hunger Games franchise with what we've seen of Catching Fire thus far. With its bigger budget, improved CGI (Weta, anyone?), and reassuring quotes/decisions from director Francis Lawrence, it seems as though we're in store for something truly grand come November 22. Some even believe that Catching Fire has the power to surpass $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. But is bigger necessarily better? In recent weeks, many fans have been quick to praise Lawrence while being very vocally negative about Gary Ross and The Hunger Games. Is this fair? How have our own opinions of the first movie changed since March of 2012? We discuss. (Of course, we also want to know what you think. So leave a comment on our website with your thoughts on the topic and let us know if/how your perceptions of The Hunger Games and Gary Ross have changed now that you've gotten a good taste of what to expect from Francis Lawrence.)

We haven't done an unscripted show since July, so we figured it was time for another one! In Episode 124 of Fireside Chat, we spend the first few minutes chatting about the newly relaunched TheCapitol.PN and how it compares to last year's version. We also talk about THE NEW CATCHING FIRE TV SPOT which debuted online tonight on Walmart's Facebook page. And then, in lieu of a planned agenda, we spend the rest of the evening pulling all sorts of thought-provoking and crazy topics out of our trusty grab bag/topic cornucopia. If you'd like to submit a topic or share your thoughts on TheCapitol.PN and the new TV spot, just leave a comment on our website.  Update! Topics we pulled out tonight: - What would the characters from the trilogy dress up as for Halloween (if they celebrated)? - If you could swap two members of the cast (and have them switch roles), who would they be? - If any place on Earth could be used for a filming location, what would have been the best place to shoot? - Buttercup is now orange (like he should be)!  

In Episode 123 of Fireside Chat, we share our thoughts on the latest additions to the cast of the Mockingjay films: Wes Chatham as Castor, Elden Henson as Pollux, Omid Abtahi as Homes, and Misty and Kim Ormiston as Leeg 1 and Leeg 2. We also discuss the full track list for the Catching Fire soundtrack (revealed on September 26) and weigh in on Christina Aguilera's "We Remain," Sia's "Elastic Heart," and The Lumineers' "Gale Song." Time permitting, we spend the remainder of the show offering up opinions on the final Catching Fire poster, the new Entertainment Weekly covers, and all of the new stills released over the past couple of weeks. We'd love to know your thoughts on any or all of these topics, so if you'd like to share, please leave a comment over on our website!

In Episode 122 of Fireside Chat, we welcome not one, not two, but THREE new Mockingjay cast members to the Hunger Games family! We share our thoughts on Lily Rabe as Commander Lyme, Patina Miller as Commander Paylor, and Mahershala Ali as Boggs. Let us know what YOU think about these casting decisions by leaving a comment over on our website.   (Reminder: We're one of 75 official Lionsgate partners giving away tickets to the U.S. premiere of Catching Fire! Our contest closes on 9/23/13 at 11:59pm ET. Click here for more details and to find out how to enter.)

**Due to technical difficulties, we have had to pull the audio for this episode. If we are able to restore it, we will let you know on our social media channels and website.** (Click here to read our transcribed interview with The Hungry Hungry Games.) In Episode 121 of Fireside Chat, we speak with the creators of The Hungry Hungry Games, a new [unofficial] live parody of The Hunger Games that's currently touring the country. We then go on to celebrate the news that Julianne Moore will be playing President Alma Coin in both installments of Mockingjay. Let us know your thoughts on this casting decision by leaving a comment on our website! *FYI: We're giving away tickets to the U.S. premiere of Catching Fire! For more details and to find out how to enter, click here.*

In Episode 120 of Fireside Chat, we share our thoughts on Coldplay's "Atlas," the first song released from the Catching Fire soundtrack. Please leave a comment on our website and let us know what you think about the song! We also talk about our third bit of Mockingjay casting news: Evan Ross is Messalla! Lastly, we chat about the 20 new Catching Fire character images that were released at The Hunger Games Explorer last Friday. Let us know which one is your favorite!

In Episode 119 of Fireside Chat, we react to not one, but TWO pieces of Mockingjay casting news! Firstly: Natalie Dormer is Cressida! Natalie is best known for playing Margaery Tyrell on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. Do you approve of this choice? Do you think she'll actually shave her head for the role? And secondly: Stef Dawson has been cast as Annie Cresta! Stef is an up-and-coming Australian actress, and if you’d like to get a taste of her acting, we strongly recommend you check out her showreel. What do you think about Stef? Does she match your mental image of Annie?

In Episode 118 of Fireside Chat, we talk about one of the Catching Fire book-to-film changes that was recently revealed by Entertainment Weekly: Peeta will be able to swim. While Peeta knowing how to swim isn't really a big deal, many fans are upset about a comment Francis Lawrence made to EW when discussing this and other changes: "We made some changes to Peeta's narrative," says Francis Lawrence. "We manned him up a little." Why do Lawrence and those involved in the film franchise think Peeta needs to be "manned up"? How do we feel about this? How do YOU feel about this? Let us know! We also weigh in on the news that Coldplay will be releasing the first song from the Catching Fire soundtrack!

In Episode 117 of Fireside Chat, we go unscripted again! We spend the duration of the show pulling all sorts of listener-submitted topics out of our grab bag (a.k.a. "the topic cornucopia"). Who knows what interesting, funny, and bizarre things we'll end up discussing! Feel free to leave a comment over on our website if you have a topic you'd like to submit! (Update: See below for a list of the topics we pulled from the grab bag!) From Gaby N.: How much money do you think Catching Fire will gross at the box office? Do you think it will end up being the number one film of the year like the Wall Street Journal predicted? - From Satsuma: Would Gale have approved of Coin's proposal to throw Capitol kids into the Hunger Games at the end of Mockingjay? - From Emily D.: If you had a chance to be a Hunger Games character for a day, who would you be? - From Paulina: Do you have any ideas for future Quarter Quells? - From Anna: What do you think Capitol citizens do for the majority of the year, when the Hunger Games aren't happening?

In Episode 116 of Fireside Chat, we kick things off with a very brief recap of some of the Hunger Games-related events at Comic-Con. We then spend the rest of the show doing a second-by-second analysis and discussion of the new Catching Fire trailer, which debuted on Saturday at Comic-Con and online at Yahoo! Movies. Be sure to leave a comment at our website and let us know what you think of the new trailer after you watch it!

In Episode 115 of Fireside Chat, we talk about Lionsgate's new partnership with Subway and whether or not we support it, given the content of the Hunger Games trilogy. We also discuss and analyze the brand new still released in Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con 2013 preview issue! This new image has given us our very first glimpse of some of the other victors in-character, which is quite exciting. And lastly, we discuss the OTHER new still which was released exclusively at Yahoo! today. Thoughts on Katniss and Peeta’s costumes? What about Effie’s butterfly dress? Let us know what you think of the Subway partnership and the new stills by leaving a comment over on our website! We'll read as many of your comments as possible during the show.

In Episode 114 of Fireside Chat, we talk with the incredibly talented creators of The Katniss Chronicles about Part II of their unofficial audio drama adaptation of the Hunger Games trilogy! We then go on to discuss Catching Fire's presence at Comic-Con and make predictions about the second trailer, which is set to debut at Lionsgate's panel on the 20th. (You could also consider it the first trailer, since what was released in April was technically a "teaser.") If you have a question you'd like to ask the TKC crew OR if you want to share a trailer prediction, head on over to our website and leave a comment!

(If you haven't read Mockingjay, you should probably stop reading this now.) In Episode 113 of Fireside Chat, we continue our series of Mockingjay casting episodes by talking about who we think should play/could play President Alma Coin, the duplicitous leader of District 13. We discuss fan favorites, our personal favorites, and YOUR favorites. Let us know your thoughts on casting Coin by leaving a comment at our web site! We also address Deadline's recent report that Julianne Moore is being considered for the role (this is, of course, a rumor -- until proven otherwise!). Additionally, if there's time, we try to answer the question: Did Katniss have to kill Coin? (Leave your personal response over on our website!)

In Episode 112 of Fireside Chat, we continue our series of Mockingjay casting episodes by talking about who we think should play/could play Annie Cresta and Tigris. We discuss fan favorites, our personal favorites, and YOUR favorites. Let us know who you'd love to see in these roles by leaving a comment on our website. We also speak more generally about both characters and the roles they each play in the trilogy. If you have any specific Annie and Tigris-related topics you'd like us to address, leave a comment and let us know!

In Episode 111 of Fireside Chat, we kick off our Mockingjay casting series by talking all about one of the most important figures in the final installment of the trilogy: Boggs! We discuss fan favorites, our favorites, your favorites, and the qualities that we think our future Boggs should exhibit. Leave a comment on our website and let us know who YOUR "dream Boggs" is and why! Additionally, we play a round of What's in the Backpack? and try to stump our panelists using YOUR submissions!

It's time to go unscripted again! As with all our "Unscripted" episodes, we have no plan or agenda in place for Episode 110. Instead, we spend the whole evening pulling all sorts of listener-submitted topics out of our grab bag. Feel free to leave a comment over on our website or tweet us if you have a topic you'd like to submit for us to add to our "topic cornucopia"! Also, at the start of the show, we chat with the incredibly talented Jessica from Down with the Capitol about the Hunger Games musical she's been developing for the last year or so: From Nightmares to Nightlock. Update: A list of the topics we pulled appears below!   - Are you pleased so far with Francis Lawrence's directing (taking into consideration what we've seen so far)? - Were there more Hunger Games with Paylor as president? - Do you think, from the knowledge of survival you garnered from reading the trilogy, that you could survive for three nights in the forest? - How long do you think the Catching Fire movie will be? How much time do you think will be devoted to each "segment" of the film? - Do you think Prim's death was necessary? Or was it just to make the choice easier for Katniss? - Would you rather be able to reread and experience the trilogy again for the "first time," or give that opportunity to others by telling your friends about the trilogy? - Did Snow/the Gamemakers orchestrate Annie's win after Finnick finally agreed to do something for them?

In Episode 109 of Fireside Chat, we dish on the brand new spring issue of Capitol Couture (the title of which is "Chroma Nouveau," hence the name of this episode). We also discuss a very important detail that was revealed on the bottom of the latest Catching Fire poster (major thanks to The Hob for catching it). Lastly, we weigh in on all the latest Mockingjay filming location rumors!

In Episode 108 of Fireside Chat, we weigh in on the news that COVERGIRL has partnered with Lionsgate to launch an advertising campaign and makeup collection inspired by the Capitol. In light of this announcement and the lavish Capitol-themed Catching Fire party at Cannes, many fans have begun to wonder if Lionsgate's "glorification" of the Capitol has gone too far. What do you think?Do things like the COVERGIRL collection, Capitol Couture, and last year's China Glaze nail polish line detract from the important messages contained within the Hunger Games trilogy? Or are they simply fun marketing strategies that we shouldn't worry about? We spend the latter portion of the show discussing the recent outbreak of "Peeta Paranoia" that has taken over large segments of the fandom. Peeta hasn't been very visible in Catching Fire promotions thus far; is this a sign that his role is being significantly reduced for the movies? A lot of people seem to think so. We try to put this worry to rest.

In Episode 107 of Fireside Chat, we interview author and survivalist Creek Stewart about his new book, The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide. We also chat about the new Catching Fire poster, which was unveiled last week via Lionsgate's official Hunger Games Instagram account. To conclude, we discuss Chaff's characterization in The Hunger Games Adventures and the fact that he does not appear to be missing a hand in the game. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the poster and/or Chaff's hand.Leave a comment at our website and we may read it during the show!

In Episode 106 of Fireside Chat, we kick things off by chatting with Kimmy from Mockingjay.net and Aldrin of Down with the Capitol about how YOU GUYS can become part of the official Catching Fire book trailer. Watch the video here for more details! We share our own responses to the sentence starters they provide: I love The Hunger Games because... The best thing about Catching Fire is... Everyone should read Catching Fire because... Then we make the most of this period of no news by spending the rest of the evening playing a ton of fun games with our panelists! We play What's in the Backpack? and Reverse It, challenge our panelists with an especially difficult set of Would You Rather scenarios, and also do a round of Catching Fire Pick a Page.

It's time for another unscripted episode of Hunger Games Fireside Chat! We have no set plan in place for Episode 105. We do, however, have a "topic cornucopia" teeming with listener-submitted questions, discussion topics, Crackpot Theories, What Ifs?, etc. Update: A list of the topics we pulled appears below. - Banan: When is the new trailer coming out?- Satsuma: Did the Capitol doctors choose not to save Peeta's leg in order to punish him?- Do you think Peeta was the same after he recovered from being hijacked? - Matilda: What happened to Beetee, Johanna, Enobaria, Annie, etc., after Coin's assassination?- Crackpot Theory: Gale only existed in Katniss's mind.- What if Peeta had been killed at the Cornucopia?- Nicole: What if Gale had been reaped instead of Peeta?- Ashley B.: In the book, [Finnick's death] was so rushed. What if in the movie they made him die in a different way or took out his death altogether?- Crackpot Theory (from Lola): Did District 13 bomb District 8 in order to make a good propo?- Maura: How did Plutarch, who in Mockingjay is on the side of the rebellion and working with District 13, become the new Head Gamemaker?- Gregory: What inspired Suzanne Collins to base the arena off of a clock?- Crackpot Theory: Cinna is alive.

In Episode 104 of Fireside Chat, we discuss the latest news concerning the filming dates and locations for the two Mockingjay films (Atlanta? Boston? Los Angeles?). We also chat about the stills released at The Hunger Games Explorer that were NOT featured in the teaser trailer: Katniss hugging Prim; Plutarch in Snow's office. Next, we share our thoughts on the possibility of Catching Fire footage being shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May. In celebration of the Catching Fire teaser trailer's one-week anniversary, we conclude by challenging our panelists and listeners with a round of Ridiculously Difficult Teaser Trailer Trivia!

In Episode 103 of Fireside Chat, we spend the show doing a second-by-second, frame-by-frame analysis of the very first Catching Fire teaser trailer! The teaser is set to debut this Sunday night at the MTV Movie Awards, so make sure you tune in to see it! It will also be released online at The Hunger Games Explorer. Please leave a comment over at our website after you've watched the teaser and let us know what you think!

In Episode 102 of Fireside Chat, we discuss the news that the first Catching Fire teaser trailer will debut on Sunday, April 14, at the MTV Movie Awards. Why is it being called a teaser when it's purportedly two and a half minutes long? We also weigh in on and analyze the 10-second preview of the teaser that MTV released last Wednesday. Additionally, we try and guess what The Hunger Games Explorer might be. To wrap things up, we do a round of Catching Fire Pick a Page! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the teaser tease, so leave a comment on our website by clicking here!

In Episode 101 of Fireside Chat, we finish answering the questions you submitted last week about us, the show, etc. We also briefly chat about our 100 Things to Do Before Catching Fire video and the 100th Episode Celebration Giveaway that we're currently running. We go on to discuss some random "news-but-not-really-news" items: Rebel Wilson's possible Mockingjay role, Willow Shields' pronunciation of Johanna's name, the appearance of Victor's Village in The Hunger Games Adventures, and the possibility of Jennifer Lawrence being included on the TIME 100 list. (ANNOUNCEMENT: At some point on Tuesday afternoon, the Capitol hacked into our Fireside Chat databases and erased the last 30 minutes of this episode because they believed our Rebel Wilson discussion was actually about a rebel named Wilson. We have not yet found a way to recover the lost audio, so our conversations about Jennifer Lawrence's TIME 100 nomination and the representation of Victor's Village in The Hunger Games Adventures are, sadly, lost forever.)

In Episode 100 of Fireside Chat, we celebrate our 100th episode and the one-year anniversary of the first film's theatrical release. We look back at some of our favorite Fireside Chat moments and guests, answer YOUR questions, play a fun Jeopardy-style trivia game that pits our panelists against each other, and reexamine our feelings about the movie now that we've had a year to properly digest it. If you'd like to submit a question about the show, about us, or about our panelists, click here and leave a comment on our promo.

It's finally time for another Fireside Recs episode! Since casting for the Divergent movie is finally beginning to wrap up, we figured Veronica Roth's YA dystopian series would make a fitting choice for this week's discussion! We spend the first half of Episode 99 talking about Divergent: why some of us like it/why some of us don't, why it's so popular amongst fans of The Hunger Games, what we think about the casting choices for the film adaptation, etc. Ashley from Divergent Lexicon will be joining us for this discussion, and we're very excited to have her! The rest of the show focuses on the IMDb topic that we had to postpone a couple of weeks ago. Remember when we found Trexler Hoverhound and other similarly mysterious characters on the Hunger Games IMDb page? Now it's time to take a look at Catching Fire's IMDb entry! Who is "Gamekeeper Disciple"? What about "District 4 Family Member"? Does the presence of a "District 11 Rioter" mean we're going to see another D11 riot scene? While these roles are all clearly background/extra roles added to the page by the actors themselves, they may shed some light on what we can expect to see in November. (Thanks to Satsuma for this suggestion!)

In Episode 98 of Fireside Chat, we spend the entirety of the show discussing the new Capitol Portraits! Nine more portraits featuring Haymitch, Cinna, Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick, Johanna, Beetee, and President Snow were unveiled by various media outlets last week. Lionsgate actually gave us the opportunity to exclusively release Beetee's portrait along with the other Capitol Tastemakers, which was a pretty incredible -- and nerve-wracking -- experience! Our discussion focuses on: our first look at Jeffrey Wright and Jena Malone in character as Beetee and Johanna, respectively; Trish Summerville's costumes; Katniss's wedding dress (the dress was confirmed to be the wedding dress by Trish Summerville in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter); what the choice of featured characters may reveal about Catching Fire marketing (and the film itself); the significance of the roses. As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment at our website [briefly] telling us what you think of the portraits. Be sure to vote in our poll as well!  

In Episode 97 of Fireside Chat, we kick things off by talking about the first Capitol Portraits! On February 26, Capitol Couture posted a mysterious image of a chair on their new Instagram account with the following caption: Always Elegant. Always Prompt. Join us on March 4. #LadiesFirst On At 1pm ET today, Lionsgate unveiled a "Capitol portrait" of a very pink Effie Trinket seated in the teal chair along with a tease for a second portrait. The second portrait, which was released by Fandango at 6pm ET, features Caesar Flickerman seated in an ornate yellow chair. We discuss both! Next, we share our teaser predictions. What do we think we'll see in the teaser? What do we want to see in the teaser? When do we think the teaser will be released? Leave a comment on our website with YOUR teaser wish lists!

In Episode 96 of Fireside Chat, we start things off by quickly recapping last night's Oscars ceremony and congratulating Jennifer Lawrence on her Oscar win! Next, we're joined by Fong Sam, organizer of Haxbee Inc. and Blacksparrow Auctions' Hunger Games Costume Exhibit & Auction! The exhibit starts touring the country on March 1st, and we let you know where and how you can see it! We also chat with Fong about the auction and whether or not fans on a budget will be able to participate. For our main topic, we discuss the two beautiful Victory Tour posters that Lionsgate released on Friday! The debut of these posters officially marked the start of Catching Fire publicity, and we're more than a little excited! Leave a comment on our site and let us know what you think of the posters. Which one is your favorite? How do they compare to the early marketing materials we saw with The Hunger Games? We try to share as many of your comments as possible! Lastly, it looks like Capitol Couture will be returning soon! The website -- CapitolCouture.PN -- was recently updated and it looks like something is on the way. What sorts of things do we think Capitol Couture will feature this year?

In Episode 95 of Fireside Chat, we go "Unscripted"! We haven't done a fully unscripted show since Halloween, so we're very excited to have some unpredictable and off-the-cuff fun. As with all our "Unscripted" shows, we have no set plan or agenda in place for Episode 95. We do, however, have a grab bag full of listener-submitted questions, discussion topics, Crackpot Theories, What Ifs?, Would You Rathers?, and Cave/Marry/Kills. We choose topics from the grab bag (or "topic cornucopia") at random and discuss, debate, and speculate! Update: Below you'll find a list of all the topics we pulled out of the grab bag! Thanks to everyone who has submitted topics over the last year or so. - From Allison: Did District 13 become a "valid" district again after the rebellion? Did it stay underground? - From Tess: Do you think that they'd celebrate Halloween in the districts? Or would it be a purely Capitol affair? And if so, what costumes do you think they'd have? Dead tributes or victors maybe (for in the Capitol)? (This led to a discussion on holidays and religion in Panem.) - Crackpot Theory from Stephanie: Seneca Crane and Johanna Mason were romantically involved. - Survival Challenge: Which of the following can kill you? (a) frostbite (b) sunburn (c) hypothermia - From Ysa: What if Haymitch and Plutarch were able to save both Peeta and Katniss from the arena? - If you could ask Suzanne Collins ONE question about the series, what would it be?  - Cave, Marry, Kill: Plutarch Heavensbee, Seneca Crane, Beetee

In Episode 94 of Fireside Chat, we kick things off by talking about  the decision to cut Bonnie, Twill, and Darius from the film adaptation of Catching Fire, a change that Francis Lawrence revealed in his interview in Entertainment Weekly's 2013 preview issue. We also talk about Francis Lawrence's recent interview with MTV, in which he talked about casting Finnick, "honing Haymitch," and filming the arena scenes. In Welcome to District 12's latest Mockingjay Mock-up, they explore ways in which the series epilogue might be translated from page to screen. They also address the possibility that the epilogue might not be included at all! We share our thoughts on the matter. If there's time remaining, we'll go grab baggin'. Update: We pulled a topic out of our grab bag that was submitted by Tess! Her question: Would you rather compete in the 74th or 75th arena?

In Episode 93 of Fireside Chat, we kick things off by sharing some of your comments about the Entertainment Weekly cover and Catching Fire stills. Ellie from Down with the Capitol fills us in on her experience as an audience member during Jennifer Lawrence's episode of Saturday Night Live. She also makes a special announcement about Victory Tour 2013. We then discuss the news that Jennifer Lawrence shared in a recent interview with the Belfast Telegraph: There's still more Catching Fire filming to be done! Principal photography will apparently continue and then officially wrap sometime in March. We also talk about the surprising announcement that On Location Vacations made on Friday, January 25, about Catching Fire filming for two days in Ringwood State Park, NJ. Why New Jersey? And why now? We share our thoughts! In light of several recent discussions surrounding the release of the Entertainment Weekly cover, we attempt to answer the question: Why is Finnick such an important character? We also speculate about how Effie's character might be changed for the films. At 10:45pm ET, we are joined by Valerie Estelle Frankel, author of Katniss the Cattail: An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. If you have any questions for Valerie, leave a comment on our website.

In Episode 92 of Fireside Chat, we freak out over Entertainment Weekly's 2013 preview issue, which hit stands on the 11th and gave us our very first glimpse at Catching Fire. The issue features a "first look" Catching Fire cover, seven exclusive stills/photos from the film and set, and an extensive article that includes interviews with the cast and creators. We talk about ALL OF THIS. Other topics include a brief recap of the 2013 People's Choice Awards and our thoughts on this year's Oscar nominations and why The Hunger Games didn't receive any. We would love to hear your thoughts on the EW cover, the stills, and the accompanying article, so please tweet us or leave a comment on our site sharing your opinions.

In Episode 91 of Fireside Chat, we kick things off by weighing in on the recently revealed "official" location of District 3 (pictured here). As we've discussed on past shows, the makers of The Hunger Games Adventures -- the franchise's official Facebook game -- have been slowly unlocking each district on an "official" map of Panem. What do you think about the location of District 3? Are you beginning to question the validity of this "official" map? Let us know your thoughts! We next look ahead to the Year that Catches Fire, sharing the moments we're most looking forward to in 2013 -- aside from the theatrical release of Catching Fire, of course. As we hinted on last week's show, we also spend a bit of time comparing The Hunger Games to Les Misérables. If you've observed any parallels between the two, let us know.

Well, we've made it to the end of another year. And what a year it's been! Our first episode of 2012 was called "The Year of The Hunger Games," and that definitely ended up being a pretty accurate moniker. It's hard to believe everything that's happened over the last 360-something days! We kick off Episode 90 -- our last episode of 2012 -- by celebrating the end of Catching Fire filming. Woohoo! Adam and Savanna then share their Top 5 Hunger Games Moments of 2012 and play some short clips from past episodes that correspond to each of those moments. Our panelists will also share some of their  top moments of 2012. (Reminder: Don't forget to enter our The Hunger Games 12 Days of Christmas giveaway!)