When the series first burst onto cinema screens, The Hunger Games was a world away from what it is now. Made for a comparatively slight $78 million and directed like an indie flick, its main claim to fame was that its plot had similarities to Battle Royale, a Japanese thriller most of those citing plagiarism hadn't even heard of before. Now, with Mockingjay: Part 1, the first half of an adaptation of the final book in the series, dominating the box office, it's a very different story. The adventures of Katniss Everdeen in the futuristic dystopia of Panem (real names went out of fashion about the same time as democracy) have become a phenomenon in their own right, the release of each movie serving as the definition of event cinema. Not bad from a young adult novel originally intended to just lightly satirise the media. As you'd expect of any modern, fan-driven movie, there's plenty hidden in Mockingjay: Part 1 for eagle-eyed viewers to uncover. Here's nine of the best easter eggs. Naturally, spoilers are present from the off.
It'd be easy for the final two Hunger Games to be overwhelmed by the death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman - for better or worse it was the only talking point around A Most Wanted Man, his final lead role, earlier this year. The actor died of a drug overdose while filming his role of Plutarch Heavensbee, naturally bringing a lot of focus to the film. It's commendable that director Francis Lawrence managed to keep Hoffman's performance as just a performance - the film never over-eggs it for the sake of legacy. There was, however, a nice, unavoidable tribute right after the closing title card dedicating the film in his memory, which while overt, is worth a mention.
