‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1’ New Trailer Hits The Internet!

The latest trailer for the next Hunger Games film, Mockingjay Part 1, has taken the internet by storm.

The Jessica Lawrence-starring film hits theaters next month, and the latest trailer, called “Return to District 12,” shows Katniss returning home, according to Deadline.

Based on the books by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the story of a dystopia called Panem, a country composed of 12 poor districts and the uber-wealthy Capitol. Once per year, two children are chosen from each district to compete in a televised, compulsory death match called the Hunger Games. The games are intended to keep the districts subservient to the Capitol, as a direct reminder of a past revolution that was quashed. The winner of the Hunger Games — and there can be only one — wins fame and fortune for themselves and their family.

The first book, The Hunger Games, tells the story of a teenage huntress named Katniss Everdeen who volunteers for the Hunger Games in place of her younger sister. Throughout the games, Katniss makes alliances and ends up “bending the rules,” making the President of the Capitol very unhappy in the process.

When the film version of Suzanne Collins’ first tome in the trilogy hit theaters, her book had already sold 17.5 million copies, according to Entertainment Weekly. A lot of those fans saw the film, leading it to an astonishing $155 million dollar opening. The series instantly catapulted Jennifer Lawrence (who plays Katniss) into superstardom.

The second book in the series, Catching Fire, tells the story of how the President attempts to gain revenge on Katniss, holding a champions series of the Hunger Games called the Quarter Quell, and putting Katniss and her would-be boyfriend, Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson in the film), back in the arena.

The second film did even better than the first, cashing in on a $158 million dollar payday on its opening weekend for Lionsgate Films. To date, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire have made over $832 million together, according to Box Office Mojo.

Those figures clearly made the studio want to extend the series as far as possible. As such, they took the third book in the series, Mockingjay, which is no longer than the first two, and divided the events in the story into two volumes, Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2, respectively — not that fans seem to mind. (If Peter Jackson can turn a 317 page J.R.R. Tolkien book into a trilogy…)

Mockingjay Part 1 starts where Catching Fire left off, with murmurs of revolution in the air and Katniss Everdeen at the center of it all.

Expect Mockingjay excitement to grow to a fever pitch over the next month.

[Image via Wired]