--- description: Spoilers for "Mockingjay—Part 1" follow title: 7 Ways Mockingjay Changes from Page to Screen image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd27d105183ddb7fd/698768a7e20a87841ca83578/the-hunger-games_-mockingjay-pt-1-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-608x60811.jpg?branch=production&width=1440&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 7 Ways _Mockingjay_ Changes from Page to Screen by [Entertainment Weekly / Samantha Highfill](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Entertainment Weekly / Samantha Highfill Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 21, 2014 5:30 PM CUT  Republic by [Entertainment Weekly / Samantha Highfill](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Entertainment Weekly / Samantha Highfill Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 21, 2014 5:30 PM CUT Big-screen adaptations of books always involve changes and modifications to the original story. It’s not a new phenomenon—but it’s one we still love to pick apart when given the opportunity. But when it comes to _The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1_, there isn’t much picking to be done. (**Spoilers for** **_Mockingjay—Part 1_** **follow.**) The major changes from book to screen are few and far between, perhaps mostly because the third _Hunger Games_ book is being split into two films—which gave screenwriter Danny Strong more time to fit in more stuff from the novel. Sure, we could talk about how Prim didn’t utter the line “Whatever it takes to break you,” or how the movie didn’t mention Katniss’ new bow having voice-recognition technology, but most of those changes are tiny details omitted for time that don’t have much bearing on the actual story. As for the big stuff—well, _that_ we can talk about. Namely: **1\. Katniss dreams of Peeta** Okay, so this isn’t a big change so much as a big_ish_ modification, but still, Katniss dreaming of Peeta arriving and holding her at night—much like he did on their Victor’s Tour—wasn’t in the book. Yet it was a great physical representation of all of the feelings Katniss has (and goes on and on about, via her inner monologue) in the book. In other words, this was a smart move. **2\. More President Coin** Going into the film, we’d been told that President Coin would have a [greater presence](http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/18/mockingjay-director-theres-more-president-coin-in-the-film-than-the-book/ "undefined") than she did in the book—and that proved to be true. Not only did the film end with her epic speech about rescuing all of Panem—juxtaposed against a horrified Katniss watching a ruined Peeta—but the film also worked in a bit of background for her character. When she first announces that Katniss will be the Mockingjay, Prim tells us why there are so few children in District 13: an epidemic took most of them out, along with all of Coin’s family. **3\. President Snow’s prep team and the other districts’ rebellion** Katniss’s first-person perspective in the books means that it’s always safe to expect more of both Snow and the other districts in the _Hunger Games_ films. It’s not a change so much as a point-of-view adjustment—but nevertheless, the movie created a few new characters, namely Snow’s prep team of sorts. In the film, we meet his speech writer, along with another man who helps him make decisions. As for the other districts—well, who knew lumberjacks could be such badasses? **4\. Effie in District 13** Probably the biggest difference from book to screen is the presence of Elizabeth Banks as Effie. In the book, her character isn’t in District 13 after the Quarter Quell. But after Banks’ portrayal made Effie a fan favorite in the films, it’s not difficult to understand the film’s desire to change that. After all, nobody’s going to complain about seeing Effie in a jumpsuit. **5\. No Venia, Octavia, or Flavius** Effie’s presence in the film fills the same role Cinna’s prep team filled in _Mockingjay_. In the book, Katniss finds out that Venia, Octavia, and Flavius have been imprisoned in 13 after stealing food, and she frees them. They then help her find her Mockingjay look, which of course becomes Effie’s job in the film. **6\. Peeta’s rescue** Because the book is from Katniss’s perspective, we don’t get any of the details of Peeta’s rescue. But the film opens it up: We follow Boggs’s team as they enter the Tribute Center and find all of the equipment that was used to torture (and hijack) Peeta and others. Another tweak to the scene: Instead of Katniss starting the distraction broadcast with the story of how she met Peeta, in the film, Finnick speaks first. It’s only after the Capitol seems to be waking up that Katniss steps in. But she doesn’t talk about Peeta. Instead, she talks directly to President Snow—who, in a twist, knows about the rescue mission in the Tribute Center. When Film Katniss realizes this, the film physically shows her mental breakdown about potentially losing both Katniss and Gale. So yes, this moment is changed, but only to further the story—and again, find a way to present Katniss’s feelings on screen. **7\. “I Kill Snow”** This isn’t a huge deal, but Katniss’s list of demands for becoming the Mockingjay is very short in the film: She wants the other victors to be saved and pardoned, and she wants Prim to keep her cat. Oh, she also remembers Annie, whom she adds at the last minute in the book. So what demands were eliminated? Well, despite not showing Katniss ask for it, the film does work in Katniss hunting with Gale—so we can’t complain about that. But the biggest change is the elimination of Katniss’s final demand: “I kill Snow.” Then again, maybe the films are saving that moment for _Part 2_. **Final note:** Whatever happened to those [promos of Snow with Joanna and Peeta](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3JB1NX4A1g "undefined") at his side? They were the first teasers for the film, and it would’ve been nice to see them in the final product. [_This article originally appeared on Entertainment Weekly_](http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/11/21/mockingjay-book-vs-movie/ "undefined") ### See Hunger Games: Mockingjay Stars' Most Memorable Past Roles  Jennifer Lawrence is a household name now thanks to roles like Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movies, but back in 2010 she was still a relative unknown when she made her breakout performance as Ree Dolly in Winter’s Bone. Lionsgate; Roadside Attractions  Before he brought to life Peeta Mellark from the Hunger Games novels, he played Jesse Aarons from Bridge to Terabithia in the 2007 fantasy film by the same name. Lionsgate; Buena Vista  Liam Hemsworth, aka the real life brother of Thor, plays Katniss’ love interest Gale Hawthorne in the Hunger Games movies and also played a runaway teen named Victor in the 2009 British thriller Triangle. Lionsgate; Icon Film  Woody Harrelson spends his time in the Hunger Games mentoring Katniss as former District 12 victor Haymitch Abernathy, but back in the day he spent his time schooling others in basketball as Billy Hoyle in the 1992 comedy White Men Can’t Jump. Lionsgate; 20th Century Fox  Before she was dressing up victors in the Hunger Games movies as Effie Trinket, Elizabeth Banks was dressed up in scrubs as Dr. Kim Briggs in the long-running television show Scrubs. Lionsgate; NBC  Donald Sutherland may rule Panem with an iron fist, but he showed a much gentler side as Mr. Bennet in the 2005 romance Pride & Prejudice. Lionsgate; Focus Features  Julianne Moore takes on a stark tone as the reserved and stoic President Alma Coin of District 13 in Mockingjay, but in 1998 she played the uninhibited avant-garde artist Maude in The Big Lebowski. Lionsgate; Gramercy Pictures  The late Philip Seymour Hoffman brings his considerable talent to the Hunger Games as the Head Gamemaker turned rebel Plutarch Heavensbee, but years prior, he portrayed the author Truman Capote in the 2005 biopic Capote, a role for which he would win an Oscar for Best Actor. Lionsgate; Sony Pictures Classics  Sam Claflin plays Finnick Odair, the charismatic victor from District 4, and was also William, Snow White’s childhood friend, in the 2012 fantasy film Snow White and the Huntsman. Lionsgate; Universal  Before he was interviewing the Hunger Games victors about the minutiae of their lives as Caesar Flickerman, Stanley Tucci chased the latest in fashion trends as Nigel, the snarky art director of Runway magazine, in the 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada. Lionsgate; 20th Century Fox  Jeffrey Wright portrays the genius inventor Beetee in the Hunger Games and also played CIA operative Felix Leiter in the James Bond movies Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Lionsgate; MGM  Long before he was shooting propaganda films in Mockingjay as Pollux, Elden Henson was shooting pucks back in the 90s as Fulton Reed in the Mighty Ducks trilogy. Lionsgate; Buena Vista  Although Mahershala Ali has to fight the Capitol’s considerable forces as Commander Boggs in Mockingjay, human soldiers should prove much easier after having to face off against aliens in the 2010 sci-fi flick Predators. Lionsgate; 20th Century Fox  Natalie Dormer joins the cast of the Hunger Games as Cressida, a talented propaganda director, in Mockingjay, however, most people will better know her as Margaery Tyrell from Game of Thrones. Lionsgate; HBO ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3599959/hunger-games-mockingjay-changes-book/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3599959/hunger-games-mockingjay-changes-book/"},"headline":"7 Ways Mockingjay Changes from Page to Screen","datePublished":"2014-11-21T17:30:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:06:58.279Z","description":"Spoilers for \"Mockingjay—Part 1\" follow","url":"https://time.com/3599959/hunger-games-mockingjay-changes-book/","keywords":["movies","Hunger Games","The Hunger Games","book","The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd27d105183ddb7fd/698768a7e20a87841ca83578/the-hunger-games_-mockingjay-pt-1-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-608x60811.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Entertainment Weekly / Samantha Highfill"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd27d105183ddb7fd/698768a7e20a87841ca83578/the-hunger-games_-mockingjay-pt-1-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-608x60811.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The-Hunger-Games_-Mockingjay-Pt.-1-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack-608x60811","caption":"","creditText":"Republic","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3599959/hunger-games-mockingjay-changes-book/","name":"7 Ways Mockingjay Changes from Page to Screen"}}]}] ```