It’s a rule of on-camera interviews that you don’t really want to sit down with more than two people at the same time. Groups of three can be hard, even when all three people are ready and willing, because of the logistics of it. You’re talking about four to six minutes with four people in a conversation. That’s a sprint, no matter what, and it worries me walking into a room.
I feel like I’ve interviewed Elizabeth Banks many times now, and she’s one of the most unassuming, easygoing people you can sit down with. I get the sense she understands how fundamentally silly this process can be, and she always appears to be having fun with it. I talked to her about “Hunger Games” when we met for “Man On The Ledge,” and when I sat down with Woody Harrelson for “Rampart,” I couldn’t resist a little bit of talk about Haymitch, his character in this film.
Those two together, I would have been completely at ease walking into the room. But Lionsgate threw in Lenny Kravitz, and that threw me. First, because he’s almost shockingly good in his role in “The Hunger Games,” and second, because he’s Lenny Kravitz. He’s an old-school rock star, and such a great big real-life persona that I felt like it might really throw off the gravity of the room.
They turned out to be a delight, of course, and I think part of what happens is when everyone you’re talking to genuinely enjoys the movie they’re promoting, and they enjoy the experience they had together, it makes it easy. I get the feeling that this cast is ready and eager to return for the second film in the series, and I suspect that once people see the movie, they’re going to go crazy for it.
We’ll have more interviews with the cast and crew of “The Hunger Games” in the next few days, and I’ll be reviewing it next Monday morning.
“The Hunger Games” opens in theaters on March 23.