So, it's 8:38am on a surprisingly cold Saturday morning, and I'm sitting behind the front counter at work. As usually happens, I'm one of 33 people who are likely to show up today -- the security guard, a teacher with a class of 20-30 students, and me. So to pass the slow hours between now and the end of my shift, I decided to go see if there was a newer, more detailed Mockingjay Part Two trailer.
These Hunger Games have been getting progressively better with each new film. Hunger Games was terrible. To this day, I don't remember anything from that movie except that they left out most of my favorite parts and that the shaky cam made me nauseated. In fact, the shaky cam was so bad that I found it hard to follow the story (even though I was already familiar with the books).
Catching Fire was great compared to its predecessor. New director Francis Lawrence actually knew what a tripod was and how to use it, which made Catching Fire not only much easier to watch but also a lot more engaging. It was just a better quality movie overall thanks to those tripods.
Mockingjay Part 1 was AMAZING! It was so good that I watched it twice in the same evening. I have never been so excited about a Hunger Games movie ever in the history of my relationship with dystopian literature. I've heard that some people weren't too crazy about it because it focused more on politics and strategy as the Mockingjay Rebellion really starts to take wing (pun fully intended). I, however, thought the movie was great even if things weren't blowing up every 5 seconds. I happen to like political strategy movies.
Therefore, I'm now super excited for Mockingjay Part 2 in November. Hence my early morning Google search for the trailer.
What met my weary eyes was both surprising and alarming.
Apparently Hollywood, in anticipation for the end of the Hunger Games franchise and it's myriad fans, is trying to create a THG sequel that will also be a Divergent prequel. So basically, Panem becomes the Divergent universe.
Is it just me, or is Hollywood officially running out of ideas?
On the other hand, the thought is appalling. As a writer having my work changed in order to accommodate a sequel that will magically attach itself to someone else's work is a bit offensive. What was wrong with my original story that you feel the need to change it in order to tie it in to someone else's story? It would, in my opinion, be like not killing off Thorin for the sake of using Pain Bearer (by lilithiumwords) as an intermedium between The Hobbit and LOTR. It just shouldn't be done because it would destroy the fabric of the author's original masterpiece. It's a slap in the face to any writer.
The biggest crime in consideration where the Divergent Games are concerned is the idea of having Prim be the main character. This can only mean that Prim survives Mockingjay Part 2. But Prim's death is the main reason Katniss loses it at the end, kills Coin, and tells Gale she never wants to see him again. So if Prim doesn't die, can Mockingjay end the same? Possibly. But not likely. Katniss has been holding herself together for her family and friends -- for Prim. When Prim dies, it takes the last bit of Katniss's sanity. Prim's death causes the end result of Mockingjay. One could argue that Katniss's cracking was inevitable, but Prim's death will always be a contributing factor. As much as we love her, it would be a crime not to kill her off.
Let's face it. The main reason Hollywood I'd probably even considering it is that there's a presold audience for both franchises. Combining them would mean a combined presold audience. Which means more money.
On the other hand, a crossover isn't such a bad idea. Especially if they worked it out so Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley could be in it together! In the event that something like this were to get made, I would go see it. In fact, I would be honored to write the screenplay for them if they'd like.
The idea of a Divergent Games crossover isn't entirely new. FanFiction.net is littered with crossovers, some where Tris is reaped, some where Katniss is her cousin, and one speculating that District 13 is really Tris's Chicago and the world beyond the fence is really Panem. So far this looks like the most intersection and plausible one I've seen.
But even so, I have a better idea.
Hollywood, I hope you're paying attention!
LynZ's Official Divergent Games Crossover
By LynZ Media Thoughts
Prim dies, Katniss goes crazy. When she gets better, she and Peeta get married and have two children.
So far this sounds like what Suzanne Collins already wrote, but bear with me.
Katniss's daughter's name is Amanda, and when she grows up Katniss and Peeta tell her about how they helped make Panem a better place. Motivated by her parents' heroic deeds, Amanda joins a fledgling group of scientists who are trying to come up with a way to prevent another dictator from rising again. They experiment on people and accidentally create the Genetically Damaged, who then wreak havoc on the country. So city experiments are set up to contain them. Amanda believes they can be healed, as does fellow scientist Daniel Prior (see where I'm going with this yet?). The two fall in love over the course of their research and eventually get married.
Do you see it yet?
There's a scientist who doesn't want the Genetically Damaged people to be healed, and instead wants to turn them into a type of slave race. Amanda and Daniel protest this, and Daniel gets murdered by thugs who work for the bad scientist. Amanda creates a message explaining how the Divergent will help save the world, and moves into the Chicago experiment to escape the bad scientist.
Do you see it now?
Katniss and Peeta's daughter is Amanda Prior. So Katniss is Tris's great-great-great-greatish-grandmother!
So later in Allegiant when Tris and company arrive at the O'Hare science facility and they say Amanda lied in the video, the science people are really the ones who are lying. Maybe not intentionally, because they've been led to believe that the Genetically Damaged people can't be healed and are therefore an underling species of human.
Thus the justification for periodically erasing their memories and resetting them as if they were computers or lab rats.
Thus the rebellion led by Nita that Four joins.
Thus Tris getting shot when she goes in to unleash the memory serum the the scientists.
Thus Tris's death.
The End.
Roll Credits.
General Readers: So, what did you think?
Hollywood: Feel free to use my ideas listed above. But please credit LynZ Media Thoughts for story collaboration. And as I said earlier, I'd be happy to write the screenplay for you.
So at the end of the day, I would be in favor of a crossover movie if it were handled properly and the writers/filmmakers really devoted themselves to respecting the integrity of both stories. No letting Prim live. No horribly distorted storylines to make it work (I'm thinking of the fall of Voyage of the Dawn Treader as I say this). As long as the author's original work remains intact, I would go see the crossover.
But if they end up killing THG and Divergent in the process, I can always tear them to shreds on this blog.
Either way, you will probably hear more from me on this subject in the future.
Be brave, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
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