Official teaser trailer for next 'Hunger Games' movie debuts

Posted Monday, July 28, 2014 at 2:08 PM Central
Last updated Monday, July 28, 2014 at 7:37 PM Central

by John Couture

Almost lost in the shuffle from Comic-Con this weekend was the debut of the first official teaser trailer from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. It is indeed brief and true to every word of its description, but it's better than nothing.

The teaser opens up on Philip Seymour Hoffman's Plutarch Heavensbee and his certainty that Katniss Everdeen will be the key to a success revolution against the Capitol. The trailer also hints heavily at what I think will be the major issue with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.

The final book in the trilogy, which was split into two films, is very unbalanced. The first half of the book is filled with exposition and politics that I don't think will translate well to film. By contrast, the last half of the book never lets you catch your breath as the action becomes non-stop. I've always thought that it will be quite difficult to keep the audience entertained in the first part and this teaser almost seems to hint at that.

Of course, I'm an optimist and I'm hoping for the best. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 opens in theaters on November 21, while the final installment will release in 2015.