UPDATE (3/13/12):

Star Squad is a Hunger Games fan film, made by fans, for fans, with fans. It is NOT a recreation of existing Hunger Games series, but an entirely original, feature-length film that will explore unexplained events at the end of Mockingjay (the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy).

Essentially: we finished reading the books, but didn’t want them to end.

WARNING: THIS WAY LIE MASSIVE HUNGER GAMES SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ MOCKINGJAY, SKIP AHEAD TO "ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN" IMMEDIATELY!

HAVE YOU SKIPPED AHEAD YET?

...HOW ABOUT NOW?

Okay, cool.

We know that the end of Mockingjay, Katniss Everdeen assassinated the wrong(?) President on live television, throwing the Districts into chaos. We know she was put on trial for murder. We know they pleaded insanity and that Katniss was released back to District 12. We know Panem steered itself to a new, lasting peace, where The Hunger Games became a distant memory.

But we don’t know how.

Star Squad will tell the story of Katniss Everdeen’s trial, a crucial moment in Panem’s history that we never got to see. The defense and prosecution alike call familiar characters to the stand...not to mention that they themselves have deeply personal connections to beloved Hunger Games characters, too. The Trial of Katniss Everdeen was the “first big televised event” after the rebellion, so we figured – why not televise it?

We’ll also get to see the new incarnation of Squad 451, aka the “Star Squad,” aka “The Ready Few.” The new squad features characters you already know (hatchets, anyone?), as well as a whole new crew of original characters from across the Districts. The Star Squad’s been put on a special propo mission post-rebellion, but just like with the first Star Squad, things don’t exactly work out the way their camera crew planned…

Between the trial and the Star Squad, we’ll see just how Panem, a fledgling nation torn apart by needless bloodshed and inequality, started to put itself back together.

Beyond the Games, between the books – are you one of the Ready Few?

About the Campaign

As huge fans of the Hunger Games series, we want to involve as many other fans as we possibly can! EVERYONE who donates will receive a Star Squad patch. We can’t thank you enough for supporting our vision, but a shiny military patch seems like a decent place to start:

PLUS: a donation of $250 or above gets you an invite to visit our set and sit in as an extra for the Trial of Katniss Everdeen, so you can actually literally physically be in on the action!

We’ll also be giving ONE fan site exclusive hosting rights to our behind the scenes footage, which will begin the second we start filming and only end the second we stop. We’re making this for the HG fan community, so we want you with us every step of the way.

Be sure to watch this space (check our Gallery!) and our Facebook and Twitter pages for DAILY updates and sneak peeks! @starsquadseries

Why Do We Need Money?

Glad you asked!

1. We don’t have money, and films are expensive.
2. Correction: good films are expensive, and in order to do Katniss’ trial and the Star Squad mission right, we need money to make it as amazing as we know it can be.
3. We love The Hunger Games FOR its take on dystopian sci-fi, but dystopian sci-fi ‘aint cheap, you guys. We have some truly amazing sets at our disposal (*cough*omgFirefly*cough*), and many an explosion waiting in the wings, but we just can’t use them if we don’t have the funds.
4. We’re bringing in top acting, producing and design talent from TV, movies, the web and beyond. They have the capacity to make Star Squad truly special….not to mention that they’re all huge Hunger Games nerds who want to see this happen, too! But since this isn’t actually The Hunger Games, we need to give them food and care and stuff.
5. We are NOT planning on making money off of this series (okay yes, legally we can’t. But you see our dilemma), and even though we have scrimped and saved and edited this budget down to the bare minimum, we still need to cover the basic costs.
   
6. Did we mention we don’t have money and films are expensive?
7. Or that we love you like Katniss loves cheese buns?

May the odds be ever in your favor!

Woody, Caroline, Brendan and Ian.

About Us

Woody Tondorf (Creator/Co-Writer/District 8) is a Webby-nominated writer/producer of a whole bunch of web series, the most well-known being "Elevator Show" on Youtube, spanning 4 years, 200 episodes, and 48 million views. Knowing this isn't popular, he's still #TeamGale, and is still trying to figure out the correct recipe for Capitol Lamb Stew. His favorite District is 8, partially for all the troublemakers, but mostly because in D8, Katniss and Gale get their first shot at really, truly fighting back...and that scene in Mockingjay? With the explosive arrows? AMAZING. Woody wrote the film with Caroline and they are pinning far too many hopes on this being made. He's a giant, fanatical, probably-too-obsessed Hunger Games nerd; if you see him around Los Angeles, he'll be the dude with the Mockingjay pin. @WoodyTondorf

Caroline Framke (Co-Writer/District 3)'s last year has been marked by two things: moving cross-country from New York to LA to pursue a career in Screenwriting, and reading The Hunger Games. So when she forced Woody to read the books and he decided the only course of action was to expand the universe, she could hardly resist the perfect storm of her interests, and thus Star Squad was born. She is firmly #TeamKatniss, though her favorite character is less a character and more the unstoppable team that was briefly Katniss Everdeen and Johanna Mason: Bunkmates. When she's not trying to find Cinna's gold eyeliner IRL, she can be found writing for Hulu's pop culture show "The Morning After" and talking about cheese on Twitter. @carolineframke

Brendan Bradley (Director/District 4)'s entire family read and furiously debated the Hunger Games Trilogy in one week this past winter in what nerds call "Family Bonding." Online, he has been incredibly blessed to play in over one hundred original webisodes and short-form videos for franchises including The Guild, Comedy Central, MysteryGuitarMan and his own multi-award winning Squatters series.  If you guys help us out, he will be dedicating the next three months of his life to making the most ambitious and beautiful YA-Lit Fan Film ever uploaded to the interwebs. You can ask him anything you want and even give him your suggestions online at @brendanAbradley on Twitter!