The “Hunger Games” movie trilogy follows the very successful “Hunger Games” books. The second movie, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” is set to premiere in November of 2013 and it is highly anticipated. The first movie, “The Hunger Games,” was filmed in North Carolina. “The Hunger Games” enjoyed huge success and the state of North Carolina certainly benefited from having the movie filmed there. Atlanta, Georgia was chosen for filming the second movie, and the addition of this high profile film to the list of movies and television shows filmed in Georgia is a big win for Georgia and the growing local film industry.
The Atlanta History Center Swan House is a well-known and frequently photographed Atlanta landmark. The beautiful Swan House serves as the sight for the Capitol party scene in “Catching Fire.”
The rustic buildings at the Goat Farm Arts Center, also located in Atlanta, offer the perfect look for scenes in one of the rural districts. The stage for the reaping was built there as well. This abandoned goat farm, turned successful arts center, boasts a rich history, dating back to the 1890’s when the property served as a cotton gin factory. Today the Goat Farm Arts Center features studio space for many artists and hosts artistic events such as concerts and dance performances. The filming for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was not the first film experience for the Goat Farm Arts Center; the popular television series, “The Walking Dead,” has also used this location or filming.
“The Beach” at Clayton County International Park will be used as parts of the arena for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” The man-made water park is known as “The Beach” because it was built and used for beach volleyball during the 1996 Olympics. Filming in Clayton county is giving the local economy a much needed boost. Recently, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” “Scary Movie 5,” and other movies and television shows have been filmed in Clayton County. The use of this Clayton County location for filming the newest “Hunger Games” movie brings even more attention to this small film-friendly town.
Finally, there is the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Filming took place here and fans speculate that the scenes filmed at the speedway might have been ones that took place at the Capitol.
Fans of “The Hunger Games” are anxiously awaiting the release of this movie in November. Local fans are anxious to see if their predictions for what scenes were filmed where are correct and to pick out familiar locations as they watch. If you live near Atlanta or you are familiar with the area, pay close attention as you watch “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” this fall because there is a good chance you will notice some familiar locations.
