Screaming fans greet 'Hunger Games' stars at Aurora mall
Team Edward and Team Jacob better watch their backs.
Because if it's up to more than 2,000 screaming fans who packed Westfield Fox Valley Mall in Aurora on Wednesday, the "Twilight" heartthrobs now have some serious competition coming from Josh Hutcherson, who portrays Peeta in the upcoming film "The Hunger Games."
A throng of mostly female teens and tweens (some accompanied by a few patient parents) waved signs bearing slogans like "We love Peeta," "The future Mrs. Hutcherson," and "Prom?" while screaming at the mere mention of his name.
To promote the film's March 23 release, Hutcherson appeared Wednesday with co-stars Isabelle Fuhrman, who portrays Clove, and Jacqueline Emerson, who plays Foxface. As part of an eight-city national tour, the trio spent about 40 minutes answering questions submitted by fans in advance, most who have already devoured the trilogy of books that inspired the movie.
Shelby Stammet, 21, of Batavia insists the young-adult "Hunger Games" books have a universal appeal.
"It's not just for kids," she said. "It's sci-fi and even guys like it, too."
Stammet arrived hours in advance of the 6:15 p.m. event, bringing her friend Stephanie Schuetz, also 21, of Aurora, and Emily Chandel, 17, who traveled from her home in Virginia over spring break to attend with the group. Compared to some fans, who arrived as early as 4 a.m. outside the mall, they were late.
But the women were among an exclusive group of 200 fans who either won or purchased a chance to get autographs from the actors, as well as stand close to the stage where the stars shared stories of on-set bonding, learning to throw knives for the film, and dishing on favorite scenes.
Because "The Hunger Games" is based on a popular book series just like the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" films, many fans expect the film will follow their footsteps in becoming a pop culture phenomenon.
But 11-year-old Melissa Hauptman of Vernon Hills has her own prediction: "This is going to be bigger," she said. "The energy is really high and everyone is waiting."
Melissa joined her friends Lexi Meadows, 11, of Mundelein and Christina Vulpitta, 12, of Romeoville, who said they all rushed to the mall after school Wednesday.
The girls also proudly announced they already purchased their tickets for the midnight debut of "The Hunger Games" on March 23.
The books and film are set in the post-apocolyptic nation of Panem, in the ruins of what was once North America. Each year, the evil Capitol forces each of its 12 districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games.
A punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, the games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
The second and third book in the series are "Catching Fire," which already is slated to come to the big screen in 2013, and "Mockingjay."
Fuhrman said she read "The Hunger Games" 13 times and, like her co-stars, was delighted to see the book come to life on set. Sharing a memory of filming a scene as tribute Clove competes in the Hunger Games, Fuhrman said, "It was exactly how I had imagined it."
All three actors also appeared somewhat overwhelmed by their wild reception from fans.
"I didn't expect this," Fuhrman said. "This is amazing."
Hutcherson added that Wednesday's experience with fans, as well as the whole experience so far has been "surreal."
"It's a day-by-day sort of thing for me," Hutcherson said.
Twelve-year-old Chloe Woodard of Naperville thinks Hutcherson and his friends had better get used to their newfound fame, because she also thinks the films are poised to be a sensation.
"It's their amazing style," said Chloe, who has read the trilogy. "It's set in this post-apocalyptic world and that intrigues a lot of us, these ideas of our future and what it might be."
Chloe was joined by her younger sister, Isabelle, who isn't into the "Hunger Games" hype just yet, and their dad, Shelby, who alternated lifting the girls on his shoulders so they could see the celebrities.
Isabelle said her father "earned 10 bonus points" for making it through the night.