Friday, August 17, 2012

Wal-Mart holding midnight Hunger Games release

Wal-Mart is betting that the popularity of the Hunger Games books and movies will be enough to drive people to midnight parties across the country for the film's DVD release Friday.

The movie grossed more than $684 million worldwide, and was a home run for the studio that made it, Lions Gate Films. Now Wal-Mart is trying to capitalize on that. Starting at 11 p.m. Friday, 2,000 Wal-Mart stores around the country will host parties featuring merchandise giveaways and movie trivia.

When the movie goes on sale at midnight, customers who buy it will receive a pack of Hunger Games trading cards. Some random cards will be autographed by the movie's stars, including Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen, the arrow-slinging heroine of the Hunger Games series.

According to Wal-Mart's store finder, none of the midnight store parties are in Charlotte, so if you want the Hunger Games that badly Friday night and live in town, you'll have to drive to a SuperCenter in Mooresville or Tega Cay.

There will also be two-disc commemorative sets that come with a mockingjay pendant for sale, and Wal-Mart hosted a Twitter party on Thursday (hashtag #DistrictParty) to give customers tips about hosting Hunger Games-themed viewing parties.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The ones in Indian Trail and Monroe are hosting parties too, shorter trip.

Anonymous said...

They're having them in Indian Trail and Monroe too, shorter trips.

Anonymous said...

Ummm ... Isn't it JENNIFER Lawrence (not Jessica)?

Ely Portillo said...

Whoops, thank you. I did mess up Jennifer Lawrence's name (I liked Hunger Games, but thought she played Katniss basically the same as she did her character in Winter's Bone).

Riviera De Cordova said...

My mother and I went to the Walmart in pembroke pines Florida. No party NO trading cards that were promised on website Nothing!!!!!! I am 11 and was dressed up because they said on the release party site they would have a costume contest. They had no idea what we were talking about!!! We were there from 11pm on August 17 and we just stood there untill they gave us the DVD that we could have gotten in the morning. I begged my mom to go so I can get the free stuff they promised on websites but I had gotten nothing!!!!! People passed us and didn't acknowledge us.
Sierra D-isappointed