'The Hunger Games' Movie Launches Viral Website

Hot off the heels of the MTV Video Music Awards debut of the trailer for 2012's "The Hunger Games," Lionsgate has launched a viral website to stoke anticipation for the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation.

Visit www.thecapitol.pn, and you'll be greeted by an iron logo representing the Capitol, the city that in Suzanne Collins' trilogy of novels has become the seat of power for the new government of Panem, the dystopian country that's arisen from what was once North America.

Click anywhere on the screen and following a burst of transmission static, the screen changes to a "Citizen Registration Terminal," complete with reminder to comply with Capitol regulations and keep District Identification Pass handy as the 74th Hunger Games approach.

The page also includes a countdown clock to the "Games," currently counting down from roughly 203 days and set to run out - of course - on March 23, 2012, when "The Hunger Games" hits theaters.

In keeping with the alternate-reality game motif, clicking on "Begin Registration" will let one register with either the Facebook or Twitter accounts promoting the film, both dubbed "What's Your District?" On the "Registration" page, "Districts" are split up according to the timezones of registered users.

And at this point, this is all I really know about the site. But let's make this fun: as it rolls out more content, I will dilligently update Yidio on what I experience.

For those who haven't experienced the novels yet, they follow the journey of a young woman named Katniss Everdeen (played in the movie by Jennifer Lawrence) as she takes her sister's place in The Hunger Games, an annual televised fight-to-the-death between children, essentially meant to demonstrate that no one is above or below the hand of The Capitol.

One boy and one girl are chosen from each of 12 districts. It's an idea the Collins formulated from a combination of a one channel-surfing experience in which she saw people competing on a reality show on one channel followed almost immediately by Iraq War footage on another, and also the Greek myth of Theseus. Collins drew further inspiration from the loss of her own father to the Vietnam War.

Since its first ordered printing run of 50,000 copies, Collins' first novel in the series has been twiced doubled to 200,000 copies, translated into 26 different languages and sold in 38 different countries.

The film, meanwhile, boasts massive star-power. In addition to Lawrence, it also stars Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bently, Stanley Tucci and Lenny Kravitz, to name just a few.