Undoubtedly, The Hunger Games is one of the biggest franchises of all time. Fans could not get enough of the American actress Jennifer Lawrence ‘s portrayal of Katniss Everdeen and the fictional dystopian universe of Panem. The films from the franchise were so popular that a movie based on the prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is in development and is set to hit the screens in 2023.
However, many years after the franchise premiered, Jennifer came under fire for a comment she made about it. The actress claimed that The Hunger Games was the first female-led action film to be produced. Sadly, despite the huge love many movie lovers have for her, the actress has been heavily bashed for her words. Here are the details.
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Jennifer Calls Herself The First Female Action Movie Lead
On December 8, 2022, Jennifer had a 45-minute sit-down discussion with fellow actor and producer Viola Davis on Variety ‘s Actors to Actors . The pair talked about acting, inequities within the industry, and motherhood, among other topics. During the chat, Jennifer falsely claimed to be the first woman in the lead of an action movie. In her words:
“I remember when I was doing ‘Hunger Games,’ nobody had ever put a woman in the lead of an action movie before because it wouldn’t work.”
Then, Jennifer noted that she felt happy every time she saw a movie come out with a woman taking the lead, as it proved that the idea of boys being unable to identify with a female lead was a lie to keep certain people out of movies.
Fans’ Reactions To Jennifer’s Claim
Not long after Jennifer’s claims made headlines, fans immediately took to Twitter to call her out, noting that many actresses were cast as leads in action films long before her 2012 movie. The Twitter users pointed out movie star Sigourney Weaver, who played Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise starting in 1979.
They also mentioned Milla Jovovich as Alice in the Resident Evil movies, which began in 2002, and Angelina Jolie in the 2001 and 2003 Tomb Raider movies. Some other films mentioned were Kill Bill, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Atomic Blonde.
‘Variety’s Reaction To The Backlash
Besides blocking some fans who bashed Jennifer, Variety also reportedly deleted the offending tweet as Jennifer became a trending topic on the platform. The media outlet’s decision to delete the tweet came as a surprise to many, as some fans questioned its decision to release only that part of Jennifer’s comments in the first place, claiming that it knew it would drive engagement.
Other Thoughts On Jennifer’s Claims
While many fans criticized Jennifer, others chose to be understanding of the situation. According to a report, the actress may have felt that way as a teenager or been told by higher-ups that The Hunger Games was the first female-led action movie. Meanwhile, Jennifer is yet to respond to the backlash.
