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Fans mass expectantly at ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ premiere

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Cast members, from left, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson attend the premiere of Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.  (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)
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Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / Associated Press )
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Elizabeth Banks arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Philip Seymour Hoffman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Actor Jaden Smith, left, and singer Willow Smith arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Kimora Lee Simmons arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press )
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Stef Dawson arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Joe Jonas and Blanda Eggenschwiler arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Meta Golding arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Emily Osment arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Donald Sutherland arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press )
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Jesse McCartney arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Liam Hemsworth snaps a photo with fans at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / AP)
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Kiernan Shipka arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / AP)
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Elena Sanchez arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)
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Singer/songwriter Tiny and rapper T.I.  (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)
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Director Francis Lawrence arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / AP)
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Josh Hutcherson arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Matt Sayles/ Invision / AP)
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Isabelle Fuhrman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / AP)
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Garcelle Beauvais arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / AP)
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Jena Malone arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / AP)
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Jackie Emerson arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
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Alan Ritchson and his wife Catherine arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
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Kendall Jenner arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Bruce Bundy at arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Robyn Beck / AFP /Getty Images )
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Erika Bierman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)
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Amanda Plummer arrives at the the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jordan Strauss/ Invision / AP)
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Sarah Hyland signs autographs for fans as she attends the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Matt Sayles/ Invision / AP)
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Jake Short arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
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Bella Thorne arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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A general view of the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Stephanie Leigh Schlund arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”   (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)
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Actor and cast member Lenny Kravitz and his daughter Zoe Kravitz.  (Ninan Prommer / EPA)
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Actor and cast member Sam Claflin at the “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” premiere.  (Nina Prommer / EPA)
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Cast member Willow Shields on the red carpet.  (Nina Prommer / EPA)
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Cast member Woody Harrelson  (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)
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Dayo Okeniyi, who appeared in the first “Hunger Games” film.  (Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press)
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Cast member Stanley Tucci and wife Felicity Blunt  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Actor Michael Chiklis  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Singer Ashlee Simpson  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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Actress Jennifer Lawrence poses with fans.  (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)
By Amy Kaufman
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At Hollywood’s biggest premieres, reporters are always told to arrive at least three hours before even the least-recognizable celebrity first exits a town car.

For “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” U.S. premiere Monday night in downtown Los Angeles, studio Lionsgate instructed members of the media to line up outside the Nokia Theatre at 3:30 p.m. –- a full four hours before a screening of the much-anticipated Jennifer Lawrence sequel, which of course arrives in multiplexes later this week, was set to start.

By 4:30, hundreds of camera-toting journalists were still standing on nearby Chick Hearn Court, out of view of the red carpet.

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PHOTOS: ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ Los Angeles premiere

Once behind the tarp-covered chain-link fence barricading the red carpet, reporters could see a massive mockingjay lit afire. (The mythical creature plays a key part in the Suzanne Collins franchise, and also serves as the title of the third book in the trilogy.)

Lining the carpet were hundreds of fans, all of whom had spent the weekend camping out on the cold cement in anticipation of Monday evening. To pass the time, some had spent their days creating colorful signs. Allye Nomura, 25, held one addressed to Sam Claflin, the British actor who plays swaggering former Games champion Finnick Odair. “Sam, can I have your sugar cube?” it read, a reference to an item the character offers Lawrence’s Katniss at the Tribute parade.

“It’s supposed to be suggestive,” the San Diego resident said with a grin.

LIVE STREAM: ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ Los Angeles premiere

Meanwhile, after spending three days in the tent camp, 33-year-old Jennifer Kelley said she felt underwhelmed by the experience. Kelley, who flew from New York for the premiere, is no stranger to urban camping: She lugged her sleeping bag to LA for the premieres of the final two “Twilight Saga” movies, as well.

“They kept this kind of minimalist,” she said, a complaining note in her voice. “There weren’t many contests or activities, and there was a DJ at a radio booth who was really annoying.”

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Plus, when Josh Hutcherson and some of the movie’s other stars showed up to greet fans, “they only stayed for, like, 30 minutes,” leaving many without a coveted autograph.

PHOTOS: See Jennifer Lawrence’s ‘Hunger Games’ red-carpet looks

Meyer -- who was flanked by two friends she met online -- was still able to muster up excitement for the celebrity arrivals on Monday.

“I can’t wait to see Jennifer Lawrence,” she said, echoing the evening’s most popular fan sentiment.

She might get a glimpse of some other celebs too: In one of the more unlikely gatherings of stars, the guests attending the premiere Monday are Matt Damon, Paris Hilton, Usain Bolt, Kelsey Grammer and Steven Spielberg’s daughter Sacha.

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Amy Kaufman

Amy Kaufman is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes a monthly A-1 column, “For Real With Amy Kaufman.” The series examines the lives of icons, underdogs and rising stars to find out who the people are shaping our culture — for real. Since joining The Times in 2009, she has profiled hundreds of influential figures, including Stevie Nicks, Kevin Hart, Joan Rivers, Michael B. Jordan and Lady Gaga. She also works on investigations and was part of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist team that covered the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. Her work often shines a light on the darker side of the entertainment business, and she has uncovered misconduct allegations against Randall Emmett, Russell Simmons and Chris D’Elia. In 2018, her book “Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure” became a New York Times bestseller.

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