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‘Hunger Games’ Los Angeles premiere honors victims of Paris attacks

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Stars of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2” paid their respects to the victims of attacks in Paris last week during the Los Angeles premiere of the film Monday night by wearing modified mockingjay pins, wrapped in red, white and blue ribbon -- the colors of the French flag.

This show of support follows Lionsgate’s announcement over the weekend that it would be canceling all press interviews on the red carpet.

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“Out of respect for the very recent events in Paris, we have decided to modify our red carpet and we will not conduct interviews at Monday’s ‘Mockingjay 2’ premiere,” the studio said. “We will proceed with the rest of the event as planned in honor of the incredible fans who have always supported our films with such passion.”

As a result of the augments -- and the almost debilitating cold, windy weather -- the Los Angeles debut of the final installment of the “Hunger Games” franchise was uncharacteristically quiet, save for the intermittent screams over arriving celebrities or the drummers emulating scenes from the film. The carpet was overtaken by a large display of the French flag.

Parts of the film were shot in Paris, along with Berlin and Atlanta.

Stars including leading lady Jennifer Lawrence and leading men Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson signed a number of autographs for hundreds of fans who showed up in front of L.A. Live’s Microsoft Theater.

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Ahead of the screening, Lionsgate Chief Executive Jon Feltheimer addressed the audience in another expression of support, before introducing the cast.

“Tonight, as we celebrate our movie and salute our filmmakers, we want to express our solidarity with the brave people of Paris and share our sympathy for their grieving,” he said. “We stand with them tonight.”

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Following the premiere, fans and celebrities alike flooded onto the L.A. Live Event Deck for an invite-only afterparty. Walking up the stairs, they were greeted with fog, drummers and a stone statue of the District 12 hand symbol from the movie. The event space was made into a replica of the mansion inhabited by the character President Snow.

Once inside, the quiet, almost somber nature of the red carpet was forgotten as the party fit for District 1 home dwellers (the rich, mostly white people in the film) got underway -- but with a playlist the best of District 11 might enjoy (the black people). A number of models were dressed in the ornate costumes for which the Capitol is known, while the event space was plastered with red lights and red roses. At the back center of the space, a replica of Snow’s greenhouse stood, with only white roses and white carpet inside.

The Los Angeles premiere is the second to last stop on their rounds before the film’s wide release Friday. The final premiere is Wednesday in New York.

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