Woody Harrelson on Being Part of 'The Hunger Games' Franchise: "I love it"

Woody Harrelson spoke with ShortList while promoting his movie Now You See Me, and revealed that he "really loves" being part of The Hunger Games franchise. 

Photo by Matt Sayles/AP

And then, of course, there’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Can you tell us how that’s coming along?

I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard it’s looking great.

How does it feel for you to be part of a big juggernaut franchise? It’s the first time you’ve…

...it’s the first time I’ve been a part of something that’s a hit [laughs].

No, it’s just that being part of a huge blockbuster is not something people would associate with you.

I love it. I really love it. I said no at first. But the director called me and he said, “You’ve got to do this for me, I don’t have a second choice.” He was so passionate about it, and I thought, “Well if you want me to do it that bad, I’ll do it.” Just one conversation made me throw the dice. That was it, and now I’m part of this incredible franchise.

Were you surprised by how big it became?

Yes I was. I didn’t know what I was stepping into.

A lot of people have said Hollywood is relying too much on big franchises at the moment. Do you think that’s true?

Well, Hollywood is so many diverse things; you have indies that I love. But when you’re looking at studios, they need to make money. They’re giant corporations, so I understand that in getting something that is working, you stick with it. Most times, sequels aren’t as good as the original, and I hope that’s not the case for The Hunger Games. I haven’t seen it, but if it is as good, why not? I don’t have a moral issue with it, I get the idea. F*ck it. Do it.

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