The movie industry needs to find ways to make money. I understand this. Lately, it seems a lot of the movies are remakes of older movies. And they do make money on those remakes. Both the Batman and the Spider-Man series have been redone recently, and with great success. In a way, it leaves me wondering if original ideas are really that scarce.

Another way the movie industry makes money is to find a book series and build a franchise around it. If in doubt, look at the franchises around J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, or Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Franchises are currently being built around Steig Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, with just the first installment of those out and the rest being planned.

I have no problem with taking a good book and making a good movie based on it. I will likely always believe the book is better than the movie, for several reasons. First, the movie always has to cut some material in order to fit within the time constraints. Second, often directors and produces alter the book by changing characters or plot, a move which makes me very angry. My philosophy is this: if it was good enough for the author of the book and the readers who made the book go to the top of the best sellers list, then why change it? Anyway, it happens, I get angry, and life goes on.

When it was decided to release the seventh Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in two installments, many wondered how that would go over. In a nutshell, it went over quite well and made a lot of money for everyone associated with the Harry Potter franchise. It was also a move that opened the door for others to follow.

I understand why the movie was issued in two installments. The last Harry Potter book is 784 pages in length. There is a lot that takes place to bring closure to the story. I already mentioned how the time constraint of a movie forces producers to cut material from the book. Because this book was so lengthy and so important, it made sense to break it in half and give the Harry Potter fans a great movie ending to their beloved series.

Shortly afterwards it was announced that the Twilight series would follow suit and Breaking Dawn, the final movie, would be issued in two installments. Since the book is 756 pages in length and Twilight has developed its own legion of fans who would like appropriate closure, this, too makes sense. There was an easily identifiable mid-point in the book that allowed for the break, and the two installments allow the producers to include a lot more details.

Yesterday, I saw an announcement that The Hunger Games is also going to follow this trend. I won’t be surprised to see even more series deciding to split their final books into two-installment movies. However, it is prudent to ask some questions before that decision is made. The primary questions are: are two installments being made in order to be true to the integrity of the book and the series, or are two installments being made in order to make more money?

In the case of The Hunger Games, splitting the final book Mockingjay into two installments is a money-making decision. The book is only 400 pages in length. Books of that length are made into movies of two to two and a half hours all the time. If movie producers are going to start breaking all 400-page books into two installments to be true to the integrity of the book, then perhaps it would make sense for Mockingjay to be presented this way. However, I doubt that will happen. Other 400-page books, or even books longer than that, will continue to be made into one movie. The only reason the decision was made to do Mockingjay in two parts is because producers see it as a trend after the Harry Potter and Twilight movies. I wonder if they even stopped to consider the length of this book in relation to the other two.

No doubt this move will make a lot of money for The Hunger Games franchise, and I understand money is the name of the game in Hollywood. However, this seems rather disrespectful to fans of the series. I hope that when other successful book series are adapted into movies those making the movies will consider the fans as more than just a way to line their pockets.