Actor Josh Hutcherson never realized when he took on the role of Peeta Mellark in “The Hunger Games” how big an impact the post-apocalyptic survival film would have on popular culture.

The actor, 19, still finds it “mind-blowing” that the movie based on the best-selling sci-fi novels by author Suzanne Collins became a box office hit in theaters this past March, taking in $685 million worldwide.

The movie sees rebellious teen heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) fight in a televised battle-to-the-death that has been ordered by a totalitarian government. In the process, she becomes a beacon of hope for freedom. Hutcherson portrays Peeta, Katniss’ fighting partner and love interest.

The DVD is set for release just after midnight on Friday, packed with bonus features and interviews, and the film sequel, “Catching Fire,” is due in theaters in November 2013.

Hutcherson spoke to Reuters about the cultural impact of the franchise and creating on-screen chemistry with Lawrence.

Q: You’ve had a few months to consider the success of “The Hunger Games.” Are you surprised at how well the movie has done?

A: “It’s still mind-blowing to me. I think we all kind of knew there was a pretty big fan base for the books, but I never expected people to be this crazy about it and it to be this successful. Our main goal was to make a great movie and I think that’s what we did.”

Q: Which aspects of “The Hunger Games” story do you think resonate most deeply with fans of today’s pop culture?

A: “The media and reality TV is a huge part of our culture now and we’re seeing that extrapolated to the most extreme in the future (in the movie) … and the idea there are movements all over the world now. People are coming together and standing up for something they believe in and I think that’s what this story is all about. More than ever, people have this power and feeling they need to do right and rise up and speak out.”

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As mentioned a few days ago Jennifer is featured in the September issue of Vogue. I added a HQ outtake to the gallery. Enjoy!

Jennifer was a guest at the 14th Annual Day of Indulgence Party the other day. According to an insider, the Day of Indulgence is an annual party hosted by Hollywood producer Jennifer Klein in which famous folks show up and get to sample and take home new items donated by big brand name companies.
I finally found a pic from inside the event. Unfortunately, it’s only one pic. Hopefully there will be more.

Jennifer Lawrence
The Hunger Games heroine enjoyed Yogurtland frozen yogurt while browsing the AllSaints section. “I’m a huge fan of the brand,” she said.

Josh attended the CBS’ Teacher’s Rock Special Live Concert last night. The one hour special is scheduled for broadcast on Friday, August 17.

I added several set of candids to the gallery of Jennifer and Josh. Josh and his friends were seen leaving Club Avalon on Monday night. Jennifer was seen leaving her gym and going to the gas station yesterday.

Thanks to my friend Renee for some of them