Behold a sneaky peek for the latest book-to-screen adaptation – The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins. Director Gary Ross (with the help of Steven Soderbergh) is in charge of converting a trio of ‘young-adult’ novels into screen-friendly films that will appeal to a wide audience. Including men. Something that Twilight spectacularly failed to do.

Thankfully The Hunger Games appears to feature less slushy romance and more bloodthirsty teeny-boppers. The movie is set in a future society, where occupants live within a culture of fear. Each year a group of children from all over America are plucked from their home and shipped off to a remote jungle where they must battle to the death. Why do they do this? As propaganda for a TV show of course! Basically it’s a cross between Battle Royale and The Running Man.

The film stars Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone and X-Men: First Class), Josh Hutcherson (The Kids are All Right), Liam Hemsworth (Triangle and Knowing), Donald Sutherland (more info here). Oh and some other folks too…

The Hunger Games is set for a 2012 release.