Hunger Games costars and BFFs Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence are still celebrating each other’s wins.
“Jen texted me when Five Nights at Freddy’s came out,” Hutcherson, 31, told Variety in a Monday, January 8, interview. “She was like, ‘My movie’s #1 on Netflix, and your’s is #1 at the box office! Let’s go!’ I was like, ‘I love you!’”
Five Nights at Freddy’s, which is based on a video game by Scott Cawthon of the same name, premiered in October 2023. The film follows security guard Mike (Hutcherson) as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria and quickly realizes he’s being tormented by mysterious live animatronics. The film was an instant success among fans of the source material, earning over $300 million globally and becoming the highest-grossing horror flick of 2023.
“Obviously, the fans are amazing and die-hard,” Hutcherson explained of the movie’s success. “For me to be a part of it was so cool and phenomenal.” The actor added that while those behind Freddy’s “hoped it could connect with audiences,” no one expected it to resonate as much as it did.
“I don’t think that anybody, even on our side of things, expected it to really connect the way that it did,” he continued, sharing that the sequel is currently in the works. “I’m dying to get back on set. Emma Tammi, our director, was fantastic, and it was such a fun world to play in. I’m excited to see what they are doing next.”
While Hutcherson is enjoying his success with Freddy’s, Lawrence, 33, was recently nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role as Maddie in the film No Hard Feelings. The comedy was theatrically released in June 2023 and grossed $87 million worldwide before reaching No. 1 on Netflix three months later.
Hutcherson and Lawrence met on the set of their 2012 film The Hunger Games. The twosome portrayed Peeta and Katniss, respectively, two District 12 tributes who are picked to fight to the death in the arena — and fall in love in the process. Both actors returned for the three subsequent sequels, with the final movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, premiering in November 2015.
Despite going their separate ways more than seven years ago, the pair have remained close over the years, with Hutcherson exclusively telling Us Weekly in September 2020 that the entire cast keeps “in contact pretty closely.”
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“The truth is, it was literally what everyone saw in all of our interviews together,” the former child star recalled to Us of him and Lawrence, who endeared fans of the franchise during press tours with their friendship. “It was all of us being ridiculous children together, horsing around. I don’t know how we got any work done ever. I’m surprised the movies are good.”
He added, “It feels almost like a different lifetime. It really does. It feels like that was my college, making those movies. I was 18, it was four years. … It’s very strange that we’re closing in on 10 years. It’s mind-blowing.”
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