The revolution begins in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1"

The revolution begins in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1". Out from the gladiatorial arena and into the battlefield, the Districts of Panem are finally on the brink of civil war as Katniss is freed to be the symbol of the rebellion; the Mockingjay.

However, even with the game now shifting to overthrow the Capitol, things will not be easy for Katniss as President Snow is prepared to unleash his wrathful fury on the Districts to quell the rebellion and there will be many who will have to pay for the ultimate price.

Just as well, with the upcoming release of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1", there will be changes that are coming to the series, and here are the five things you should look out for to prepare yourself for war.

While the Districts are now finally prepared to revolt against the Capitol, readers will know that the last book of the trilogy is not one that has many good things happening during the revolution. Aside from the ultimate price that would have to be paid, "Mockingjay" is shaded with the horrifying implications of an all-out war and expect the movies to take heed in that direction. Then there's also the emotional damages that have been done to Katniss after surviving the Games, and the drastic measures taken by President Snow in order to silence the rebellion that he warned Katniss not to incite. Expect many scenes of the grim and gritty (and roses), as this is no longer just about survival.

Besides the figurative darkness, "Mockingjay Part 1" is also expected to have a darker visual as many of the scenes will take place in the underground, and it will be the first movie in the series to be shot in full digital. This means that there won't be an IMAX release for "Mockingjay Part 1".

Readers of "The Hunger Games" books will know that "Mockingjay" is the most action-laden book out of the trilogy, so if there's a right entry point for your action-junkie friends to get interested on this series, "Mockingjay Part 1" should serve the need. Not that we are saying this without watching the trailers of "Mockingjay Part 1", and there is going to be more than just bows and arrows being used here.

Natalie Dormer will play Cressida.

Gwendoline Christie is Commander Lyme.

Installment after installment, "The Hunger Games" series has always managed to fill its growing cast with a higher profile of actors in the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, and Julianne Moore. But let's not forget that by being in such an anticipated movie event, it could be the movie breakthrough for its lesser known cast. That would be the case for two of its minor cast but we will recognise them for their roles in the hit television series, "Game of Thrones".

If fans of the television series missed her in "Captain America: The First Avenger", then they will surely not miss Margery Tyrell's actress Natalie Dormer who takes up an important role in "Mockingjay Part 1". In Panem, she will be known as Cressida, the leader of the camera crew that follows Katniss to film her exploits as the Mockingjay.

Another "Game of Thrones" face to make an appearance in "Mockingjay Part 1" is Gwendoline Christie, who is better known for her honourable role as Brienne of Tarth in the television series. Christie's casting as the former District 2 champion role of Commander Lyme in "Mockingjay Part 1", which we believe readers would agree, fits her perfectly, was more accidental when she was called in to replace the previous actress set to play the role but had to drop out due to schedule conflicts.

Every installment of "The Hunger Games" may have been one of the few annual events that we let it get away with a long runtime, but that won't be a problem for "Mockingjay Part 1". Clocking in just over 2 hours by 3 minutes, "Mockingjay Part 1" will be the shortest movie in the series so far, but bear in mind that it is after all just one part of Suzanne Collins' third book. Director Francis Lawrence explained that the part of the reasoning to split the last book into two parts was because they wanted to explore the gaps that were left in the book, and we don't think readers would complain about that.

Just as things are looking up for the Districts, "Mockingjay Part 1" does have a tragic tone following behind it. Although this won't be the last we will see of the great actor, who will still be in "Mockingjay Part 2", this will be the last film where the late Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a full appearance throughout the length of the movie. Hoffman was in the midst of shooting his last few scenes for "Mockingjay Part 2" before his untimely death, so his appearance there will be supplemented with a digital recreation. If you are a fan of the actor, you can pay your salutes to Hoffman in "Mockingjay Part 1".