Liam Hemsworth can really charm anyone. The Australian actor who plays Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games films recently revealed that he impressed the series author, Suzanne Collins, so much that she wishes he was in the movies more. He told Ryan Seacrest in an interview:
“Suzanne Collins said to me once after the first movie, ‘I really wanted to have more of Gale in the movies. I love the character and I love what you’ve done with it.’”
But the interesting thing about The Hunger Games franchise is that having more Gale is completely possible, even if it means straying away from the books' plot. Anyone who read the book series noticed that there were some differences between the books and first movie, but unlike most other book-to-movie adaptations, there weren't many complaints about them. Many of the changes made for the film were in the form of added scenes, including some specifically written for Donald Sutherland's President Snow, after he sent a letter to director Gary Ross featuring his analysis of the character. Other original scenes tended to focus on what was happening outside of the Games, in the Capitol and surrounding districts.
The Hunger Games franchise is really unique in this sense. When scenes were added to the Harry Potter films, like one memorable battle scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that left the Weasley's home destroyed, fans tended to be upset. The time given to such extra footage took away from events that were showcased in the books, and fans demanded absolute faithfulness.
What likely sets The Hunger Games apart from this is that the books are narrated by protagonist Katniss in the first person. Yes, the Harry Potter series is usually told from Harry's perspective, but in the third person, and some portions leave Harry for other events. With The Hunger Games, readers only see what Katniss sees, and rely on her internal monologue, something difficult to translate onto the screen.
In the Hunger Games film, the extra scenes away from her help to explain what is happening and further the plot. Based on the Catching Fire trailer, it looks like there will again be scenes added outside of Katniss's POV in the Games, and it will likely add to the movie's quality, even for the most passionate fans of the books. In this film especially, it would serve to include more Gale, as he becomes much more instrumental in the third book, and seeing him in District 12 while Katniss is gone would add to the audience's understanding of what is happening throughout the country.
Though Hemsworth's statement makes it sound like Collins wasn't able to have as much as Gale in the films as she would like, there could still be more of him than there was in the books. Collins and the rest of the Hunger Games film team aren't afraid to make changes, and more of Gale would be a great one, something all Hunger Games fans should agree with, whether on Team Gale or Team Peeta. And it wouldn't hurt to be able to look at Hemsworth for a few extra minutes, either.
