'The Hunger Games' Fans Pay Tribute

Before dawn Hunger Games fans began lining up for the midnight release of the first movie.

Laura Delrosario and her daughter were the first in line at at 5 a.m. 

“The minute the movie was announced, we knew we would wait for the midnight release,” she said.

Delrosario said she wasn’t sure what to expect when she arrived Thursday morning. Her daughter camped out overnight for the release of the final Harry Potter film last year.

While the Harry Potter series and Hunger Games are tied as favorites in her heart, today is all about The Hunger Games.

“I like how they maintain their humanity with everything that is going on,” Delrosario said.

Elizabeth Stanley and Hannah Volkland sit at the front of the line on the opposite side of the theater.

They arrived at 8 a.m.

The two girls, who were joined by three more friends about an hour later, are passing the time in line with conversation.

The group said they are familiar with the midnight release process and have attended many others.

Stanley said she is most looking forward to seeing how the relationships build in the movie. A love triangle forms, which some may compare to the relationships seen in the Twilight series.  Stanley and Volkland would disagree.

“The difference here is she [the main character in the book] doesn’t need someone else. She is self-sufficient,” Volkland said.

As of early evening, the number of people in line was enough to fill eight of the 13 auditoriums showing Hunger Games at midnight.