(CNN) -- Forget "Harry Potter" and "Twilight." In a few months, "The Hunger Games" phenomenon will be taking over the pop culture world.

But what exactly is this "Hunger Games" wonder that has so many folks talking months before the movie (which just wrapped up filming earlier this month) is even released? Like many of the wildly successful film franchises these days, it began with a book.

The plot revolves around a dystopian society where punishment for a previous rebellion has resulted in a televised event. One boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district (there are 12 total) are selected at random and forced to participate in the Hunger Games, where "tributes" must fight to the death until only one is left standing.

"The Hunger Games" gives us a heroine named Katniss, a strong-willed and unwavering spirit, who volunteers for the games in order to spare her younger sister. Once inside the death match arena, she must get down and dirty to outlive her competitors, but there's one slight problem.

Her hot friend Peeta gets cast into the games, too. In the midst of all the slaying, Katniss finds herself embroiled in a love triangle with her longtime pal Gale, who is watching the games from his home, and Peeta, who confesses his love for her inside the arena. Katniss' emotional turmoil of love or death makes Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" look like child's play.

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"We worked on Parkour, running, jumping, climbing ... and he's the creator of Parkour, so I was really honored," Stenberg said. "I [also] had to use my jumping skills to soar through the trees. I did some training for 'Hunger Games,' but not as much as the other characters who really had some big physical demands. I did some running and flips and some tumbling, and that was really fun."

"On 'Colombiana,' it was pretty much me for a lot of the time, so it was like a family and I became very close to the crew," she said. "And on 'Hunger Games,' we are such a big cast, and we all became a family as well. We always hung out together. It was like a big camp, and I became friends with cast members like Jackie Emerson who plays Foxface and Dayo Okeniyi who plays Thresh -- and now I have really good friends."

To prepare for the part -- which requires her to spend a lot of time in the trees, hiding out from the older, stronger players of the fight-to-the-death game -- Stenberg took a more Method approach. "My mom took some of my clothes and rolled them in the backyard with some dirt and some grass, and put leaves and twigs in my hair to try to make it look like I had been in the woods for a few weeks," she said. "So when I met with Gary [Ross, the director], he said that he was very impressed that I had my own makeup and hair department."

Dream:  What would be your dream role?

Amandla: Besides Rue in the Hunger Games,  I would love to play someone in the fashion industry. One of my favorite movies is The Devil Wears Prada because of the fashion and glamour, and the location, Paris! I’ve always wanted to go there, ever since I first read Madeline at age six.

Dream:  You’re currently working on The Hunger Games, what’s it like to be part of a cast of a movie that is so highly anticipated?

Amandla: It’s surreal because I was such a big fan of the books before I even auditioned. When I heard that there was going to be a movie, I remember being so excited for the opening in March, never thinking I was going to be a part of the cast! To be playing Rue is such an honor, and I can’t wait to see the movie.

A Capitol event. According to reports, the scenes shot in the Capitol for the opening ceremonies of The Hunger Games will be nothing short of epic.  Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss dons a dress made of flames, courtesy of Lenny Kravitz as her stylist, Cinna. The visuals are said to be out of this world.

Katniss-on-Peeta action: As part of an ongoing saga, Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson get their mack on while in the arena. Do we need to say more?

Hemsworth hunts. Peeta, schmeeta. Some of the hunting scenes featuring Gale show Liam Hemsworth at his ripped finest. Great casting, THG.

Awesome Effie: Elizabeth Banks steals every scene in her pink-wigged, diva-like glory, bringing to life one of the books’ most colorful characters.

RIP Rue: Katniss’ BFF, played by youngster Amandla Stenberg, does not make it out alive, leading to a poignant scene in which Kat adorns Rue’s body with flowers, then sings alongside her fallen comrade’s body. Amazing stuff.

US: How has it been working with Jennifer Lawrence?

LK: Oh man, I shot a scene with her yesterday and it was just the two of us, where our characters meet, and she is unbelievable. I hate comparisons, but she is a young Meryl Streep. This girl is for real and just acting with her, it just brought it to a level where she pulled me in so deeply, and the scene just became so real and at the end we had to pop out of it. It was someplace we had gone into and it was really beautiful. I learned actually a lot from her yesterday and she is fantastic.

US: You knew her through Zoe before you started filming, right?

LK: Yes, and that makes it even more odd. She is a family friend and all of the sudden you have to be serious because when we are all together we are all quite silly. My daughter, her friends…we are quite a silly bunch, but it was great.

Us: What has it been like shooting your scenes in the Capitol world?

LK: I am going to leave that to surprise, I am sure the director would want to talk about it himself but he is an amazing director, he really has a way of pulling things out of the actors, he is an actor himself, so he comes from that, he was trained by the best. He is director that knows how to do everyone else’s job as well, so he knows what he is talking about and I like that because I identify with that. When it comes to music, I can get up on stage and play everyone’s parts for them, well because I play it in the studio, I can just identify with getting a grip on what is happening.

Us: Has the movie stayed true to the book do you think?

LK: I’ve only seen my part, but I think it is great.

Jordan Hoffman: I recall watching one of your commentary tracks – I’m nearly certain it was for Ocean’s Eleven - and you mentioned that one of the things that gives you the greatest joy in movies are small, transitional moments. Now the news that’s leaked out is out that you actually shot Second Unit on The Hunger Games! This is true?

Steven Soderbergh: Yeah, this is something Gary [Ross] talked about in April. I went down for two days to shoot pure Second Unit stuff.

Jordan Hoffman: Have you ever done this before for someone?

Steven Soderbergh: I think. . .I simply must have. I mean, I have so many director friends, and. . .

Jordan Hoffman: So they know to call you because you like doing it.

Steven Soderbergh: Yeah, I like doing it! And Gary and I have known each other a long time, we do favors back and forth a lot, and it is fun. My job is to go down there, talk to Gary, look at footage, the whole point is to match what he and Tom Stern, his DP, are doing.

Jordan Hoffman: You’re shooting sunsets. . .shots of trees?

Steven Soderbergh: No, just some images that don’t involve the principal cast. So, it is truly Second Unit stuff, stuff that Gary should not be spending time doing . . .in April he saw the board he said, “hey I’ve got these two days of pure Second Unit, what are you doing?”

Jordan Hoffman: So, like a mini vacation for you?

Steven Soderbergh: Yeah. It was fun.

Jordan Hoffman: Have you read the Hunger Games book?

Steven Soderbergh: Yeah, I did. She’s a good storyteller.

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“I was really nervous during my first day on set,” she stated. “I didn’t know what to expect or how I would be treated. In the end, everyone treated each other like family. Everyone was so nice.” 

The East McDowell Junior High student was fortunate enough to be able to complete filming. Her school schedule didn’t interrupt. 

“Since school started back so late this year, Destiny was able to do all the filming in Asheville and Charlotte,” said Destiny’s mother, Carla Tompkins. “For about two weeks, we traveled to both sets and Destiny spent around 14 hours a day on set.” 

... “I can’t wait till the movie comes out,” the teen stated. “As a photo double, I stood in for Amandla when she was busy practicing lines or doing other things. So there is a chance I might see myself in the movie, even if it’s just the back of my head or body.”

“It kept me on the edge of my seat, I loved the book,” Kravitz says.

“When I was reading it I had this whole world in my head and interestingly it’s very similar to what Gary Ross is actually doing.

“I liked the role, I wanted to do more films and Gary Ross is a great director so I accepted it and it was an amazing experience.”

He expects the “Hunger Games” films will be just as big as the books, which have all topped bestseller lists.

“I think it’s going to completely be as strong, I think it’s really going to surprise people.”