HOLLYWOOD IS QUIVERING
BOWS AND ARROWS ARE ALL THE RAGE,
The Hunger Games is doing more than hitting a bull’s-eye at the box office — it’s also creating a mega-platform for Hollywood’s hottest weaponry.
“We’re kind of going crazy right now with bows and arrows,” says Jennifer Lawrence, who stars as sharpshooting heroine Katniss Everdeen. “Everyone’s bored with guns. These are way cooler.”
In the coming months, there will be a slew of straight shooters. The Avengers (May 4) kicks off summer movie madness with archer superhero Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). And June 22 brings Brave, which features bow-wielding Merida, Pixar’s first female hero.
On TV, the CW is considering a pilot for fall featuring superhero Green Arrow, and Snow White recently took aim at the Evil Queen on ABC’’S Once
Upon a Time.
It’s enough to make rocker/bow advocate Ted Nugent wax philosophical.
“Those of us who celebrate the mystical flight of the arrow as archers and bow hunters understand its spiritual allure,” he says. “Firearms are so overdone that producers are learning the flight of an arrow is far more exciting.” Adds Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White on Once): “I have been thinking about this a lot: Why are bows and arrows so popular right now?’’
Her conclusion is that shooting arrows simply looks cool: “It’s a powerful image to see someone full of vengeance hold up that bow and find that still place in order to use the weapon.”
Norman Reedus, who plays a crossbow-wielding zombie killer in AMC’S The Walking Dead, agrees. “Any putz can pull a trigger. But you have to have some skill and a meditative state to aim and hit the target with a bow.”
Maisie Williams, 14, of HBO’S Game of Thrones praises the “elegance and efficiency” that come across with a well-placed shot. It also makes an immediate impact. Her pint-sized character unexpectedly took aim in the premiere episode, making it clear she was not to be trifled with.
Brave’s Merida puts on an even bigger display, jumping out of the royal box and surprising the crowd at a royal festival with a sharpshooting display. The film’s producers knew archery was going to be an integral part of the tale, set in Scotland.
“It had to be in our movie to be part of this Scottishness and the time period, but it also shows Merida’s athleticism,” producer Katherine Sarafian says. “Showing her with a bow instantly shows strength, bravery and promises great adventure.”
These adventures clearly transcend any time period and genre: The Walking Dead’s Reedus wouldn’t trade his crossbow for anything as he deals with zombie hordes.
“They’re quiet, shooting doesn’t attract zombies, they’re efficient, right through the skull,” Reedus says. “The only problem is you have to keep grabbing arrows out of the zombie brains. But you wipe those things down, and you’re ready to go again.”
The enthusiasm is catching on beyond Hollywood. Teresa Iaconi, spokeswoman for USA Archery, says classes across the country have been filled with new members, many trying to be like Katniss.
“A colleague texted me a picture of two girls coming to get their Hunger Games on — one was literally wearing a side braid,” Iaconi says. “Another girl showed up wearing a Team Katniss shirt. It’s been crazy and a lot of fun.”