Specifically, the film will go on sale at exactly 12:01 am on the 18th, as Lionsgate hopes a pumped-up midnight release will stoke the anticipatory fires and turn the film's home entertainment release into an event befitting a pop culture phenomenon.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment told Entertainment Weekly, "The motion picture event of the year is poised to become the home entertainment event of the year, and with a midnight launch and midnight retail events scheduled at stores around the country, we expect to replicate the same level of consumer excitement generated by the film’s theatrical debut."

The two-disc Blu-ray and DVD sets will naturally include no shortage of special features reportedly clocking in at over three hours of previously unseen material.  These features include an eight-part behind the scenes documentary entitled The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games, the full version of the Reaping propaganda film, and featurettes on how several characters differed from the source material.  No word on director's commentary yet though.

Lionsgate begins a twelve-week countdown to The Hunger Games this Friday, May 25th.  Not coincidentally, that's when preorders will become available online.  Head over to EW in order to see a trailer for the release.

Just weeks after The Hunger Games opened to record-breaking numbers, Gary Ross announced that he wouldn't be returning for the first of three planned sequels, which it had long been assumed he would.  In his place, Lionsgate recruited Constantine, I Am Legend, and Water for Elephants helmer Francis Lawrence, who is presumably very busy getting Catching Fire ready for production later this year.  Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Lenny Kravitz are all set for another go-round, though.  Catching Fire hits theaters on November 22, 2013.