Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The Hunger Games are almost here. Talk to almost any high school student or even teacher at MVRHS about the best-selling trilogy by Suzanne Collins and they’ll have nothing to express but their enthusiastic love for the series. Some, like my friends and I, will say with glee, “March 23! March 23!”

March 23 is the release date for the highly anticipated movie adaptation of “The Hunger Games.” The books have been reported to have sold over 26 million copies in the U.S. alone, and the movie is expected to follow in the footsteps of the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series by making over $100 million in its opening weekend.

When I learned from Entertainment Cinemas in Edgartown that The Hunger Games would not be arriving here for its opening weekend, my friends and I were very disappointed. Off-Island over a thousand show times for this movie have already been sold out through advanced online ticket sales. This movie is no doubt going to be a massive hit. So why didn’t it come to the Island?

According to Entertainment Cinemas, the film company that is releasing Hunger Games has put a high price on the film. If some movies are more expensive than others, shouldn’t the local theaters be budgeting so that they can give the community what it wants?

There was an article in the MV Times several weeks ago about Suzanne Collins and her agent, Rosemary Stimola, who is a part-time Vineyard resident. And yet the movie of the book she helped publish is not coming to MV this week.

My friends and I are very let down that we have to wait even longer for something we’ve already waited over a year to see. I would have expected the first showing on the Vineyard to be sold out. It’s a shame that the local movie theaters are missing out on this great opportunity to have a massive and enthusiastic audience.

Sam Permar

West Tisbury