Hunger Games week is officially upon us, but that doesn’t mean the marketing machine is done hyping fans up for the highly anticipated release. A new clip has been unveiled that features Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss sharing a rushed goodbye with Liam Hemsworth’s Gale. It’s an emotional part of the book, and I continue to be encouraged by each new piece of footage released. Director Gary Ross seems to have capture the raw essence of the novels, and I’m happy to see that The Hunger Games is gritty and emotionally realistic in relation to the polished and stylized nature of, shall we say, a different popular teen series that may or may not involve vampires.

Hit the jump to watch the clip. The film also stars Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Donald Sutherland. The Hunger Games opens on March 23rd.

Clip via Moviefone.

Here’s the synopsis for The Hunger Games:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.