At CinemaCon this week, Francis Lawrence confirmed that filming for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has wrapped, and they are now in post production. The news comes via Perri Nemiroff from Movies.com. From her Twitter:
There's still a long road ahead until Catching Fire, and Mockingjay is reported to start filming in September, so it'll be a while before Francis Lawrence gets to take a breath.
Liam Hemsworth was in the Philippines to promote the clothing line Bench/, and during his press event there, he answered a few questions about The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
7. He says that it isn’t an act: Jennifer Lawrence, his "Hunger Games"and "Catching Fire"co-star,truly is "amazing."
“She’s one of the most energetic, fun-loving people I’ve ever met. Working with her on set is just easy because she’s so good and she’s just won all these huge awards so congratulations to her for that. She’s amazing.”
8. Liam gets “whipped” in "Catching Fire" — literally.“My character [Gale]gets whipped in this one. So I spent a couple of days on my knees getting whipped, which was pretty horrific.”
9. "Catching Fire" is turning out to be even better than "The Hunger Games."“There’s a whole lot of great stuff in 'Catching Fire.' The characters are developing more; (director) Francis Lawrence had a whole new take on it.”
CantonRep.com, a publication for Stark County in Ohio, reported Bruno Gunn's casting in Catching Fire and quoted his brother, Michael Giolelli, giving us some insight on one of the newest additions to the Hunger Games family.
“This is Bruno’s biggest role ever. It’s going to open doors for him big time,” said the actor’s understandably excited brother, Michael Gioielli. “He’s on cloud nine right now.”
“Catching Fire” will begin shooting next week in Atlanta, then the production will move to Hawaii.
“He’s got a lot of fight scenes,” Michael said. “He’s going to be on-set for at least five months.”
Also the article revealed that the jewelry designer for The Hunger Games, Dana Schneider, will be returning for Catching Fire to create some new pieces.
This is Canton’s second direct connection to “Catching Fire.” Dana Schneider, a Canton native who has had extensive experience designing jewelry for high-profile feature films, created the iconic Mockingjay pin worn by Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games.”
And for the sequel, “Catching Fire,” she is creating another Mockingjay pin as well as other pieces of jewelry for two other main characters.
“They are very complicated and artistically very challenging,” Schneider said.
Michael Arndt, who won an Oscar for his Little Miss Sunshine screenplay and penned Toy Story 3, is in talks with Lionsgate to work on the high-profile sequel to The Hunger Games, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
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The sequel is barreling toward a late-summer production start. While Lionsgate doesn't yet have a deal with Arndt, if he signs on, he will have to work double-time to get the script ready due to a squeezed schedule caused by star Jennifer Lawrence’s commitment to Fox’s X-Men: First Class sequel. That tight schedule was one reason Ross declined to take on the project.
Wait we thought Simon Beaufoy was writing the screenplay? Well, he wrote the initial drafts, which have been finished for a while since Suzanne Collins had said she'd received them around March, and screenplays typically go through quite a lot of rewrites. For The Hunger Games, Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins had done the rewrites together (initial drafts done by Billy Ray), but due to time constraints and not having Gary (Francis Lawrence does not have professional screenwriting experience), it makes sense to have yet another Oscar-winning screenwriter work on the script. Hopefully Suzanne has sent over some notes (at the very least). There isn't a lot of time left before filming is due to start!
Rumor is, as reported by LA Times' 24 Frames, that the Catching Fire director job will go to either Miller or Lawrence and we'll find out by the end of the week.
The hunt for the new director on "Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire" is reaching its conclusion, with Lionsgate expected to offer the job to either Francis Lawrence ("Water for Elephants"; "I Am Legend") or Bennett Miller ("Moneyball"; "Capote") by the end of the week, according to knowledgeable sources not authorized to speak publicly.
The studio has narrowed in on the two directors after considering a broader group that also included Tomas Alfredson ("Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"), Tony Scott ("Unstoppable"), and Stephen Daldry ("Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close").
Lawrence (no relation to "Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence) may be the easier option because his schedule is open. One source said he has met with top executives at the studio and appears eager to take on the job.
Miller, meanwhile, would have to delay his plans to direct the movie "Foxcatcher" about John du Pont, the heir to the famous family's fortune who shot and killed an Olympic gold-medal-winning wrestler. The film, which recently added Mark Ruffalo to a cast that already includes Steve Carell and Channing Tatum, is supposed to start filming late this year.
The Austrian-born Lawrence got his start helming music videos for Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Green Day. While last year's "Water for Elephants" starring Reese Witherspoon did only modest business, he had great success with the 2007 "I Am Legend" with Will Smith. He's also quite proficient in special effects and knows his way around large film sets, two attributes crucial for directing the action-heavy "Catching Fire."
Miller has never directed a big-budget movie with special effects but was widely praised for his work on "Moneyball" and "Capote" and was nominated for an Oscar for the latter picture.
With production set to begin in August, whoever takes the position that Gary Ross abandoned last week will be working furiously with screenwriter Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire") and producers Nina Jacobson and John Kilik to get the production ready in the next few months. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters in November 2013.
By now we’ve all heard the news that Gary Ross may not be returning for Catching Fire. It’s sad news that has sent shockwaves across the Hunger Games fan community- partially because Gary has always presented himself as one of us, as a fan. Having a fan in charge of the film meant that the source material was always going to be respected, that the messages of the book would be honored, that our series would be more than just an adaptation-- it would be an experience akin to reading the books.
Keeping Gary at the helm for all films in the franchise also means continuity, both in style and theme. It means that we get one complete journey (like in Lord of the Rings) instead of a fragmented mosaic (like in Harry Potter). If any story deserves to be told as one complete journey, it is The Hunger Games.
We want Gary Ross back, and we know you do, too; and, fortunately, with nothing confirmed officially, we may still have time to make a difference in this decision. Fans, especially passionate fans, have made great things happen before. They’ve saved TV shows from cancellation. They’ve brought TV shows back from cancellation. They’ve pushed cancelled TV shows to be extended into feature length films.
Fans have power.
So, today, Tributes, if you want to see Gary Ross in the director’s chair for Catching Fire, we ask that you make your voice heard and sign our video petition. Here’s how it works:
1.) Create a 2-3 minute youtube video asking for Gary Ross to come back for Catching Fire. Be creative! Be impassioned! But, most of all, be courteous-- we know you might have a lot of FEELINGS, but remember to be polite.
At the end of the video, please thank Gary for his work with the film and give him the three finger salute.
If you get stuck and aren’t sure what to say, here’s a prompt you can follow:
Hi, my name is ________, and I am a fan of The Hunger Games. It means a lot to me and to other fans of the series to have someone directing Catching Fire who is not only successful and talented, but who also loves the series as much as I do.
I believe that person is Gary Ross.
From his devotion to casting the perfect Katniss to his vision of Panem to his dedication to ensuring that the film respects the socially conscious messages of the books, Gary Ross has proven time and time again that he loves this series as much as I do. I want to see his vision continue throughout the rest of the franchise. I want to see who his Finnick is, what his Quarter Quell Arena looks like, how he’ll plant the seeds of revolution in Panem.
I am asking that Gary Ross come back for Catching Fire. As a fan of the books who was sold on the movies because of his commitment, I need him to return.
Thank you to Gary Ross for all of his incredible work.
And thank you for your consideration.
2. Upload your video to YouTube -- make sure to do the following:
Title your video “Gary Ross Is Boss - [Your Name Here]”
3. Spread the world. Link to this post or to the YouTube page. Share it on Facebook. Tweet it. Tumble it. Get your friends to do it!
4. If you don’t feel comfortable posting a video, send a picture of yourself doing the three finger salute and holding a sign that says Gary Ross Is Boss with the link (youtube.com/garyrossisboss) to GaryRossIsBoss@gmail.com--we’ll compile all the pictures into a youtube video.
