It's Official: Francis Lawrence Will Be Directing Catching Fire!

WOO! IT'S OFFICIAL!!

Here's what Francis had to say to the fans:

"Hello fellow Hunger Games fans!  I just want you all to know how unbelievably excited and honored I am to be a part of Catching Fire.  At the end of the day, all of the work that I put in to my movies is for you -- the fans. Make sure to post and let me know what you’re most excited to see in this adaptation as we aim to make something truly faithful and spectacular!" - Francis Lawrence

-From the Hunger Games Facebook

Check out the press release:

FRANCIS LAWRENCE TO DIRECT CATCHING FIRE

‘Hunger Games’ Sequel To Open In Theaters Everywhere On November 22, 2013

SANTA MONICA, CA (May 3, 2012) - LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global
entertainment company, announced today that Francis Lawrence has officially signed on to
direct CATCHING FIRE, the sequel to THE HUNGER GAMES, based on the second in a
series of books by Suzanne Collins that has 36 million copies in circulation in the US alone.
The announcement was made by Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group Co-Chairmen Patrick
Wachsberger and Rob Friedman.

Lawrence, who is represented by CAA and 3 Arts Entertainment, has experience directing films
that make him uniquely suited to handle the blend of character driven drama and high stakes
action of CATCHING FIRE; among them are I AM LEGEND, CONSTANTINE, and WATER
FOR ELEPHANTS.

"Lionsgate, the cast, and filmmakers are all thrilled to have Francis Lawrence come on board as
director of Catching Fire. Suzanne's brilliant book is the intense story of the birth of the rebellion
and Katniss' emotionally charged journey as she takes on the mantle of the Mockingjay, and
we all think Francis is the perfect director to bring the story to life,” said Erik Feig, Lionsgate’s
President Of Production.

“From the very beginning of this brilliant trilogy's journey from page to screen, our first priority
has been to stay true to the heart and soul of Suzanne Collins' powerful stories. From my first
conversation with Francis, I knew he would make a great partner for both me and Suzanne.
His passion for Catching Fire and inspired ideas for a faithful adaptation make him the perfect
director for this movie. I know this will be a wonderful collaboration and I cannot wait to get
started,” echoed producer Nina Jacobson.

Said Francis, "It is truly an honor and a privilege to bring Catching Fire, the second chapter of
Suzanne’s beloved trilogy, to the big screen. I fell in love with the characters, the themes and the
world she created and this chapter opens all of these elements up in such a thrilling, emotional
and surprising way. I can’t wait to dive right into it and bring this chapter to life along with the
truly superb cast and filmmakers involved."

Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth will reprise their roles as Katniss,
Peeta and Gale, with Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Toby
Jones, and Woody Harrelson also returning to their respective roles. The film will be produced
by Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Production is slated to begin this
Fall, and the film will be released on November 22, 2013.

THE HUNGER GAMES has broken many box office records since it opened on March 23,
2012. It achieved the highest grossing opening weekend ever for any non-sequel film and the
third biggest opening weekend in box office history. It has already grossed $373 million at the
North American box office, ranking in the top 20 films of all time, and it recently crossed the
$600 million mark in worldwide box office.


Good luck, Francis Lawrence!

Sources Say...It's Francis Lawrence!

Could it be? THR is reporting that Lawrence got the offer today, and if he accepts will direct "Catching Fire".  But of course, nothing is official!

Sources say Lawrence will receive an official offer Thursday afternoon. If he accepts and a deal can be worked out, he will replace Gary Ross, who directed the hugely successful first installment of the franchise.
The hunt has been fast and furious, with the field narrowing down to Lawrence, director of I Am Legend and Water for Elephants, and Bennett Miller, who helmed the Oscar-nominated Brad Pitt baseball movie Moneyball. Both directors met with the studio Thursday, according to sources, and Lionsgate executives have made their pick.

Read the full THR article


If this is true, we're very excited to see what Francis Lawrence will do with Catching Fire, and we are even more glad that he has experience when it comes to big special effects and big budgets.

Rumor: Catching Fire Director will be either Lawrence or Miller

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. 

Two More Catching Fire Hopefuls!

The quest for a Catching Fire director continues! Add these names to the list: Bennett Miller and Francis Lawrence.

Playlist reports, "Sources close to the project tell The Playlist that "Moneyball" helmer Bennet Miller and "I Am Legend" director Francis Lawrence are also in contention for the gig."

Some may know Miller from Moneyball and Capote, and Lawrence is known most for I Am Legend and Water For Elephants.

Read the full article HERE

Our Director Picks for Catching Fire

In case you haven't heard, there was some heart breaking news yesterday: Gary Ross will not be returning to Catching Fire. This obviously leads us to wonder what brave individual will be the next one to rise to the challenge of not only living up to the high bar set by Ross, but to do so with an extremely limited preproduction schedule. Keep also in mind, said director must have the time to do it (many directors already have other commitments) and MUST have the passion and a clear understanding of what the books are about. Oh, and I suppose it would be a good thing that they conform to Ross' original vision for sake of consistency.

Here are our picks for directors we would want the most, a mix of pie in sky dreams and viable candidates!

1. Christopher Nolan
Okay, my pie in the sky dreams. Director of some of my favorite films such as Inception and The Prestige, he could do wonders with the multiple storylines occuring in Catching Fire. Most likely he is far too busy with post production for Dark Knight Rises and working on Man of Steel. The same goes for Peter Jackson and Ridley Scott. A girl can dream, can't she?






2. Steven Soderbergh
Most known for the Ocean's movies, definitely a solid choice for Catching Fire. I just loved how he handled the District 11 riot scene in The Hunger Games. Most likely a large pricetag, I would trust him to handle Catching Fire.

3.The Coen Brothers
Joel and Ethan Coen have directed some of the coolest films of our time! They're responsible for films such as O Brother Where Art Thou and the legend, The Big Lebowski. Not sure how their schedule is, but might give Catching Fire a nice edginess.

4. Ron Howard
Ron Howard's the man! Do I need to explain all the great work he's done over the years? He seems to have a great handle on multiple genres, and would do great with working with younger actors. We say, "Yes, please!"

5. Kathryn Bigelow
Here's an interesting choice that's being thrown around. She directed Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker and the new film about Navy Seal Team 6. Granted she's got a great handling on war, but interestingly enough she's a big painter. I wonder if any of that would come into play with Peeta's storyline in Catching Fire?








Well Lionsgate, it looks like you've got a tough job ahead of you! I wish you guys the best of luck, and we hope that you will keep consistency with The Hunger Games in mind, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Gary Ross in Tough Negotiations for Catching Fire

Yikes! This news makes us a tad nervous, as Gary Ross is responsible for The Hunger Games being such a success. If Harry Potter is taught us anything, it's that multiple directors for a franchise does not work very well for consistency. We hope Lionsgate realizes this and coughs up the cash to keep Gary on for Catching Fire and preferably, the rest of the movies too! Check out what The Hollywood Reporter had to say about the negotiations:

Now that The Hunger Games is a hit with more than $363 million in the till, the question is whether writer-director Gary Ross will return for the next installment in the lucrative Lionsgate franchise.
Unlike stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, Ross is not signed for a sequel. And negotiations for him to do the first movie were "a terrible experience," says a source with knowledge of the discussions, because Ross is a seasoned filmmaker (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) and Lionsgate isn't accustomed to paying seasoned-filmmaker fees. He ended up taking a relatively low $3 million to write (with Billy Ray and novelist Suzanne Collins) and direct. But he will collect a very remunerative 5 percent of backend.


Sources say Ross, 55, would like a significant raise for a second Hunger Games, but Lionsgate didn't kick off negotiations with him until about three weeks before the first film's March 23 opening. By then, with tracking suggesting a huge opening weekend, Ross and his CAA reps were in no hurry to bargain.
Lionsgate has a script from Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) that Ross has yet to revise. The studio is in a rush to start the next film in the fall, though Fox might upset Lionsgate's plan by exercising its option on Lawrence to start another X-Men movie first. (Fox's option would trump Lionsgate's hold on Lawrence, say sources.) Adding urgency: Lionsgate already has booked a November 2013 release for Hunger Games: Catching Fire.


With other big literary properties, directors have been seen as fungible. Warner Bros. entrusted the first two Harry Potter films to Chris Columbus before employing a host of other filmmakers, and Summit memorably did not invite Catherine Hardwicke back to direct the second Twilight, despite the success of the first installment. (And Summit's Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger now run Lionsgate's film division.)
But Ross will argue that his film was much better received than any in the Twilight series, with an A CinemaScore and an 85 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to huge worldwide box office. He'll contend that the movie will play longer and stronger in theaters and that he could direct his pick of other movies should Lionsgate refuse to pony up. (But to state the obvious, Hunger Games' bi-gender story line appeals to a wider audience than Twilight.)
It's always striking when a giant hit leads to anger and hurt feelings in Hollywood, but that seems to be the case here. Nonetheless, sources involved with the franchise are betting that Ross will return. "Ultimately, it will be difficult, and yet everybody will do the sane thing, which is to work it out," says one. "Everybody will end up unhappy in their own way. It's just the nature of the beast."

 Source: THR

We're BEGGING you, Lionsgate!! The fans want Gary Ross for the long haul!! Let this be more like Lord of the Rings where Peter Jackson helmed the duration of the films as opposed to the Twilight franchise!