Following the departure of original director Gary Ross, the future of The Hunger Games seemed uncertain.
However, with the appointment of I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence to helm the sequel, Catching Fire, it seems Lionsgate have found their man. The studio has signed Lawrence on to complete their mega-blockbuster saga.
The second Hunger Games film, Catching Fire, is currently in production but Lionsgate have started moving towards producing the final two films in the series. Emmy award-winner Danny Strong has been hired to write the last two installments, based on the trilogy's final book, Mockingjay.
With filming now underway for The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, this week we have the first collection of set photos to be leaked out, which includes a first look at new tributes Finnick Odair, Mags, Gloss, Beetee, and Enobaria, who will be joining Katniss and Peeta in the second adaptation based on Suzanne Collins acclaimed Hunger Games trilogy of novels.
In a post-Potter era, teen-oriented literary adaptations are ten a penny, which is why (thanks largely to a certain vampire franchise that will go unnamed) any new franchise taking its first tentative steps on to the silver screen is a cause for scepticism. Particularly one with an already well-established vocal fan base who have spent the months prior to its release poring over every minor shred of casting news and production info.
Described in the books as ‘tall, athletic’ and ‘one of the most stunning and sensuous people on the planet’, being cast as Finnick Odair in Catching Fire would be both an enviable career boost and an immense compliment. Yesterday, it was decided that Sam Claflin is pretty enough to be the Adonis of District 4.
Recent weeks have seen an absolute flood of news on Catching Fire, the much awaited sequel to teen literary adaptation The Hunger Games. Yet more casting has been announced and Phillip Seymour Hoffman has spoken out regarding his meaty role in the story.
There are spoilers for Catching Fire after the jump.
After the well-publicised replacement of original director Gary Ross for Catching Fire, Lionsgate are reportedly on the lookout for another new director to helm the two-part finale of the Hunger Games franchise.
Surprising absolutely no-one with their shameless grab for money, Lionsgate have taken the decision to split Mockingjay, the final entry in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, into two parts to be released in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Donnie Darko actress Jena Malone has been cast as Johanna Mason in Catching Fire, Francis Lawrence’s sequel to this year’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.
Christopher Nolan has long proselytised the benefits of shooting in IMAX, and The Dark Knight Rises is rumoured to include anything up to an hour’s worth of footage that will take advantage of the format. This follows the stunning use of the technology in The Dark Knight and, more recently, in key sequences from Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Now THR is reporting that Francis Lawrence is keen to use the cameras to film at least some of the second film in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.
