NEW PHOTO: Director Francis Lawrence On Catching Fire Set With Jennifer Lawrence And Liam Hemsworth

After several months of drought, we are finally seeing lots of new “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” photos today.

If you have missed it, take a look at Katniss and Finnick on latest issue of Entertainment Weekly’s cover as well as lots of new official “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” movie stills!

The latest photo to surface is a behind the scene photo where “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” director Francis Lawrence is seen mingling with Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne) and Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen). Judging by their attire and the setting, it should be a scene from District 12. Francis Lawrence will also direct “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2”.

This issue of EW will hit newsstands in US on January 11, 2013 and is expected to be available in major newsstands and bookstores such as Kinokuniya by this weekend.

The Hunger Games DVD and Blu-Ray are now available. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is scheduled for release on 22 November 2013 in USA.

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Gary Ross Didn’t Regret His Decision On Walking Away From The Hunger Games Franchise

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Hunger Games movie director, Gary Ross discussed why he didn’t regret his decision on walking away from The Hunger Games franchise, his first book for children and more.

As for The Hunger Games, Ross insists he’s never second-guessed his ultimate decision to walk away from the franchise after co-writing and helming the phenomenally well-received first installment. ”I didn’t feel that I would have the time for the way that I work to do the movie justice,” he says. “I wear two hats. I don’t wear one hat. When you write and you direct that’s a linear process, it’s not a simultaneous process. I would’ve had to have written a script and prepped the whole movie in four months and on the first movie that’s a process that took me eight months. And I thought [Catching Fire] was a more difficult adaptation, not an easier one. I didn’t really feel I had the time I needed to live up to my own standards. And I haven’t had a moment’s regret. It was absolutely the right decision and I’m thrilled about new challenges.”

Visit Entertainment Weekly for the full interview.

The Hunger Games DVD and Blu-Ray are now available. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is scheduled for release on 22 November 2013 in USA.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG), Tumblr, email as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

Via The Hob.

OFFICIAL: Francis Lawrence Signed On To Direct Mockingjay Part 1 And 2

Lionsgate announced today (Singapore time) that Francis Lawrence, who is currently busy with directing Catching Fire, has officially signed on to direct both Mockingjay Part 1 and 2 which is currently slated for a release on November 21, 2014, for Part 1 and Part 2 on November 20, 2015, in USA.

Francis Lawrence’s previous works in directing includes I Am Legend and Water For Elephants.

Meanwhile, Emmy winning scriptwriter Danny Strong will be writing the script for Mockingjay Part 1 and 2.

We reckon Francis Lawrence must be doing something right for Lionsgate to stick with him to direct Mockingjay Part 1 and 2 too. At the very leas, there will be a sense of continuity throughout Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1 and 2.
What do you think of Francis Lawrence to direct Mockingjay Part 1 and 2 too, in addition to Catching Fire?

The Hunger Games  DVD and Blu-Ray are now available. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is scheduled for release on 22 November 2013 in USA.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG), Tumblr, email as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

VIDEO: The Hunger Games Behind The Scenes – Protecting Katniss From Fire

Remember the fire-bombing scene in The Hunger Games movie where Katniss Everdeen had to outrun the fury of fire bombs in 74th Hunger Games arena?

Check out the video from Access Hollywood, also available in The Hunger Games DVD and Blu-Ray, where The Hunger Games co-scriptwriter and director, Gary Ross, and lead actress, Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), chat about the protective measures laid in place during that scene.

Remember that fire-bombing scene in The Hunger Games movie?

Check out this video where The Hunger Games director and co-scriptwriter, Gary Ross, and lead actrress, Jennifer Lawrence who plays Katniss Everdeen, chat about the protective measures in place during this scene.

The Hunger Games DVD and Blu-Ray pre-orders are now available.

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Francis Lawrence has signed on to direct ‘Catching Fire’!

Francis Lawrence at the premiere of ‘Water for Elephants’ (taken from Wikipedia)

Even though he had been offered the post of directing Catching Fire weeks ago, there was no comfirmation from both Lionsgate and Francis Lawrence as to whether he has accepted the directing post. However, Lionsgate Publicity has just posted on their website that Francis Lawrence has been comfirmed to direct Catching Fire.

He also has a message for Hunger Games fans on the The Hunger Games Facebook page.

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

Here’s a part of the press release taken from Lionsgate Publicity website:

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.

The full press release can be viewed at the Lionsgate Publicity website.

“Catching Fire” is currently scheduled for a 22 November 2012 release in United States of America.

‘The Hunger Games’, rated PG13, was released on 22 March 2012 and is now available in all cinemas islandwide.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG) as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

Credits: Lionsgate Publicity and The Hunger Games Movie Official Facebook page via Lionsgate.

BREAKING: Lionsgate To Offer Francis Lawrence To Direct ‘Catching Fire’

After a little more than a week of speculations, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Lionsgate will be making an official offer to Francis Lawrence (Water For Elephants, I Am Legend, Constantine) to direct ‘The Hunger Games’ sequel, ‘Catching Fire’.

Francis Lawrence is not related in any to ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise lead, Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen.

Sources say Lawrence will receive an official offer Thursday afternoon. If he accepts and a deal can be worked out, he will replaceGary 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.

The Hollywood Reporter also wonders about the state of screenplay for ‘Catching Fire’ as Francis Lawrence is not a writer unlike ‘The Hunger Games’ Gary Ross is both a writer and a director.

Lawrence’s selection raises the question of the state of the Catching Fire screenplay. Ross, who is a writer as much as he is a director, worked on the Hunger Games script and was planning on spending two months honing Fire, working from a script penned by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire). The producers and the new director now will need to keep working with Beaufoy or hire new scribes to hammer out the script before shooting begins.

Francis Lawrence was one of the many names that were included in list Lionsgate reportedly compiled when Gary Ross left ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise. The first set of names includes Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men), David Cronenberg (The Fly, Cosmopolis) and Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, Biutiful). Two more directors’ names were revealed to be included in Lionsgate’s list of consideration which includes possible candidates such as Bennett Miller (Moneyball) and also Francis Lawrence who is now reportedly to be Lionsgate’s choice.

Before directing ‘Water For Elephants’, ‘I Am Legend’ and ‘Constantine’, Francis Lawrence’s earlier works also consists of directing music videos for Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Green Day.

What do you think of Francis Lawrence as the director of ‘Catching Fire’? Tell us in the comments below your thoughts about it!

‘The Hunger Games’, rated PG13, was released on 22 March 2012 and is now available in all cinemas islandwide.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG) as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

Via Incinemas.sg.

More director names are revealed as potential candidates for filming Catching Fire!

After 3 names has been announced eariler that they were being considered for filming Catching Fire, another 2 more names have been added to the list.
They are Bennett Miller and Francis Lawrence.
Bennett Miller has directed ‘Moneyball’, 21 nominations for various works, which includes a nomination for Best Achievement in Directing in 2006 Oscars. He has gotten 11 awards. You can view the details of his works and nominations over at IMDb.
Francis Lawrence has directed ‘Water For Elephants’, ‘I Am Legend’. You can view the rest of his works over at IMDb.

‘The Hunger Games’, rated PG13, was released on 22 March 2012 and is now available in all cinemas islandwide.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG) as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

Credits: The Playlist via Hunger Games Examiner. IMDb and IMDb.

Lionsgate Is Looking At Cuaron, Cronenberg, Innaritu To Direct ‘Catching Fire’

Following the official news of Gary Ross will not be directing ‘Catching Fire’, it’s no surprise Lionsgate is already short-listing available and suitable directors as potential candidates to direct ‘The Hunger Games’ sequel, ‘Catching Fire’.

LA Times’s 24 Frames reports they have heard from a source that Lionsgate has began to compile a list of directors that will need to please “both the gregarious fans who have turned the movie into such a juggernaut and, perhaps more importantly, appease Suzanne Collins, the author of the three-book series, who was a close collaborator with Ross during his tenure on the project.”

Alfonso Cuarón

Cuaron entered the blockbuster genre with “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” in 2004, but despite great reviews didn’t stick with the boy wizard beyond the one film. Rather, he took on ambitious fare within the studio system, including Universal Pictures’ “Children of Men.” The Mexican director recently finished production on “Gravity” for Warner Bros. The film, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, is about a lone survivor of a space mission trying desperately to return to Earth to reunite with his family.

David Cronenberg

Cronenberg has frequently been offered big commercial gigs over the years, including “Return of the Jedi,” “Top Gun,” and “RoboCop,” only to turn them down for arty, independently produced work, often in the horror genre. Though Cronenberg’s best-known film is still 1986’s “The Fly,” the Canadian director has been making movies for decades, with his most recent work, the adaptation of Don DeLillo’s “Cosmopolis” starring Robert Pattinson, likely to debut in Cannes next month.

Alejandro González Iñárritu

For Inarritu, joining “Catching Fire” would mark a reunion with his producer from the Academy Award-nominated film “Babel” Jon Kilik, who is producing the “Hunger Game” series along with Nina Jacobson. While “Catching Fire” deals with the heavy themes of rebellion and children-on-children violence, it is still significantly lighter than Inarritu’s most recent work, “Biutiful,” the Javier Bardem-starrer that chronicled a dying man’s attempts to make amends.

Visit LA Times’s 24 Frames for the full article.

What do you think of these current short-listed directors Lionsgate has in mind so far?

‘The Hunger Games’, rated PG13, was released on 22 March 2012 and is now available in all cinemas islandwide.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG) as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

Source: LA Times’s 24 Frames via The Hob.

OFFICIAL: Gary Ross Will Not Direct ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’

Director Gary Ross on the set of 'The Hunger Games'

While E! Online examined what was deterring Gary Ross from returning to direct ‘The Hunger Games’ sequel, Catching Fire, Lionsgate and Gary Ross released official press release this morning (Singapore time) as reported by Deadline to announce Gary Ross will not be directing ‘Catching Fire’.

The official press release from director Gary Ross on leaving ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise is as below:

Despite recent speculation in the media, and after difficult but sincere consideration, I have decided not to direct Catching Fire. As a writer and a director, I simply don’t have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule.

I loved making The Hunger Games – it was the happiest experience of my professional life. Lionsgate was supportive of me in a manner that few directors ever experience in a franchise: they empowered me to make the film I wanted to make and backed the movie in a way that requires no explanation beyond the remarkable results. And contrary to what has been reported, negotiations with Lionsgate have not been problematic. They have also been very understanding of me through this difficult decision.

I also cannot say enough about the people I worked with: Producer Nina Jacobson, a great collaborator and a true friend; the brilliant Suzanne Collins, who entrusted us with her most amazing and important story; the gifted and remarkable Jennifer Lawrence whose performance exceeded my wildest expectations, and the rest of the incredible cast, whom I am proud to call my friends.

To the fans I want to say thank you for your support your faith, your enthusiasm and your trust. Hard as this may be to understand I am trying to keep that trust with you. Thank you all. It’s been a wonderful experience.

Official statement from Lionsgate is as below:

We’re very sorry that Gary Ross has chosen not to direct Catching Fire. We were really looking forward to making the movie with him. He did an incredible job on the first film and we are grateful for his work. This will not be the end of our relationship, as we consider Ross to be part of the Lionsgate family and look forward to working with him in the future.

We are sad to see Gary Ross go for he was certainly very much passionate about ‘The Hunger Games’ and almost like a fan as much as we are.

Lionsgate should already have director(s) lined up though we certainly hope the director will have passion for the franchise. It is certainly going to be incredibly hard to finish up script and casting in order to start filming in August 2012 and release ‘Catching Fire’ on 22 November 2013.

Personally speaking, besides hype, great reviews for a well made movie will certainly help in box office sales too. May the odds be ever in our and Lionsgate’s favour for time is ticking away as we speak.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Tell us in the comments below!

‘The Hunger Games’, rated PG13, was released on 22 March 2012 and is now available in all cinemas islandwide.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG) as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

E! Online Examines What’s Deterring Gary Ross From ‘Catching Fire’

It’s no secret regarding the drama that surrounded between Gary Ross yet to be locked down for ‘Catching Fire’. The Playlist shocked fans with their exclusive on Gary Ross will not be returning to direct ‘Catching Fire’ but reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter showed Gary Ross is still in midst of negotiations with Lionsgate.

What exactly is keeping Gary Ross from returning to direct ‘Catching Fire’?

E! Online examines what might be the cause below.

At first, it was thought that Ross was holding out solely for more cash. After all, he earned a relatively low $3 million to do the first installment—on a movie that has raked in 150 times that worldwide—plus 5 percent of the gross.

But as the beef continued to rot, we’ve learned it’s not just about money. Yes, Ross reportedly wants a raise.

But it’s also about “politics.”

What’s the code for? Well, says Ken Basin, an entertainment attorney at Greenberg Glusker, most likely, it’s about power, and, on a smaller scale, schedule.

“I definitely see this as code for control and how the creative process is going to play out,” Basin tells this B!tch. “The studio is asking to work on a very compressed schedule. They currently have a 4-month window to get a script ready, and Ross may not want to commit to a project whose script may not be very good.”

The latest rumblings in industry rags seem to suggest the same sticking point.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate wants Ross & Co. to return to the arena in August, so that star Jennifer Lawrence can wrap in time to shoot the sequel to X-Men: First Class in January.

Experienced directors are less likely to let themselves to be rushed like that, industry experts tell me. And Ross does have some freedom to negotiate; unlike Lawrence and the other principal actors, Ross was not locked down contractually to return for Catching Fire.

But if Ross does leave—and we should know very, very shortly—fans shouldn’t necessarily worry.

“In theory, if they bring in another director, they will bring someone cheaper,” Basin predicts. “Likely, someone who doesn’t have quite the level of experience or cache, someone willing to make more concessions.”

Translation: someone willing to work fast enough to get that sequel in the can before the end of the year. The movie might suffer creatively, but at least the franchise won’t lose heat. And that’s incredibly important, Basin points out—perhaps just as important as a halfway decent script.

“Ross has clearly shown he knows how to work with these actors and the source material, and you don’t want to part with that lightly,” Basin tells me. “But at the same time, Lionsgate needs to strike while the iron is hot. It’s not good for the franchise if fans have to wait three years until the next installment.”

Head over to E! Online for the full article.

Would you rather wait a longer time then the scheduled 22 November 2013 for ‘Catching Fire’ or for them to rushed it through that may result in a subpar movie? Tell us in the comments below!

‘The Hunger Games’, rated PG13, was released on 22 March 2012 and is now available in all cinemas islandwide.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@HungerGamesSG) as well as ‘Like’ us on Facebook for the latest updates!

Source: E! Online via My Hunger Games.