Can Catching Fire and Mockingjay make their dates?
We finally got the confirmation the other day that Lionsgate plans to split Mockingjay into two films, and exactly when we’ll get to see them. While we have an eternal wait for Catching Fire – not due out until November NEXT YEAR, the first Mockingjay movie will be out 12 months later, and the second one, 12 months after that.
Now LA Times looks at the possible reasoning behind the timing of the release dates and asks if it’s do-able?
They point out that Lionsgate seems keen to avoid switching the seasons for the sequels as happened with Harry Potter and Twilight and keep things consistent for the fans. As they say, we now know we can expect a Hunger Games movie every November (but sadly not THIS November!).
But they suggest it could be too much pressure:
Even with a potential back-to-back shoot for the two “Mockingjay” movies (a la “Breaking Dawn”), that’s still a lot of “Hunger Games” production in a short amount of time — three movies in a little over two years, by our calculation.
Is it too much pressure? “Catching Fire” had a full 20 months to come together after the release of “The Hunger Games” — and still found itself behind the eight-ball when director Gary Ross walked off the franchise. The studio could hire a new director for the “Mockingjay” movies while Lawrence is still in postproduction on “Catching Fire” — but then, does it risk messing up any mojo and continuity it has with him?
Then again, the alternative would be worse. If it waits for Lawrence, it risks a Ross-like debacle — and inevitable date postponement — if things don’t work out with the filmmaker.
Even if all does work out, it will still be a monstrous schedule for the actors. Unless Oscar voters fall in love with Katniss Everdeen or some movies she has in the can, Jennifer Lawrence will have to wait a long while for that next Oscar nomination.
Personally, I was really happy to hear that the movies would be 12 months apart and that Lionsgate was happy to let us know when we could expect to see them. I really hope they can achieve that timeline without compromising the quality of the films they make. I still wish they weren’t splitting Mockingjay and I’m super curious as to where that might happen, but I guess as fans, we’ve got a lot to look forward to.
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Category: Catching Fire, News
Why don’t they bring back Ross for the final? He could start now with his preparations.
Why don’t thhey release the first half of mocking jay in july like with harry potter
Because there aren’t any magic elves that can pull rabbits out of their hats in such a timely manner.
There is already HUGE speculation if this can be done in the timeframe announced. But you want it to come out 5 months earlier than the current schedule.
Do people want the movies to be crappy? I don’t. I want QUALITY! I want EVERYTHING in the books. We need to give them time to complete.
If they do finish the movie will probably be sucky because they wont have enough time to perfect it.
AS MUCH AS I WOULD WANT THE MOVIES TO COME OUT QUICKER! I WOULD RATHER WAIT A LONGER TIME AND GET QUALITY, PROFESSIONAL WORK ON SCREEN. QUITE HAPPY THAT A NEW MOVIE IS GOING TO COME OUT EVERYDAY ON NOVEMBER BUT I JUST HOPE THEY DON’T RUSH AND SAY “OH WE WONT HAVE TIME FOR THAT SCENE” AND DON’T WANT THE ACTORS PRESSURED AND FRUSTRATED WITH THE FILM. LIKE WHEN EMMA WATSON FOR HARRY POTTER SAID SHE DIDN’T LIKE HOW THE LAST MOVIE WAS BROKEN INTO 2 BECAUSE SHE WANTED IT OVER AND DONE WITH. AND NOW ITS KINDA SAID HOW JENNIFER LAWRENCE SAID THAT SHE DISLIKED CATCHING FIRE IN THE TRILOGY. BUT OBVIOUSLY WE WONT BE ABLE TO TELL THROUGH THE ACTING, BUT KNOWING THAT THE CAST IS HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING THEN THE FANS WILL BE PLEASED AND IT WILL ALL SEEM MORE WORTH IT.
SORRY ABOUT THE ESSAY, BUT YEAH
x
12 months seems too short to make any movie, much less a movie like Mockingjay. QUALITY is what fans care about, I hope they keep that in mind while making these movies.
id think that they would slit monckingjay up when they bring peeta back
Yes, quality is the priority here! The books too good to be jeapordized by a rushed, crappy work in the end. And putting aside all those potential money making, I really do not favor Mockingjay to be split into 2 parts. It’ll compromise either parts unless the real reason behind it is that they need more time to deliver quality finishing touches.
I agree. The movie is all about quality. But the time frame does seem a bit short for them to make a whole movie, and if its anything like The Hunger Games a long, loyal to the books, entertaining and engaging movie we wouldn’t want it rushed!
NOT happy about the last film being made into two.
Just because Twilight and Harry Potter did it does not mean the Hunger Games should do it too! I don’t know about twilight (I haven’t read it or seen the films) but they made Harry Potter in two films because loads happens, NOTHING FREAKING HAPPENS IN MOCKINGJAY.
They’re not doing it to please the fans, they’re doing it because it’s the trend and will get them loads of money.
If they did want to spilt a book in two they should have done Catching Fire, loads happens in it and there’s even two clear stories in it: the first bit in District 12 where Katniss has to choose between Peeta and Gale and the second bit where there’s the prep for the Hunger Games and the Hunger Games!
AS I SAID, I AM NOT HAPPY.
I think everyone needs to take a walk, get some air, which will help with an attitude adjustment. Then pick up MockingJay and re-read it with the thought of it being a movie. Imagine the scenes, the setup for each, the emotional toll on the actors.
MockingJay is the aftermath…and dealing with everything that comes up from that. Having the maturity to deal with terrible choices. That is actually more important than the ‘action’ of the arena. Everyone needs to absorb some of that. Finnick chooses to chance dying, in order to preserve freedom from the Hunger Games for his child. Take in MockingJay, instead of skimming through it for the ‘good’ parts.
I don’t see why the schedule is viewed as tight. Many successful actors shoot five or six films in a year (Jennifer Lawrence and Elizabeth Banks both have schedules like that). It’s also not that unusual for a busy director to shoot two films in a year. And plenty of film franchises aim for one movie a year. Yes, there are a lot of special effects, but many studios outsource those.
My guess is that the script for MJ will soon be in the works. Once they start shooting Catching Fire they will have nearly the whole cast for Mockingjay in place (except for Boggs and Coin). They can shoot the two Mockingjay movies back to back and start filming MJ with only a short break after CF filming.
Hmmm…has anyone ever called you a slave driver before? What of families and being away from them? What about Quality vs. getting the movies out fast?
Why does everyone want this experience to be over already? Why not savor the experience. Enjoy the fact that it held our attention over the years and our allegiance never waiverd when the final installment is released in 2015!
If the last installment was coming out in November of this year, I would be tremendously sad…just as I was for the last Potter.
Enjoy the ride people! Don’t wish for it to end so fast. Life is short enough!
TF? Why are you trying to work them like animals? I don’t want them to end up hating their roles in the films. We can wait.
Also, are you allowing them to have holidays or do you expect them to work through? What about the fact that we know time off renews the batteries and their performances will be better when they have rested, and had a break?
Um how much time do you guys get off of work? Remember acting, producing, costuming, set design etc is a job. If you don’t work you don’t get paid. Most people who work in the movie industry (and most people involved in making movies are not actors) prefer not to have a long gap between gigs. And loads of people bring their families with them if they have to travel so it doesn’t have to have a hug impact on their family.
I think people need to remember that shooting takes up very little time in a movie comparatively speaking. Tons of time is given to pre and post production.
Since Lionsgate has obviously already green lit Mockingjay they can handle a lot of the preproduction, script writing, location scouting, casting, even some basic special effects (pre-viz), etc before Catching Fire is even in the can. I strongly suspect that they will hire a new director for Mockingjay and will also shoot both films at the same time, which might mean a longer shoot for the actors initially but will work out for less shooting time overall. My guess would be that the actors get about 4 months off before beginning on the final films of the franchise, and that’s not a bad gap.
The reason they are going quickly about it is you have to ride the tide of anticipation or people can loose interest. Remember these films are not just being made for HG fans but for everyone, including people who will never pick up the books or be anything more vague movie watchers. Also, people’s appearances change over time and while the cast is mostly grown up (remember Prim here) I bet that is at least a little bit of a concern.
All in all the last two films will probably have more time devoted to them in preproduction than either of the first two films.
The actors knew what they were signing up for. I think they can make it work.
I believe that they can make it work. Good luck to the cast and everyone involved and I am sure they wont dissapoint fans like me;)
Most people who make it to the top in any sector of the entertainment industry are used to working long hard hours. Take Philip Seymour Hoffman who just came off a four month stint in Death of a Salesman — that’s seven performances a week, every night, every week, in front of a live audience.
Or take major league baseball players who play six or seven games a week, every week for six months — that’s 24 weeks with only the All Star break and travel almost every week. Plus, there’s training camp and the playoffs into October, if you get there.
In contrast, film actors spend a remarkable amount of time on the set just sitting around — of course the sitting around can be interspersed with lots of hard action, like what we saw in the EW fire scene clip. Still, most actors keep in good shape with lots of daily work-outs to stay slim and fit. And mostly they are pretty young. It’s the old guys like Ross who probably go to bed with every muscle aching