WSJ: Update on ‘Catching Fire’ Movie and ‘The Hunger Games’ DVD

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the current state of ‘The Hunger Games‘ franchise in their new article.  According to them, Lionsgate and Francis Lawrence are close to making an official deal for ‘Catching Fire‘, and reveals that Suzanne Collins has been closely involved in writing the script. And the Journal has some news on ‘The Hunger Games‘ DVD, revealing the strong possibility of an August or September release date.

On the ‘Catching Fire‘ director:

For “Catching Fire,” now in preproduction and expected to hit theaters in fall 2013, Lions Gate—also known as Lionsgate—lost the director of the first film, Gary Ross, who issued a statement earlier this month saying he couldn’t work on the studio’s time table.

Lions Gate, which said at the time that it was sorry Mr. Ross had chosen not to direct the film, is now close to a deal with Francis Lawrence, whose previous projects include “I Am Legend” and “Constantine,” according to people familiar with the matter.

On the ‘Catching Fire‘ script:

One issue that is under control: All the primary “Hunger Games” cast members are signed up for the entire four-film series, so none are likely to follow Mr. Ross to the exit.

But the studio has yet to finalize a script, now being written by “Slumdog Millionaire” writer Simon Beaufoy. The author of the series, Suzanne Collins, will have input, as she did with the script for the first film.

“I would call it a collaborative effort,” said Rob Friedman, Lions Gate motion picture group co-chair, referring to Ms. Collins’s participation. “Suzanne has always been very, very involved.”

On ‘The Hunger Games‘ DVD:

The studio will also rely on the DVD release of “The Hunger Games” to fuel anticipation for “Catching Fire,” a strategy it credits with helping make the second “Twilight” film an even bigger success than the first. Due to the first film’s exceptional box office performance, the studio is considering pushing the DVD release to five months after its theatrical opening, as opposed to the usual four-month window, according to people familiar with the matter. That time frame would also allow it to take advantage of back-to-school momentum in the retail environment.

You can read the rest of the article at The Wall Street Journal.

I’m so relieved to hear they are keeping Suzanne highly involved in the production!

source: The Wall Street Journal via thehob

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2. Update on The Hunger Games UK Beastly DVD Release
3. Why Francis Lawrence is a Great Choice to Direct ‘Catching Fire’
4. Catching Fire Script Delievered to Suzanne Collins
5. Lionsgate starts talks on the Catching Fire movie

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Category: Catching Fire, Movie, News