By After Gary Ross, director of The Hunger Games, announced his intention to leave the franchise, Lionsgate have been frantically searching for another set of capable hands to take over on the sequel Catching Fire. The search was short, but many options like Bennett Miller (Moneyball), Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In, Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy), Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (Babel), Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre), and Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) were all in the running.
In the end though, Lionsgate have chosen to go with Francis Lawrence, famous for directing I Am Legend and Water for Elephants. I’m interested in the choice, especially if Lawrence can take Catching Fire to some of the emotionally dark and isolated places that I Am Legend explored. Because if you haven’t read Catching Fire, without getting too spoiler-rific, you should know that stuff gets messed up. REALLY MESSED UP.
Oh man, I’m already itching to get to November 22, 2013! Can’t wait!
[Via The Hollywood Reporter]