Director Gary Ross pulls out directing the sequel?

[cunningham1471]

The Hunger Games director, Gary Ross, has pulled out of directing the film franchise's sequel, according to reports.

 

The film-maker was praised for his directorial skills on the critically acclaimed and commercially successful first film, which became the third-highest opening box office debut in history.

 

But, according to The Playlist, Ross would prefer to focus on his new, self-penned film project than return to direct the second film in the series, Catching Fire. The film, which is due out in November 2013, is rumoured to have a draft screenplay written by Slumdog Millionaire script writer Simon Beaufoy.

 

I wonder who they will get to replace him and how it will affect the sequel?

[DavidB]

Well, that info was released, but most sites have backtracked slightly since:

 

Despite reports that have spread like wildfire on showbiz websites, we hear from multiple sources close to Catching Fire that director Gary Ross has not formally withdrawn from The Hunger Games sequel. Ross is off on a family vacation and couldn’t be reached, but these internet reports that described his withdrawal as definitive are simply not accurate.

 

There have also been reports about a tense standoff between Lionsgate and Fox over the sequel services of Jennifer Lawrence, who will reprise her role as Mystique in the sequel to X-Men: First Class. That has also been somewhat overblown; Fox had an option deal on Lawrence way before she signed on to play Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. That put Fox in first position. Since Lionsgate has a Catching Fire script done, Fox allowed them to go first.

 

As for the notion that Ross would simply toss away the opportunity to return and direct Catching Fire because of a salary squabble, the logic seems flawed. The Seabiscuit director knows the benefit of riding in a winner and not switching horses midstream. Ross lobbied hard to get The Hunger Games and turned it into the biggest hit of his directing career. Before that, he developed several serious historical dramatic projects under his deal at Universal that didn’t get off the ground. Staying for a sure-fire hit and a sequel that audiences actually want to see makes a lot of sense for Ross, particularly given how active the filmmaker has been in the construction of Catching Fire.

 

Ross and author Suzanne Collins have been working on this since last November. They drafted Slumdog Millionaire screenwriter Simon Beaufoy back then, when the Hunger Games post production schedule became too arduous for Ross to see through a plan to write the outline and then pen the sequel script with Collins. We’ve heard that Ross developed a tight bond with everyone involved in the film, including cast. Unless the deal making completely implodes, we expect to see Ross behind the camera when the sequel gets underway.

 

http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/sources-ga...hunger-games-2/

[cunningham1471]

Thanks for that David. :)

 

Personally I like it when they change Directors when there are sequels or in a series of films. You lose the continuity but you do usually get films that do look and feel different.

 

A good example of this is how dark the third Harry Potter film, The Prizoner of Azkaban is compared tonot just the first two but the ones that follow. IMO the four films after that needed to be as dark if not darker. With the last few all having the same Director they all looked and felt the same. As good as the two parts of the final book were, I didn't think they had an epic feel about them at all. I don't think David Yates was the right Director for that kind of film and it showed.

 

For one of the sequels I would like to see someone like Joe Wright who directed "Hanna" take over.