Hunger Games: Catching Fire discussion

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Wangman Page

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As I said many times in my review, Gary Ross‘ direction was the strongest element of The Hunger Games. But for Lionsgate, the movie’s ability to make a crazy amount of money was the strongest element of The Hunger Games. Now, THR is reporting that Ross and the studio are locked in tense negotiations over his return to direct the sequel, Catching Fire. Lead actors Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth are already signed for Catching Fire (and I imaging they’re also signed for the third installment, Mockingjay), but Ross doesn’t have a deal in place. He was paid $3 million for co-writing and directing the film plus 5 percent on the back-end. Unsurprisingly, he would like a raise on the sequel.

Hit the jump for more including why Catching Fire might not make its November 22, 2013 release date.

the-hunger-games-posterAccording to THR, negotiations on the first film were tough because Ross already had a successful, Oscar-nominated movie to his name (Seabiscuit), but Lionsgate had never paid a hefty filmmaker salary before (Hunger Games was the highest-budgeted project in the studio’s history). Now that Hunger Games will undoubtedly be one of the highest-grossing films of the year, Ross has some leverage, but current franchise trends aren’t moving in his favor.

Other major franchises have shown no hesitation in constantly switching out directors. After all, it’s the title that draws people into the theaters, not the filmmaker. Harry Potter went through four directors as did Twilight, and Marvel has basically made it a policy never to rehire any of their directors. The studio’s highest priority is making sure to keep the franchise flowing without delay, and prolonged negotiations with Ross may cause a delay. There’s also the added problem of Ross taking time to revise Simon Beaufoy‘s script for Catching Fire.

Lionsgate is also facing an issue with the sequel’s scheduled November 22, 2013 release date. Fox could stymie Lionsgate’s plans by exercising Lawrence’s option to do the sequel for X-Men: First Class. Sources tell THR that Fox’s option would take priority over Lionsgate’s. Lionsgate is aiming to get Catching Fire into production by the fall, but Fox already has their director ready to go (Matthew Vaughn is signed to return for First Class 2). However, First Class 2 doesn’t have a release date.

Ross’ does have a few counters against Lionsgate. First, he’s a known quantity and has established a relationship with the cast and crew. He also delivered a critically well-received movie. Granted, The Hunger Games would have crushed at the box office no matter what, but the positive response indicates that he’s now in higher demand for other properties. It’s an impressive boost for a director who hadn’t helmed a project since Seabiscuit in 2003.

Despite the acrimony, a source tells THR that the two sides will eventually make a deal:

Ultimately, it will be difficult, and yet everybody will do the sane thing, which is to work it out,†says one. “Everybody will end up unhappy in their own way. It’s just the nature of the beast.â€

The alternative is to throw 24 directors into an arena and have them fight to the death. And if you’re having trouble imagining other directors taking over the franchise, take a look at these fake posters for The Hunger Games.


hunger-games-poster-michael-bay.jpg

I saw the first film and it is pretty amazing. To not have him back could be a major blow to the franchise as far as quality goes, it will still be a cash cow I mean look at Twilight and its sketchy storyline and all the money it is raking in.
 

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Earlier this week, we reported that The Hunger Games director Gary Ross was in tough negotiations with Lionsgate over returning to helm the sequel, Catching Fire. Initial reports stated that Ross believed he was entitled to more money since he had delivered a critically and commercially successful adaptation of the popular novel. However, The Playlist now reports that Ross has decided not to direct the sequel, but money was only part of his decision. According to The Playlist, Ross didn’t want to repeat himself, he liked the first book the best (so does everyone else), and he’s already got a successful career as screenwriter and script doctor. Ross now plans to develop a screenplay he’s already written, and will do so for a higher payday than he would have received for Catching Fire.

Hit the jump for more. Catching Fire is slated to open on November 22, 2013. [Update: Deadline now reports that reports stating Ross has withdrawn from Catching Fire are untrue. They say the director is currently on vacation and couldn't be reached, but multiple sources tell them that Ross is likely to return for the sequel. We still have no official word from Ross or Lionsgate, so at this point we'll just have to wait and see, but this makes sense. Ross lobbied ridiculously hard to get The Hunger Games job in the first place, and in his interview with Steve he sounded enthusiastic about coming back.]

While I understand Ross’ decision to leave the franchise, I’m still a little bummed about his departure. He had a clear vision for the world of Panem, and Ross’ replacement will likely toss that vision out in order to establish something new but not necessarily better. I am also in no way looking forward to the slew of tedious Lionsgate-wish-list/frontrunner stories we’ll have to write as the studio hunts for a new director.

Also, for those who missed our story yesterday, Fox has allowed Jennifer Lawrence to shoot Catching Fire this fall before moving on to the sequel to X-Men: First Class in January 2013.

For those who haven’t read the book, here’s the synopsis for Suzanne Collins‘ Catching Fire:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.


Honestly if Ross left then they would be some pretty bad sequels. JMO, but it all should be good though.