Gary Ross Talks About Leaving The Hunger Games Franchise

Gary Ross' departure from The Hunger Games movie have received mixed reactions from the people. Most of us were obviously saddened about that but the show must go on as they say. Anyway, Gary Ross has a recent interview with EW when he was promoting his first children's book "Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind."

On his departure from "The Hunger Games" franchise:

”I didn’t feel that I would have the time for the way that I work to do the movie justice,” he says. “I wear two hats. I don’t wear one hat. When you write and you direct that’s a linear process, it’s not a simultaneous process. I would’ve had to have written a script and prepped the whole movie in four months and on the first movie that’s a process that took me eight months. And I thought [Catching Fire] was a more difficult adaptation, not an easier one. I didn’t really feel I had the time I needed to live up to my own standards. And I haven’t had a moment’s regret. It was absolutely the right decision and I’m thrilled about new challenges.

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Hunger Games DVD/Bluray Exclusive Video: The Making of the Capitol

IGN has released an exclusive clip about the making of the Capitol which will be included on the special features of "The Hunger Games" DVD/Bluray. Watch the video below and learn how Gary Ross and the rest of the team bring out the Capitol based on Suzanne Collin's imagination.

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Liam Hemsworth Receives the AIF Breakthrough Award as Presented by Gary Ross

Liam Hemsworth who plays Gale in "The Hunger Games" was honored by the Australians in Film (AIF) for his performance in the blockbuster movie (you can see the announcement here). Liam received the award from his Hunger Games director Gary Ross last June 27, 2012 in Los Angeles during the AiF Awards and Benefit Dinner.

Video from Gossip Cop:





Photos from Zimbio:

For other Hunger Games awards and nominations, know them all this page.

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Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson Hopes Director Francis Lawrence Will Stay to the Tone with Catching Fire

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta

An interview by MTV with Josh Hutcherson about Director Francis Lawrence for Catching Fire.


Gary Ross “brought so much to the movie that it’s going to be hard for Francis [Lawrence] to come in,” he tells MTV News.

No one supported Gary Ross more than “Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson, who called Ross “my guy” right before the director exited stage left.

Well, with Ross out and Francis Lawrence in to direct the franchise’s second film, “Catching Fire,” the actor is just hoping that the same magic can be captured without Ross there waving the wand.

“I have spoken to Gary. And I literally don’t think I’ve talked to somebody on the phone and they’ve sounded more upset than he was,” Hutcherson told MTV News at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. “He was so disappointed that he couldn’t do it. Unfortunately, with the scheduling and the timing, he just didn’t have the time to write the script and prep it the way he wants to, the way his work ethic allows him to be as great as he is, which made me extremely sad.

“Gary, I think, brought so much to the movie, and he created that whole world that was so close to the book and so perfect in so many ways that it’s going to be hard for Francis to come in, for sure,” he added. “But Francis is extremely talented and everyone I’ve talked to says he’s the best guy in the world. So I think he’s going to bring a lot. I haven’t spoken to Francis. I’ve spoken to Gary.”

Given how epic “The Hunger Games” is, Lawrence makes for an interesting choice. He’s no stranger to making visuals that go big or go home, whether as a music video director who has created show-stopping clips for the likes of Beyoncé and Britney Spears or as a film director (“I Am Legend,” “Water for Elephants“). With Ross already having created a certain vision for the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins‘ books, Hutcherson is hoping there’s a way to meld Lawrence’s with it.

“I think he’ll stay true to the first one. Gary’s already established a tone and a theme and kind of a whole world. So I think Francis will operate within that. I hope so,” he said. “At the same time, if I were directing, I’d want to bring my own thing to it. So I hope he brings something different to it, which I’m sure he will.”

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Vulture Weighs the Pros and Cons of Not Having Gary Ross Direct the Hunger Games Sequel Catching Fire

Read an article from Vulture on the pros and cons of Gary Ross' departure from the Hunger Games franchise.

Less than a month ago, Gary Ross told us that he intended to direct Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, but when we asked him how he felt about committing several years of his life to one franchise, his answer surprised us: "I didn’t think about that at all," he confessed. "I hadn’t really imagined my life beyond this movie." Sometime over the past few weeks, Ross did start mulling over the idea of several more years spent in Panem, and according to his exit statement last night, he then decided he wanted to do other things. Fair enough ... but is this a net gain for the franchise, or a notable loss? Let's handicap the fallout from this announcement and analyze the pros and cons to determine whether the odds are now in Catching Fire's favor.

First, the pros:

Does this mean less shakycam? Ross certainly brought a novel visual approach to this nascent franchise, eschewing carefully composed shots for a jittery, handheld feel. That said, would anyone be mad if the new Catching Fire director found a tripod? Our commenters were in full revolt against Ross's shakycam, complaining, "I haven't left a movie feeling this sick since The Blair Witch Project," and "That camera literally made me ill ... If the second movie is like that, we won't be going." Which brings us to our next point ...

The next director may be better at shooting action. Ross has a background in scripting populist films like Dave and Pleasantville, and the best moments in The Hunger Games are the ones that come before the titular games begin, when Ross can simply put Jennifer Lawrence in a room opposite someone else and have her effectively sell the movie's emotional stakes with that resolute stare. Unfortunately, when Katniss is finally forced to play the Games, Ross has no particular flair for shooting them. His protagonist's usual strategy is to climb the nearest tree to avoid her competitors, but since Ross stubbornly refuses to give us wide shots, he's got no way to convey even a simple establishing detail like how high up she's climbed. The other action beats fare no better: The camera is so agitated that we can barely even tell what's going on, let alone where each character is in relation to one another. If Lionsgate could somehow land a new director who's talented at conveying space in an action sequence — Robert Zemeckis would be our dream choice, and he's available — we might actually look forward to the Games, instead of dreading them like Katniss does.

Less fidelity to the source material may be a good thing. Ross worked very closely with Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins on his adaptation, and she's credited as a co-writer. Though it was good of him to include her, and the film pleased many Hunger Games diehards by being so faithful to the book, we've read the screenplay that Billy Ray wrote before Ross came onboard ... and it's notably better. Ray took a few liberties with the source material — his version has a brief prologue set a year before the main story, which lets him begin with action and introduce Katniss in a far more striking way — but he actually manages to nail some plot points that Ross muddled (like the ambiguity of the Katniss-Peeta showmance) by adapting the book in a less literal-minded fashion. Lionsgate was smart to hire Simon Beaufoy to script Catching Fire while Ross was still busy working on the first movie, and let's hope that the new director benefits from a similarly fresh perspective.

And now, the cons:

They just pissed off the actors. Ross was beloved by series stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Elizabeth Banks, and by replacing him just a few weeks after The Hunger Games opened, they've destabilized a cast that was previously eager to reteam with Ross. While his visual sense was divisive, Ross did a great job with casting the franchise, and he directed Lawrence to give an already iconic performance. Will the actors be as capable in the hands of a hastily hired replacement, and might they resent the studio for it? (Certainly, we don't need this crew to start acting as surly on their publicity tours as the cast of the Twilight franchise, which never had a single steward to keep them humble.)

There's very little time to find a new director. One of the reasons Ross gave for bailing on Catching Fire is that he simply wouldn't have enough time to prep the movie, since it needs to shoot this fall so that Jennifer Lawrence can begin filming the sequel to X-Men: First Class in January. If Ross was worried about the brief preproduction window for a movie this massive, how much time will his replacement have? The studio will start interviewing directors immediately and should have an announcement soon, but valuable time will have been spent on the search, and it'll take even longer to get a replacement up to speed. Ross would have likely retained his department heads from the last movie, but will the new director demand a different cinematographer or production designer? If so, it'll take a while to get all those important ducks in a row, and there's no time to waste.

Summit needs to worry about its bad reputation. In an era when directors like Christopher Nolan and Michael Bay regularly commit to directing the sequels of their megamovies, it's cause for alarm that Summit can't seem to hold onto a helmer. The studio cut Catherine Hardwicke after she originated the Twilight franchise, and now Gary Ross (who was hired by Lionsgate before that studio merged with Summit) is kaput, too. In the short term, replacing Ross may work out — this is a franchise that could definitely use a visual makeover — but in the long term, talented directors will be justly wary about approaching Summit/Lionsgate with a valuable property, lest they find themselves dumped. Let's hope that when trying to hire the director of Catching Fire, the studio hasn't alienated some of the most talented candidates for the job.

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Hunger Games's Thresh on the Departure of Gary Ross on the Franchise

From Celebuzz:

While millions of fans are still reeling from the news that Gary Ross won’t be directing The Hunger Games‘ sequel, Catching Fire, Celebuzz caught up with Dayo Okeniyi at Nylon Magazine’s anniversary party at Smashbox Studios on Tuesday night to get his thoughts on the situation.

Dayo, who plays Thresh, the District 11 tribute in the blockbuster film, told us that it will be nearly impossible to replace Ross as a director: “Honestly, I really think he’s the only person who can come back and do the second film. So I’m hoping it’s one of those things where he’s like, ‘I’m not doing it,’ then is like, ‘No! I am doing it!’ Because it would be incredibly terrible for all of this to not work out. But this is the business, and it happens. Hopefully, they can get someone else who is as creative. There are very few Gary Ross’.”

With that in mind, who else could Dayo see directing CF?

“Honestly, it really is only Gary. But if I had to, maybe like a David Fincher (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network). He would be ridiculous. His vision is completely different, so he would do a crazy job. Or maybe Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan).”

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It's Official! Hunger Games' Gary Ross Not Directing Catching Fire

Well, that's all folks—at least when it comes to Gary Ross and The Hunger Games.

As we continue to hope that these films don't follow the downfall of other multiple-director-franchises, Ross has released a statement explaining why he decided to discontinue his work with the famous trilogy (not that any of his reasoning makes us feel better about the situation).

"Despite recent speculation in the media, and after difficult but sincere consideration, I have decided not to direct Catching Fire. As a writer and a director, I simply don't have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule," he says.

"I loved making The Hunger Games —it was the happiest experience of my professional life. Lionsgate was supportive of me in a manner that few directors ever experience in a franchise: they empowered me to make the film I wanted to make and backed the movie in a way that requires no explanation beyond the remarkable results. And contrary to what has been reported, negotiations with Lionsgate have not been problematic. They have also been very understanding of me through this difficult decision.

"I also cannot say enough about the people I worked with: Producer Nina Jacobson, a great collaborator and a true friend; the brilliant Suzanne Collins, who entrusted us with her most amazing and important story; the gifted and remarkable Jennifer Lawrence whose performance exceeded my wildest expectations, and the rest of the incredible cast, whom I am proud to call my friends.

"To the fans I want to say thank you for your support your faith, your enthusiasm and your trust. Hard as this may be to understand I am trying to keep that trust with you. Thank you all. It's been a wonderful experience."

The studio also released a statement addressing the news, saying, "We're very sorry that Gary Ross has chosen not to direct Catching Fire. We were really looking forward to making the movie with him. He did an incredible job on the first film and we are grateful for his work. This will not be the end of our relationship, as we consider Ross to be part of the Lionsgate family and look forward to working with him in the future."

And now, the search for Catching Fire's director begins.

Who do you think would be a good fit for the job? Give us your suggestions in the comments!

From: E-online

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'Hunger Games' Star Josh Hutcherson on Who Should Direct Sequel 'Catching Fire'

From Hollywood Reporter:

 

Prior to the release of The Hunger Games, Josh Hutcherson’s future as Peeta Mellark was assured; he signed a contract to appear in all of the films. But director Gary Ross made no such commitment, and last week THR reported that contract negotiations have yet to be finalized before he can return to the franchise, leaving the director’s seat open for Catching Fire. At the Los Angeles press day for Detention on Tuesday, Hutcherson discussed Ross’ uncertain future with the blockbuster series, and joked about the possibility of replacing him with Joseph Kahn, his director on the upcoming teen horror movie.

When asked who should take over directing duties for Catching Fire, Hutcherson answered diplomatically: “I think Gary’s the man. Gary is in my mind is the only one that could ever direct the second one. That’s what I’m sticking to.”

Kahn suggested that his current film, which focuses on a high school besieged by an ax-wielding serial killer, has more similarities to The Hunger Games than one might expect. “That’s a very specific case of a very specific property that I think would be right up my alley: kids killing kids,” Kahn said. “It’s set in the future with science fiction and special effects and really interesting genre tropes. Yeah, sure, that’s right up my alley.”

While recognizing that Kahn might not be on the studio's shortlist of filmmakers eligible to take on Catching Fire, Hutcherson observed that his Detention director's take on the material would be markedly different than Ross’s. “I think it would be a very different movie than the first movie if Joseph directed the second Hunger Games,” he said. “It would be crazy.”

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Why 'The Hunger Games' Franchise Should Stick With Gary Ross

Read MTV's explanation on why Gary Ross must direct the sequel to the Hunger Games, Catching Fire.

It's been a hectic few weeks for "Hunger Games" fans, to say the least. After seeing their beloved book realized at last on the big screen and opening to great reviews and record-breaking box-office numbers (it only took three weekends for the start of this franchise to overtake any of the "Twilight Saga" films — amazing!), some backroom Hollywood negotiations went public when Gary Ross was reportedly in and then out and then maybe back in again for helming the second installment, "Catching Fire."

I'm not privy to any insider information on this one, but I will say I hope Ross is retained for the sequel and all the installments to come in the series. First of all, his passion and understanding of the material is genuine and impressive. In my conversations with Ross, it was clear that he was not just a gun for hire to launch a franchise and then take the money and run. (If reports are to be believed, in fact, his payday wasn't all that exorbitant by Hollywood standards.)

Ross is a filmmaker who takes his time when choosing projects: "The Hunger Games" was only the third film he's helmed in 14 years as a director. He's credited as a co-writer on the film (a smart move by the studio for a man whose credits include "Big" and "Dave"), something none of the "Twilight Saga" directors, for instance, had an opportunity to do. And while I like the practice in some franchises of letting a different director put their stamp on a series in each go round (the "Mission: Impossible" movies are probably the best example of this), my gut tells me "The Hunger Games" would benefit from a consistent voice. I had some issues with the first "Hunger Games" film, but on the whole, Ross got it right. I'd love to see his vision realized for what's to come in the life of Katniss Everdeen.

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Catching Fire Might Have a New Director if Gary Ross Leaves, Read the Buzz Here

From E!

It's safe to say we were shocked to hear reports that Hunger Games director Gary Ross has dropped out of the franchise, leaving the second film (which is set to shoot this fall) without anyone in charge.

Just this morning we were saying Gary was far too invested in the story to let tough negotiations get in the way of his helming the sequel. Not to mention the fact that you'd think Lionsgate would be bending over backwards to keep Ross onboard, what with the millions he earned them at the box office.

But how wrong we were. So what's next for the franchise?!

"Nothing has been officially finalized," a source close to the production tells us. "But Gary is leaving, unofficially."

Our source was light on details but said that it had less to do with money issues—which was rumored to be the point of contention between the studio and director—and has more to do with the "politics" behind the franchise.

Let's take a moment to grieve the loss of Gary, shall we? He did us proud with the first film.

OK, now that that's over, it's time to dry your eyes and start thinking ahead to the sequel—someone ought to, after all, because—even though the first film just hit theaters—Thanksgiving 2013 (Fire's release date, as of now) is right around the corner.

While some names have already been tossed around to replace Gary (our vote goes to Alfonso Cuarón), we decided to take a look at the forefathers of franchises—Harry Potter and Twilight, duh—to see how a new director could affect the next movie.

It could be good:

Chris Columbus helmed the first two Harry Potter installments before handing over the reins to Cuarón for the third film, Prisoner of Azkaban. And the switchover was seamless…if not an improvement to the witchy flicks!

The Hollywood Reporter praised Prisoner for being "deeper, darker…and more emotionally satisfying" than even the first two films. Hey, considering the source material, that could be the perfect route for a Hunger Games follow-up.

Or it could be bad. Very, very bad:

After Catherine Hardwicke exited the Twilight Saga series following the first movie, Chris Weitz took over for New Moon. And the results were, well, dreadful—just take a peek at the film's 28 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes (down 20 percent from the original).

Trusty reviewers Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper sounded off too, with Ebert awarding the film one out of four stars (which is generous, in our opinion) and Roeper calling it "plodding" and "achingly slow." Yikes.
Guess we'll have to hope for the odds to be ever in the favor of The Hunger Games. Because our biggest fear at the moment is for Finnick Odair—Gary Ross had such an eye for casting the first film (Jennifer Lawrence!) and we want someone who knows what they're doing to help pick the hunky tribute.
Won't anyone think of poor Finnick?!

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Catching Fire Will Have Different Look and Feel According to Director Gary Ross

Read this article from Access Hollywood to learn some Catching Fire news from Director Gary Ross.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- “The Hunger Games” had a record-setting debut weekend, leaving many fans craving for what’s to come in the second installment in the series, “Catching Fire.”

Director Gary Ross spoke to MTV News about what fans can expect from the next movie.

(SPOILER ALERT)

As fans of Suzanne Collins’ books already know, Katniss and Peeta find themselves back in the arena, fighting for their lives once again.

“The arena in the second book is tropical and the arena in [the first] book is forests, so that in and of itself will make for a different wardrobe on the part of the crew,” he said of the movie, which will feature a slew of past winning tributes for Katniss and Peeta to contend with.

“In terms of the cinematic differences in the way I might shoot the movie, I shot this in a very specific way that’s very different than most franchises are shot, obviously, and that had a lot to do with the urgency of what’s going on and Katniss’ point of view,” he continued. “I have some ideas about how to do ‘Catching Fire’ slightly differently, but I don’t want to share them yet. Not because I’m being evasive, but just because they’re not fully baked. But yes, I think it will look and feel slightly different from the first.” Jennifer Lawrence suggested that the second movie will require even harder physical work from the cast, saying, “The training was never, like, tough. It was intense, but it was fun. So I’m looking forward to the next bout of training.”

Elizabeth Banks explained that Effie Trinket’s often contentious relationship will continue to develop with Katniss. “Everything that I loved about Effie in the first place, which is that her stakes are completely tied up with Katniss’ stakes, everything she does reflects on me, and unfortunately everything she does reflects very badly on me,” the actress told MTV News. “So the relationship between Katniss and Effie just gets more frazzled, and I’m really excited to see how that plays out.”

“Catching Fire” is slated to begin filming this fall and is set to debut in theaters on November 22, 2013.

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Hunger Games Director Gary Ross Spills Secret to the Girl on Fire Dress and the Opening Ceremony

E Online interviewed Hunger Games director Gary Ross about the girl on fire costume and the tribute parade scene. 

Sure, Liam Hesmworth and Josh Hutcherson are good looking and all (and Jennifer Lawrence ain't half bad herself), but if you're like us there's one reason in par-tick you'll be drooling and ogling during The Hunger Games:

The fashion, of course! And while Elizabeth Banks gets the luxury of Effie Trinket's outlandish outfits (and wigs and makeup and everything else!) there was another look we were très psyched for: The Girl on Fire!

the Girl on Fire outfit

And director Gary Ross tells us that plenty of work went into those fashionista flames:

"That was so hard!" Gary told us when we asked about the infamous glitzy opening ceremony outfit (ya know, the one where Katniss and Peeta are literally enveloped in faux fire). "It's not that clearly spelled out in the book the way in which she is on fire, so how we dealt with that fire aspect was a very big deal."

And while author Suzanne Collins might have been light on the technical details (simply detailing a black unitard and a cape and headpiece to be ignited) she was sure to point out that it was "sensational" and "deadly."
Which is a lot to live up to…

Gary breaks down his design process, saying: "I thought 'Well, if the fire is sort of trailing behind her—as it would in the chariot—and if it's adhering to the top of her shoulder and kind of to the bottom of her rib cage, it would form angel wings. And I thought that aesthetically, in a design sense, that's something that could be harmonious."
In the end, Jennifer dons a very detailed, shiny leather (or could it be spandex?) top and pants, with her hair up in braids and no headdress or cape. Once Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) lights the twosome on fire, it's all CGI flames shooting out their backs.
We'll leave the final verdict on whether the look works or not up to you. And hey, if the first fire look does not float your boat, there's always a second one. And in the next book? A fire wedding dress, of all things!

Gary also weighed in on filming the opening ceremonies, explaining: "None of that city exists. None of those crowds exist—that's all computer generated. So these are chariots on a road at a tobacco plant with a lot of green screen around them…It was just astoundingly complicated to do."

But well worth the effort, at least in our opinion. The Capitol is stunning. But Mr. Ross will have the opinions of about a gajillion loyal tributes within 36 hours. Only one day left, people!

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Gary Ross Talks About the Hunger Games Challenge, Scenes Added and Removed, Catching Fire, and Casting Finnick Oddair

Watch several videos from MTV News' interview with Hunger Games director Gary Ross.




Which Scenes Were Cut From the Film:

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Staying in Katniss’ Point of View:

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‘The Hunger Games’ is Not ‘Indulgent’

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The Biggest Challenge of ‘The Hunger Games’ Revealed:

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Casting Finnick Oddair

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Catching Fire

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Gary Ross Says Thanks to Jennifer Lawerence's Parents for Making Such a Remarkable Talent

Continuation of the MTV News' interview with Hunger Games director Gary Ross.

"Hunger Games" director Gary Ross has provided us with some juicy details about his highly anticipated film of late, thanks to a lengthy sit-down interview with MTV News. We learned all about which scenes proved to be the most challenging for Ross and his team during filming and that there will be no Katniss voice-over provided by star Jennifer Lawrence. 

And even though we won't be hearing Lawrence's narration, we'll be getting a good long look at more of her acting chops, which Ross could not praise enough when asked about the Oscar nominee's work in the film. 

"She is so good, it's silly. Seriously, I just want to write her parents a thank-you letter for creating Jennifer Lawrence," Ross said. "Once a generation, you find this kind of talent." 

When asked in which scenes Lawrence shines the most onscreen, Ross couldn't pick just one.

"I'm not being coy in this answer; it's really hard for me to say. The stuff she does in the tracker jacker sequence is incredible," he teased. "The stuff in the cave with Peeta, she's just remarkable in there. Obviously, from the trailer, you've seen what she does in the Reaping, the commitment, and how about the little girl Willow [Shields], who plays Prim? The commitment Jen has, the bravery, the incredible control over what she's doing, she's just remarkable." 

Co-star Josh Hutcherson has echoed Ross' sentiments, along with the fact that Lawrence is just plain likeable. 

She's just a very real person, and you don't meet many actresses that are super real and down-to-earth and genuine and are extremely talented on top of all that," Hutcherson said. "She kind of has the whole thing going on, and she's an awesome person. I really hit it off with her." 

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Tracker Jacker Scene - The Most Difficult Hunger Games Scene to Shoot According to Director Gary Ross

Here is the continuation of MTV News' interview with Director Gary Ross.

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Now that we've had time to digest Ross' revelation that there will be no Katniss voice-over in the upcoming film based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling dystopian novel, it's time to head into full-on spoiler territory with a discussion of the most complicated scenes in the film. (Please heed this very emphatic SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't read the books.) 

"The tracker jacker sequence was one, that's a vertical sequence literally staged over 100 vertical feet," Ross said when asked which scenes that required the most care and consideration. "You have the Careers on the ground, you have Katniss up in one level of a tree, you have Rue up in another tree over here, you have the tracker jacker nest up here, and the crew is going up and down the tree the entire time," he explained of a particularly intense scene set during the actual Games. "You have all these different axes to cut together into one suspenseful sequence, and you have CG insects, so this is not for the faint of heart. I think my shot list for that was 110 setups. We're building scaffolding in the forest this was shot practically in trees. None of this was shot on a computer, so that was a daunting sequence that required a lot of attention." 

In addition to the challenges involved in the action-oriented sequences like the Tribute Parade and Katniss' big "Girl on Fire" moment, Ross admitted that several of the "intimate acting moments" required the most attention. 

"There's a huge responsibility in shooting the death of Rue and what that means and the way Katniss honors that death by creating a memorial and the act of defiance that's inherent in that and how that becomes a pivotal moment," he said. "The moment when she's about to eat the berries with Peeta at the end, these are moments when you get up on that day and you go, 'OK, it's berry day,' " he added with a laugh. "Stanley Kubrick had this great line; he said, 'The toughest part of directing is getting out of the car in the morning.' I'm so happy with [Rue's death scene] and the Reaping."

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Hunger Games Director Gary Ross on the Tracker Jacker Scene

MTV News' interview with the Hunger Games movie director features the latter's reaction to the tracker jacker scene. See the video below:

From MTV News:

Among this nasty creature collective is a super species of wasp known as tracker jackers, whose venomous stings cause hallucination and even death. Yet, despite their killer instincts, the insects end up playing an important role in Katniss' survival, all the while posing one of the biggest filming challenges to director Gary Ross.

"That's a vertical sequence, literally staged over 100 vertical feet," Gary said, explaining the difficulties of the sequence. "You have the careers on the ground. You have Katniss on one level in a tree, and you have Rue in another tree up here. You have the tracker jacker nest up here, and the crew is going up and down this tree the entire time, and you have all these axis to cut together into one taut, suspenseful sequence. And you have CG insects. This is not for the faint of heart. I think my shot list was like 110 set-ups or something like that. We're building scaffolding. This was shot practically in trees—none of this was shot on the computer. That was a daunting and challenging sequence that required a lot of attention."

However, for all its technical difficulties, Gary said the scenes that required the most attention were the quieter, emotional moments between the characters (like a certain tribute's tearful death). Click play on the video above to hear more from Gary on that Game-changing, gut-wrenching moment.

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Hunger Games Cast in Hollywood Reporter Magazine Scans HQ

Here are high quality scans of The Hollywood Reporter magazine featuring the Hunger Games movie's fab four - Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Director Gary Ross.

Note: Click on the image to view in full size.

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President Snow and Katniss Will Confront One Another in the Hunger Games Movie

If you have read the books, you probably know that Katniss and President Snow really don't have much confrontations with one another. However, the actor playing President Snow (Donald Sutherland) suggested Director Gary Ross about his interest in playing the character, which eventually led Ross to add two scenes between Snow and Katniss. Just read EW's interview with Director Ross:

Donald Sutherland isn’t shy: he wrote to director Gary Ross about why he belonged in the Hunger Games cast.  The formidable actor sent Ross an impassioned email about playing the insidious President Coriolanus Snow, the long-standing ruler of author Suzanne Collins’ futuristic world who forces children to fight to their deaths as a way of keeping the masses in line. ”It was a long thoughtful analysis of the way power is wielded and why,” remembers Ross, “how it controls people and what the use of the Games were and how pernicious they were and the way that they were used as an instrument of political control.”

“It was so eloquent and brilliant,” continues Ross, “that it actually inspired me to write two extra scenes for him that I think are pivotal in the movie and that Suzanne really loves.” Ross was already shooting in Asheville, NC when he received the actor’s missive.  While on break he remembers wandering down to a clearing by the edge of a lake to ruminate over Sutherland’s ideas. “So I sat down in this chair and stared at the lake and came up with these two scenes,” he says. “And I realized that not only were the scenes vital but they actually fit a piece that was missing. That was a gift I got from the actor.”

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! In this first installment of the film trilogy, Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen and Sutherland’s Snow really only have one scene together. But Ross says to prepare for a doozy. “It’s only when she’s crowned that they confront one another and it’s very electric.” The Hunger Games hits theaters on March 23.

Wow, that was indeed brilliant. I'm looking forward to see the tense between these two big characters in the movie. 

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Jennifer Lawrence for Another OSCAR Nomination for her Role as Katniss, Catching Fire Might Be Shot in Hawaii

Read this article from EW. It talks about the rapport between director Gary Ross and Jennifer Lawrence in making the Hunger Games movie and find out why Ross thinks that Jen should have an Oscar nomination for her role. Plus, Jen also shares some bits of information about the upcoming sequel of the franchise, Catching Fire.

 With less than two months to go before the March 23 premiere of The Hunger Games, the first installment of Suzanne Collins’ breathlessly addicting  trilogy, director Gary Ross is already predicting the possibility of another nomination for his 21-year-old star Jennifer Lawrence come next year’s Oscars. “The range in this performance, the emotional terrain that she investigates, the demands of what this role are,” he raves of Lawrence’s portrayal of series heroine Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old forced alongside other children into a televised fight-to-the-death. “It’s such an intensely physical role and an emotional one. She carries the entire movie. To be able to do that at that age is so kind of incredible that I was in a little bit of awe. Do I think she should be nominated? Absolutely.”

Ross and Lawrence bonded hard on the 83-day shoot, weathering the sweltering North Carolina heat and afternoon storms together. “We were all a family,” says Lawrence. “Everything that I love about the movie, and everything that got me to say yes to this movie, was Gary.” On set, however, she says Ross liked to float the possibility of him leaving everyone in the hands of a new director. “He wanted me to worry about it, because he enjoys my anxiety,” she says with a laugh. “That was a huge, huge thing that he used to lure over my head. Like a bastard!” Lawrence says that because of the tremendous rapport enjoyed by the cast and crew, she always assumed Ross would sign on again for Catching Fire, but it was still a hand-wringer. “I still don’t know for sure,” she says. “Is he definitely doing it?” she asks EW. Indeed!

Ross shared with EW his love for the meaty material that soon awaits them. SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! “I love the title Catching Fire because from the moment Katniss was willing to eat the berries,” he says, “the moment she was willing to give her life for something larger than herself, she set off a chain reaction that was at once bigger than her and also because of her. That’s a very exciting movie to make because you’re seeing the emergence of a leader. It’s the birth of a revolution so it has context that’s larger than just the Games themselves.”

There’s a risk when signing onto a franchise, especially one as beloved and anticipated as The Hunger Games, that the weight of an iconic role will leave the star herself feeling crushed. Lawrence herself sounds surprised herself by how ready she is to shoulder Katniss’ burdens once more. “Signing onto the movies I was like, ‘Well, I’ll probably love the first one and then I’ll just want to get the rest of them out of the way,’” she says. “But I can’t wait to start training. As soon as they were like ‘We need to start training in July,’ I was like ‘Woohoo!’ I can’t wait to get back.” She pauses to laugh. “Though I don’t know if that’s because I think we might shoot in Hawaii.” The tropical location would make sense, as much of Catching Fire‘s pivotal action takes place on a Capitol-constructed beach. Just yet another reason for Lawrence to look forward to the shoot.

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Hunger Games Director Gary Ross One on One With MTV

The original MTV article was published last August 30, 2011, so it's kind of few months old but it deserves space in this website. The interview was conducted by MTV following the premiere of the first teaser trailer of the Hunger Games featuring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in the Hunger Games. The teaser trailer depicts the fireball scene of the 74th Hunger Games. If you could remember, I guess that's the time when Katniss blew up Cato and his allies' supplies.

The interview also gives us peeks on the scenes that might be included in the film including Rue's death. Here is an excerpt of the interview:

What's the Status of the Score?

"T-Bone [Burnett] and Danny [Elfman] haven't really started working yet. We've all begun working together. We've all begun discussing music, pulling references, going through the initial process you go through. Music can actually affect the movie more than anything else. It establishes the tone. It literally can change the way you feel or perceive a movie. That's a very long discussion that happens between me, T-Bone and Danny, and that's already begun. Danny was out last week. T-Bone's been out three times. We've begun this conversation of trying to understand what this is musically. But that's not going to bear fruit for a while."

How Did Jennifer Train for the Role of Katniss?

"It's an intensely physical movie. Someone said Jen is in 110 percent of the movie, which is really true. She works every day, all day. It's a very physically demanding thing that she's doing. She did train really, really rigorously. She worked with an athletic trainer, someone who conditions athletes in Los Angeles. She had intense archery training. So she's had a very rigorous athletic conditioning program."

How Did You Create the 'Girl on Fire' Look?

"That's a really good question. There are some things you don't want to give away, and you wouldn't want me to give it away. I think it's going to be a fantastic moment in the movie. I could do that verbally, but it would wreck it for people. I'm going to resist the temptation to give a spoiler on my own movie."

What Scenes Are the Most Important to Re-Create Faithfully?

"There are many iconic moments in the movie. There are many moments that the fans gravitate to and that are tremendously important to them. [Spoiler ahead!] Obviously the death of Rue is something that fans picks up, and how emotionally powerful that is, how important that is to the movie [to] not pull punches but that it also be handled that sensitively and emotionally and honor the emotion of it. That was just a beautiful scene. T-Bone wrote a beautiful lullaby for Prim's lullaby that is eventually sung to Rue that is absolutely gorgeous. And Jen practiced and rehearsed that with T-Bone and sang it in that scene. That was a tremendously emotional scene for everyone to shoot and one that was tremendously important. I shot one yesterday, the moment before she goes into the games, and she's in that launch chamber and the tense moment with Cinna before she has to leave. Obviously the Tribute parade when she becomes the Girl on Fire and the flames are trailing behind her. I think everybody thinks about the berry scene with her and Peeta at the end and the fact that they would rather give their lives than take one another's lives, which I think is one of the most poignant and really powerful things in the book and something every fan gravitates to. Those are some of the moments, but they're all tremendously important. Suzanne wrote a book full of dozens of those moments. That's one of the reasons it's so popular. My job is to do justice to all of it."

Original article: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669999/hunger-games-burning-questions.jhtml

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