LA Times has an article about Lionsgate's interest in working with either of the three directors Cuaron, Cronenberg, and Innaritu to direct the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, which is to be released on the 23rd of November 2013. Read on.
Now that Lionsgate and director Gary Ross have parted ways, the
studio behind "The Hunger Games" franchise is in a rather unenviable
position. Sure, they are likely to land a director for less then what it
would have cost to have kept Ross in the chair, but now they must find
someone who pleases both the gregarious fans who have turned the movie
into such a juggernaut and, perhaps more importantly, appease Suzanne
Collins, the author of the three-book series, who was a close
collaborator with Ross during his tenure on the project.
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| Cronenberg |
The studio has been quickly cobbling together a list of directors who
would fit their criteria. According to a source with knowledge of the
list who isn't permitted to speak on the record, Lionsgate needs to find
a director with enough credits and accolades to appeal to Collins, who
is much more interested in quality filmmaking than box-office prowess.
This director also needs to have an even keel; no petulant crybabies
allowed. The studio wants to get the sequel, "Catching Fire," into
production by August, and the task will require someone who can wrangle a
large ensemble of actors, juggle the demands of a swift schedule and
collaborate on a script with Collins and writer Simon Beaufoy.
The master list is seven or eight names long, all men, and all have
some significant credits to their name. Lionsgate is basically hoping to
re-create the "Harry Potter" moment when Warner Bros. brought Alfonso
Cuaron to direct the third film in the series. (Chris Columbus left
after helming the first two.) Cuaron was a creative choice who excited
critics, journalists and author J.K. Rowling, who all were interested in
what the director of "Y Tu Mama Tambien" would do with the series.
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| Cuaron |
In fact, Cuaron is in the mix for "Catching Fire," along with David
Cronenberg and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, among others. All have been
working in the industry for decades and trend more toward darker, indie
fare than commercial hits.
Cronenberg has frequently been offered big commercial gigs over the
years, including "Return of the Jedi," "Top Gun," and "RoboCop," only to
turn them down for arty, independently produced work, often in the
horror genre. Though Cronenberg's best-known film is still 1986's "The
Fly," the Canadian director has been making movies for decades, with his
most recent work, the adaptation of Don DeLillo's "Cosmopolis" starring
Robert Pattinson, likely to debut in Cannes next month.
For Inarritu, joining "Catching Fire" would mark a reunion with his
producer from the Academy Award-nominated film "Babel" Jon Kilik, who is
producing the "Hunger Game" series along with Nina Jacobson. While
“Catching Fire” deals with the heavy themes of rebellion and
children-on-children violence, it is still significantly lighter than
Inarritu’s most recent work, “Biutiful,” the Javier Bardem-starrer that
chronicled a dying man’s attempts to make amends.
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| Inarritu |
Cuaron entered the blockbuster genre with "Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban" in 2004, but despite great reviews didn't stick
with the boy wizard beyond the one film. Rather, he took on ambitious
fare within the studio system, including Universal Pictures' "Children
of Men." The Mexican director recently finished production on "Gravity"
for Warner Bros. The film, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock,
is about a lone survivor of a space mission trying desperately to return
to Earth to reunite with his family.
Any of the three men would be a reassuring choice for fans and
Collins. And all three auteurs could have compelling takes on the
material. Other names are sure to rise to the surface, but Cronenberg,
Inarritu and Cuaron should give fans some reassurance that Lionsgate is
doing its best to try to preserve their beloved franchise.
-- Nicole Sperling from LA Times
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