Director Francis Lawrence is going to be playing “The Hunger Games” for the next few years.
Lawrence, who is currently shooting the series’ second film “Catching Fire,” has officially signed on to helm the two-part finale “Mockingjay” as well.
After wrapping “Fire,” Lawrence (“I Am Legend”) will have to move quickly on both “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” in order to meet their respective release dates of November 21, 2014 and November 20, 2015. The news was first reported by Collider.
“Mockingjay” finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) finds herself at odds with the tyrannical Capitol and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) after twice winning the deadly Hunger Games and taking part in a growing rebellion. The series also stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
Danny Strong (“Game Change”) is writing the script.
Gary Ross (“Pleasantville”) directed the first film in the franchise, but declined to direct “Fire” because of the lightning-fast turnaround. “The Hunger Games,” based on the book by Suzanne Collins, earned a whopping $408 million in the U.S. alone earlier this year.
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” open November 22, 2013.