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April 11, 2012 - Catching Fire / Gary Ross officially passes on directing Hunger Games sequel
Scooped on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Gary Ross will not return to The Hunger Games movie franchise and direct the follow-up film Catching Fire. The director issued the following statement yesterday:
"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.
"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."
Lionsgate, the film studio that released The Hunger Games, also issued their own statement:
"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."
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WarCry
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Posted: 13 years 6 weeks ago
This is the same thing that happened with Catherine Hardwicke after [b]Twilight[/b] came out. Summit wanted to rush into production of the second book/film, and she said there was no way she could turn out a quality product in that tight of a timeframe.
I understand studios want their cash-cows giving return-on-investment right NOW, but if they rush it, if they don't give it time to do it right, then it's going to get screwed up along they way. [b]LotR[/b] was able to release one a year, but that's because they filmed them all together. Not the same sort of thing here.