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As we told y’all earlier in the week, speculation has been heavy on just who was going to replace Gary Ross as the director for The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire. Ross bowed out due to scheduling conflicts (i.e.: not enough time to be able to fully realize the film to his standards). Many names were bandied about, by us included, but at the end of the day, the man chosen to take on the daunting task was one that surprised many!

 

That man is Francis Lawrence, and if that name doesn’t sound familiar, his work probably will. Lawrence (no, no relation to Jennifer) proved himself a more-than-capable director on recent films such as Constantine, I Am Legend, and Water for Elephants. His keen visual style will no doubt be put to good use in the futuristic dystopia of Panem, the setting for the Hunger Games trilogy. Lawrence first gained recognition in the industry when he helmed such memorable music videos as Jennifer Lopez’s “Waiting for Tonight” and Britney Spears’s “I’m a Slave 4 U”. In addition to this, Lawrence is currently an executive producer on Kiefer Sutherland’s new TV series, “Touch”. It’s a short but very impressive resume, and we think he’ll do a bang-up job on Catching Fire!

 

He won’t have a lot of time though – filming needs to be wrapped by December!

 

Congrats, Francis! And good luck!

 

 

- Katie Marzullo, YH Staff Editor

katie@younghollywood.com