Tweet

Catching Fire, the sequel to the smash hit The Hunger Games, badly needs a new director. The sequel begins filming in August, with a release date set for November 2013, which means that Lionsgate needs to find a new director to replace Gary Ross as soon as humanly possible. Rumor has it that Lionsgate already has a short list of directors in mind to direct the film, including director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuaron.

 

While we agree with this pick (and we’ll explain why in a moment), we decided that it would be fun to come up with a few other choice directors to take on Catching Fire. Tell us what you think of our pick -- and whom you would choose to direct it!

 

1.  Alfonso Cuaron: We actually agree with this pick. Cuaron has proven that he can handle taking over the reins of a multi-million dollar film franchise smack in the middle of it when he directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Cuaron did a fine job on the film, especially in handling the darker turn that it takes, and is credited for setting up the visual template for the latter films in the series. Cuaron should be able to help smooth over any fans' anger over Ross’s departure, as well as help please the mastermind behind the Games, author Suzanne Collins. Nonetheless, Catching Fire is no Harry Potter -- does Cuaron have the directing style to take on such a dark film?

 

2.  David Fincher: He has already brought one of literature’s most kick-ass heroines to the screen with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so there is no doubt in our mind that Fincher would do Katniss justice. Fincher has a history of taking on particularly gritty books and transforming them into heart-pumping films (Rule number one about Fight Club: You don’t talk about Fight Club) as well as directing socially and politically charged films such as The Social Network. When you add all of these factors together, his resume would make him the ideal director to take on the gritty and politically-charged Catching Fire. Our only concern is that his style may be a bit too violent to earn the necessary PG-13 rating for the sequel.

 

3.  Terrence Malick: Granted, Malick’s films could not exactly be described as "action-packed thrillers". In fact, we are quite certain that Malick’s films are the exact antithesis of "action-packed thrillers". But if you closely watch The Hunger Games, there are a number of lush nature shots and prolonged periods of silence, both of which are key components of Malick’s films. A good portion of Catching Fire takes place on an island, which would be the ideal setting for Malick’s long shots of nature. However, the film does need to be completed in 2013 -- not 2033 -- which could be a problem for the rather measured filmmaker.

 

4. Kathryn Bigelow: Bigelow is no stranger to graphic war films -- she won an Oscar for Best Director for the notoriously forceful The Hurt Locker in 2008. And as, most arguably, the best female action director in the business, Bigelow could bring a realism to Katniss that could really come from the heart. (Go Girl Power!) However, The Hurt Locker is undeniably one of the grittiest films of the last decade. Could Bigelow, like Fincher, tone down her style to direct a PG-13 Catching Fire.

 

5.  Jack Bender: A little-known director in the film world, Bender is well-known for his work directing the ever-perplexing “Lost”, the graphic HBO series “The Sopranos”, and is currently working on Fox’s mystery series, “Alcatraz”. Parts of Catching Fire have a bit of a “Lost” vibe to them (one of the characters could be Ben Linus’s long-lost cousin), and Collins’s books certainly possess much of the same ferocious intensity that “The Sopranos” does. On the other hand, Bender is not a big name and has never taken on a project as large as Catching Fire. Still, we’re all for giving the underdog a shot -- and isn’t that really what one of the main themes of The Hunger Games?

 

 

- Sarah Osman, YH Staff