She may be busy with her other upcoming roles, but Jennifer Lawrence is keeping a close eye on the franchise that made her famous. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
will hit theaters November 22, 2013 and Lawrencewho plays heroine Katniss Everdeenspoke to the LA Times recently about the tone of the next film:The new movie will be very real, which is what Im excited about.
The young star also had good things to say about new director, Francis Lawrence. When Gary Ross jumped ship, citing the rushed schedule as the reason for his departure, the franchise could have floundered. Lawrence scored the job from a list of promising directors, so Lionsgate is clearly confident in his approach. It also sounds like Lawrence has impressed his leading lady:
I really like his take, which is a lot of what I liked in Gary Ross, she added. Its the realistic grasp of the story instead of all the details of the imaginary things.
Francis Lawrence cut his directorial teeth on music videos for glitzy pop-stars including Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears, before delving into the much darker features, such as I Am Legend and twisted romance, Water For Elephants. The opposing sides of his career may help him to portray the two very different aesthetics and tone in Panem, the glitzy, fake world of The Capitol versus the dark struggle for survival in The Districts.
Recent casting speculation emphasizes the more shadowy aspects, with the role of scarred and ruthless victor from District 7, Johanna Mason up for grabs and Philip Seymour Hoffman being discussed for the role of Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee.
Catching Fire begins shooting this fall, and catches up with Katniss and Peeta after their victory at the 74th Hunger Games. Little do they know the game has only just begun…
