Gary Ross Unlikely To Return For THE HUNGER GAMES Sequel?

Gary Ross Unlikely To Return For THE HUNGER GAMES Sequel?

Sources indicate that director Gary Ross may not return to helm The Hunger Games sequel (Catching Fire) due to a dispute with Lionsgate over how much he'll get paid.

News
By JoshWilding - Apr 04, 2012 10:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Action
Source: The Hollywood Reporter


The Hollywood Reporter reveal that The Hunger Games director Gary Ross (who unlike stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, is not signed up for a sequel) may not return to helm the planned follow up. After taking $3 million to write and direct the adaptation of the Suzanne Collins novel, as well as a 5% backend, sources now indicate that Ross wants a significant raise for Catching Fire. Negotiations are said to have been rocky so far, with the director yet to revise Slumdog Millionaire's Simon Beaufoy's script.

The studio are in a rush to start production this Fall, although Fox may still ruin their plans if they decide to exercise their option to bring back Jennifer Lawrence for an X-Men: First Class sequel first (as previously reported here on CBM, their option beats Lionsgate's). However, other sources indicate that Ross will indeed return for the film which is currently set for release on November 22nd, 2013. ""Ultimately, it will be difficult, and yet everybody will do the sane thing, which is to work it out. Everybody will end up unhappy in their own way. It's just the nature of the beast."

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JoshWilding
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Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.
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MassExecutions
MassExecutions - 4/4/2012, 10:41 AM
That's too bad. Other than a touch too much shaky cam he did a great job.
WolvieCBM
WolvieCBM - 4/4/2012, 10:42 AM


SuperDude001: As the article says, because of money. Simple as that.
whatevillurks
whatevillurks - 4/4/2012, 10:47 AM
I just finished the second book. It was the most boring thing I've ever read. Just filler designed to take in cash. "I know about the kiss", LOL.
Oarsis
Oarsis - 4/4/2012, 10:49 AM
Damn. I hope he stays!
He did SOO well! The movie was VERY close to the book! I was so happy....If he drops out, they better find someone just as good!
WolvieCBM
WolvieCBM - 4/4/2012, 10:49 AM
SuperDude: True. Sadly, that's not the case. Especially when you have a film that is doing good at the box office. With that, directors will try to get as much money as possible. If studios say no, sometimes directors decide to take the same paycheck or whatever amount they agree on, and sometime they move on to other projects.
Sanderman
Sanderman - 4/4/2012, 11:00 AM
Good maybe the next director won't shake the camera around the entire movie
Toasty
Toasty - 4/4/2012, 11:04 AM
You'd think 3 million is enough for people, but i forget about the greedy people that make up this world.
95
95 - 4/4/2012, 11:11 AM
I would want more money, too.
GizmoEl
GizmoEl - 4/4/2012, 11:13 AM
The first book was amazing, second one was great.. third was terrible.

I have no idea how they'll pull off the third movie and actually make it good.
MercMatt
MercMatt - 4/4/2012, 11:15 AM
There's always someone better. This movie wasn't as close to the book as people are saying. Too much was left out. Hoping that the dvd will have plenty of deleted scenes.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 4/4/2012, 11:19 AM
GAS IS EXP[ENSIVE NEED THE MONEY
marvel72
marvel72 - 4/4/2012, 11:26 AM
i wouldn't care if he came back or not,the film was good but boring in places & way too much shaky cam.

there is plenty of decent directors out there.
Spideyshawn
Spideyshawn - 4/4/2012, 11:32 AM
Yeah marvel might wanna rethink thor2 date if this is set for nov 22 2013!
Fantine
Fantine - 4/4/2012, 11:43 AM
Saw Hunger Games last night, loved it, really thought it was brilliant. I'd rather see Lawrence as Katniss than Mystique. Ross should just return, I know money is important, but come on, would not like to return to a franchise that you started off?
valeriesghost
valeriesghost - 4/4/2012, 11:44 AM
Agreed@ Marvel72, way to much hand held camera work. There is a difference between wanting to put an audience member "in the moment" and making said member want to throw up
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 4/4/2012, 12:03 PM
I really liked the Hunger Games. I know it got a little slow in the middle but for me it was never boring because it really got into the characters heads and set up the dread that they felt. The shaky cam only bothered me at the beginning because it seemed unnecessary, the shaky cam during the action went over well with me because it really captured the hectic confussion and overwhelming chaos that the contestants would have felt. It was a well made movie, I hope the studio and Ross can come to terms.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 4/4/2012, 12:05 PM
SuperArgo, baseball and football both involve throwing a ball, it doesn't mean they are the same sport. This isn't a new concept, it's just a different take on it.
TheHitchhikingGhost
TheHitchhikingGhost - 4/4/2012, 12:09 PM
Gary's shite. Good move.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 4/4/2012, 12:31 PM
All the books have different styles to them.
Truthfully, without spoiling anything: Hunger Games is A New Hope, Catching Fire is Empire Strikes Back, and Mockingjay is Return of the Jedi... with PTSD.

I was actually thinking this while I read Mockingjay - they're going to have to change the director style if they want to stay true to the book. Mockingjay seems fit for Alfonso Cuaron... not sure about Catching Fire.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 4/4/2012, 12:42 PM
Tea, I don't like the camera work in that tennis clip and don't you spell football 'futbol'?
ChubbyDeadpool
ChubbyDeadpool - 4/4/2012, 1:33 PM
I can't really blame him. Directing is a very hard job for a major film, and of that 3 mill, he'll barely see high-six figures. Tax takes half right off the top, then accountant, manager, agent, assitants etc that take a piece. When an actor gets '$20 million' that's not what goes into their bank account - same thing - they only see a percentage. Considering that Hunger Games could pull in up to a billion dollars, and he makes all of $3 mill - is that fair? Since he literally MADE the film...he deserves his fair cut.
blinkuldhc
blinkuldhc - 4/4/2012, 2:30 PM
Really? $3 million AND 5% of the back end?

Assuming the first movie ends up doing Twilight business (like $700 million+), Ross is going to make $40+ million.

The reason why The HG was so commercially and critically successful (besides the hype) was because of the script and the acting. Yes, the director influences the acting -- but there was nothing special about Ross' technical handling of the film. As long as you're not Bay, Ratner, Uwe Boll et al. and bring a faithful adaptation, it'll work.
thecheetoman2004
thecheetoman2004 - 4/4/2012, 3:14 PM
I find it funny how everyone is saying that Ross was behind all the shaky cam moments in the film.

The director doesn't shoot it, the cinematographer does.

But besides that, I hope Ross returns.
pro346
pro346 - 4/4/2012, 3:20 PM
Maybe the studio will budget for a tripod and I heard the effects team is busy doing sharktopus 2....!!!!!
ecksmanfan
ecksmanfan - 4/4/2012, 3:48 PM
I didn't mind the shaky cam. The movie could have easily been rated R with the amount of violence in the book. In order to gain a PG-13 rating, they had to tone down the violence, However, they still included some of that and added the shaky cam work to cover that up and I thought it worked quite well. Do we need as much of it? Probably not, but I didn't find it too distracting. There are worse things that could have happened to this film; like Brett Ratner or Michael Bay.
MrRogers
MrRogers - 4/4/2012, 4:01 PM
I loved the first and second book but seriously the third book sucked balls
NeoBaggins
NeoBaggins - 4/4/2012, 5:23 PM
I just got back from seeing this.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 4/4/2012, 7:33 PM
@MrRogers
I agree. I finished it today and wow, talk about disappointment. Not going to spoil anything for anyone else, but I feel like I wasted my time. Hopefully the movie will make some of the deaths a bit more dramatic? And they better cast someone with a lot of personality to play Finnick.

Here's where I'm split on the content and the "shaky cam" (which really isn't THAT shaky). The violence is not the forefront of the piece. It is an event happening, but this movie CONDEMNS the murdering of 22 innocent children. We're not to see stylized violence, nor are we meant to enjoy any particular death scene. The quick cuts and "shaky cam" are there to depict and convey the state of panic felt by the tributes in those scenes. You'll notice that as soon as Katniss gets away from the cornucopia, the "shaky cam" has been replaced by a fixed angle.

I can't wait to see what they do with the next arena, where the tubes are situated in the water. That'll make for a great visual.
ralfinader
ralfinader - 4/4/2012, 7:57 PM
This should have a spoiler alert, I had no idea there could be a sequel.
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