WORLD TO CATCH FIRE NOVEMBER 22, 2013
CATCHING FIRE – FILM BASED ON SECOND BOOK IN THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES TO UNSPOOL WORLDWIDE
Santa Monica, CA, August 08, 2011– LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, announced today that it will release CATCHING FIRE, the film adaptation of the second book in Suzanne Collins’ runaway bestselling HUNGER GAMES trilogy, on November 22, 2013. The announcement was made by Joe Drake, co-COO of Lionsgate and President of its Motion Picture Group. No further details about CATCHING FIRE have been confirmed at this stage.
Said Drake of the date, “The magical thing about the Hunger Games trilogy is that the books have such a vastly broad appeal. The stories truly offer something for everyone, and the period around the Thanksgiving weekend is such an opportunity for families and friends to make an event of going to the movies.”
THE HUNGER GAMES is currently in production and will be released on March 23, 2012. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Alli Shearmur, President of Development and Production at Lionsgate, is overseeing the production on behalf of the studio. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, which has over 3 million copies in print in the United States alone, is the first in a trilogy of novels which have developed a global following.
Casting News
Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES are pleased to announce that Donald Sutherland has been cast in the role of President Snow in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel.
SUTHERLAND, star of such iconic films as M*A*S*H, Ordinary People , Klute and Kelly’s Heroes, will next be seen in this summer’s comedy, Horrible Bosses and recently starred in The Mechanic with Jason Statham and Ben Foster, The Eagle with Channing Tatum and the highly-successful long form adaptation of Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth.
About The Role
President Snow has been the autocratic ruler of Panem and its contained districts for some 25 years at the outset of the story. With a snake-like appearance, he is cruel and ruthless in his intimidation and control tactics.
Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES are pleased to announce that iconic musician and actor Lenny Kravitz (PRECIOUS) has been cast in the role of Cinna in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel.
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Said director Gary Ross of the casting decision, “When I saw Lenny’s work in PRECIOUS I was just knocked out. It was quiet and strong and understated and open hearted; all qualities which define this character. I’m really looking forward to this ride.”
About The Role
Cinna is Katniss Everdeen’s assigned fashion stylist for the highly ceremonial lead up to The 74th Annual Hunger Games. Though he’s a mild mannered first time stylist, the designs he creates, such as the “Girl On Fire” costume for the tributes’ live televised debut, are show-stopping. With odds being set, wagers being placed, and wealthy benefactors able to occasionally intervene in the games, a high public profile is tantamount to a huge advantage for any contestant entering the arena. The stunning and unique designs Cinna creates for Katniss define her public identity, and in an all too real way, could also contribute to her very survival.
About Lenny Kravitz
Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, one which revels in the rich influences of ’60s and ’70s soul, rock and funk. From 1999 to 2002, he won four consecutive Grammy Awards, setting a record for the most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category with his single “Dig In” (previously winning for “Again,” “American Woman” and “Fly Away”).
In 2009, Kravitz appeared in a supporting role in the critically-acclaimed film Precious, for which he has received a 2010 NAACP Image Awards nomination for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.” Kravitz and the acclaimed Precious cast also received a 2010 Screen Actors Guild nod for “Best Ensemble.” In addition to his role in Precious, Kravitz has also appeared in such films as The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Zoolander. Marking his first release of new material in three years, Lenny Kravitz will release his highly-anticipated ninth studio album, Black and White America on August 30th. www.lennykravitz.com.
WES BENTLEY CAST AS SENECA CRANE IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES
Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES are pleased to announce that actor Wes Bentley (AMERICAN BEAUTY, GHOST RIDER) has been cast in the role of Seneca Crane in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel.
Bentley joins a cast of talented young actors – Jennifer Lawrence as series heroine Katniss Everdeen with Willow Shields as little sister Primrose, and Josh Hutcherson, who was cast as Peeta Mellark, with Liam Hemsworth in the role of Gale Hawthorne. Paula Malcomson will be playing Katniss and Primrose’s mother. It was also announced that Elizabeth Banks has signed on for the part of Katniss’ pre-games handler Effie Trinket.
Bentley is represented by WME and Untitled Entertainment.
About The Role
Seneca Crane is the “Head Gamemaker” of the 74th Hunger Games, in which heroine Katniss Everdeen and childhood acquaintance Peeta Mellark are forced to compete against one another and 22 other young people in a life-threatening survival setting after Katniss bravely volunteers herself to enter the arena in the place of her younger sister.
STANLEY TUCCI CAST AS CAESAR FLICKERMAN IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES
Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES are pleased to announce that Stanley Tucci (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE LOVELY BONES) has been cast in the role of Caesar Flickerman in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel.
Tucci is represented by CAA and Anonymous Content.
About The Role
Caesar Flickerman is utterly familiar to all the citizens of Panem as the l host of the Hunger Games. Known for his outrageous appearance and buoyant personality, his upbeat interviews of the 24 tributes – a boy and a girl from each of the country’s 12 districts – are presented on every television in the nation. He is famous for turning any conversation around to the positive and finding humor in even the most dire circumstances.
WOODY HARRELSON CAST AS HAYMITCH IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES
Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES are pleased to announce that actor Woody Harrelson (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, ZOMBIELAND) has been cast in the role of Haymitch Abernathy in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel.
Said director Gary Ross of the casting decision, “Haymitch is such an unforgettable character: funny cranky outrageous, sarcastic, impatient, biting but ultimately kind. I’m so grateful we have Woody Harrelson to play him. I can’t wait for us to get to work.”
Harrelson is represented by CAA.
About The Role
A Hunger Games victor himself, Haymitch has assumed the role of official mentor to all future tributes in his native District 12. Though he was strong and attractive in his youth, his years of hard living following his own experiences in the arena have rendered him jaded and unfocused to say the least. He begins to show signs of reinvigoration when he finally sees in Katniss and Peeta a pair of spirited tributes- true contenders whose fate might actually hinge on his advice and guidance.
About The Film
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
THE HUNGER GAMES will be directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Collins’ best-selling novel, which has over 3 million copies in print in the United States alone, is the first in a trilogy of novels which have developed a global following.
Lionsgate will release “The Hunger Games” on March 23, 2012.
Official Hunger Games Movie Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialHungerGamesMovie
Official Hunger Games Movie Twitter:
http://twitter.com/thehungergames
More To Come
