There was speculation recently as to whether or not Gary Ross would return to direct Catching Fire, the sequel to the recent box-office smash success The Hunger Games. Unlike the film’s stars — Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth — Ross was not signed for the sequel. After receiving $3 million to write and direct the first film, along with 5 percent of backend, Ross was looking for “a significant raise for a second” (via THR), but that all appears to be over now.
The Playlist is reporting money only played a small role in what was Ross’s ultimate decision, which was not to return to the franchise again. Instead he will begin work on something he has written and, as The Playlist puts it, will earn him a better payday that he would’ve received on Catching Fire.”
Catching Fire, however, is showing no signs of distress. The film is slated for a November 22, 2013 release and it was just reported Fox has worked around star Jennifer Lawrence’s schedule for the next film so she can shoot both Catching Fire and return as Mystique for the sequel to X-Men: First Class without cause for concern, though there was some concern for a brief time.
Unlike Catching Fire, X-Men: First Class 2 will have its director Matthew Vaughn back for a second go around with plans to begin shooting January 2013 for what I assume will be a summer 2014 release.
