‘The Hunger Games’ sequel ‘Catching Fire’ to be directed by Cronenberg or Cuaron?

It’s safe to admit that I enjoyed The Hunger Games quite a bit. News from L.A. Times’ blog, 24 Frames, states that because of Gary Ross’ exit, Lionsgate has a short list of directors to offer the project to. According to 24 Frames, they have a source that has reported there are seven or eight directors that Lionsgate is interested in grabbing. That director is only given less than 4 months before they are put in the director’s chair to start an August production. However, they won’t be alone as author Suzanne Collins and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy will have heavy input on how the film should be executed. It is important to note that Collins is treating this thing like her own child and is very protective about the integrity of the film adaptations.

While only three out of the shortlist have been revealed to 24 Frames, they are names that horror, cult and arthouse movie fans will recognize. Among them is David Cronenberg (Videodrome), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel). I think out of all of them, I would love to see Cronenberg direct it. However, knowing how he has worked on past productions, he will want a bit of creative input which might not be applicable to this property. Cuaron would be a very interesting choice and one I would definitely be excited about as I felt that his Harry Potter adaptation was one of the best entries in that franchise.

What this does tell us is that Lionsgate & Suzanne Collins take this franchise seriously and want it to be handled properly. I’m sure we will hear more in the next month so stay tuned.