All most as soon as word broke that Gary Ross would not return to helm Catching Fire, the second film in the Hunger Games Saga, it now seems he’s still in contention to direct.
What is known is that Ross has expressed concern that to meet the November 22, 2013 release date, filming needs to begin in August, but the script is not even finished yet, forcing all the ambitious pre-production to be completed in just four months. While it can be done, historically this has lead to issues that no producer, director or distributor wants, which is a contentious set -unless a huge payday is all their after and not a product with any lasting quality.
Plus, with star Jennifer Lawrence commitment to The X Men: First Class sequel, which begins filming in January, this has added another element of unwanted stress to Ross who apparently sees that forcing the sequel to begin so soon, could damage the property.
The again, look at the Harry Potter and Twilight franchise; both productions that ended up with various directors over the years -though David Yates ended up helming three (or four, depending on how you look at The Deathly Hallows) Potter movies.
But, as cynical as I can be, I also think that no matter what, whoever helms Catching Fire, it will be successful. On the other hand, having Ross return brings a consistency to a production, something sequels and franchises films lack at times.
At this point, Ross continues to develop other projects from his own production company, while negotiations carry on. But how far they’re apart from solving these financial and production issues, as of today, is far from known.
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