Matthew McConaughey and Gary Ross Team for Civil War Drama 'Free State of Jones'

This weekend you'll have a chance to see Matthew McConaughey head into deep space to save humanity in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (review here), and already he's lining up another project. With the American Film Market underway deals have been getting made left and right, and now McConaughey and Gary Ross (The Hunger Games) have come together for the true Civil War tale, Free State of Jones.

This is a project Ross has been developing for years, and with McConaughey on board it should have no problem with financing. Free State of Jones tells the true story of Newton Knight, a Confederate soldier and farmer during the Civil War who defected and led a rebellion against them. He and a group of like-minded individuals set out to form the Free State of Jones around Mississippi. Knight was a controversial figure seen as a traitor by some and noble by others. He conducted raids against the Confederacy during the war, and also was in a common law marriage with a slave at a time when it was both illegal and frowned upon socially.

A film loosely based on Knight's exploits was released in 1948, titled Tap Roots. [Deadline]

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Gary Ross to Pen 'East of Eden' for Jennifer Lawrence; 'We're the Millers' Sequel Moves Forward

* Last fall we learned Jennifer Lawrence was looking to re-team with The Hunger Games director Gary Ross for a two-part adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Ross was already directing but now he's agreed to pen the screenplay, as well.  The book "tells of two families over the course of two generations, loosely alluding to the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, focusing on a father, his two sons, and the children's mother, whom they thought was dead." It was famously adapted into a 1955 film starring James Dean. This one's still a ways off as Ross is in line to direct Peter and the Starcatchers first.

* Not that this will come as any surprise, but New Line is looking for a sequel to last year's $270M-grossing comedy, We're the Millers. According to THR, they've hired Adam Sztykiel (Due Date) to pen the follow-up, with Rawson Marshall Thurber expected to return as director. But what about the cast? Jennifer Aniston, Will Poulter, Jason Sudeikis, and Emma Roberts are all expected back although no deals are in place. Expect that to be rectified soon.

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Gary Ross officially out as director of 'Catching Fire'

Poor Josh Hutcherson. He seemed so sure that Gary Ross would return to direct The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, and now he'll have to deal with the fact that somebody else will be behind the camera. A few days ago, ThePlaylist broke the story that Ross was dropping out of the film, basically citing the desire to pursue other projects. This was quickly followed by other sites and Lionsgate reps stating that negotiations were still under way and nothing was final. Well, it's sure as sh*t final now. Here's the official statement from Ross....

"Despite recent speculation in the media, and after difficult but sincere consideration, I have decided not to direct 'Catching Fire'. As a writer and a director, I simply don’t have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule.

I loved making 'The Hunger Games' – it was the happiest experience of my professional life. Lionsgate was supportive of me in a manner that few directors ever experience in a franchise: they empowered me to make the film I wanted to make and backed the movie in a way that requires no explanation beyond the remarkable results. And contrary to what has been reported, negotiations with Lionsgate have not been problematic. They have also been very understanding of me through this difficult decision.

I also cannot say enough about the people I worked with: Producer Nina Jacobson, a great collaborator and a true friend; the brilliant Suzanne Collins, who entrusted us with her most amazing and important story; the gifted and remarkable Jennifer Lawrence whose performance exceeded my wildest expectations, and the rest of the incredible cast, whom I am proud to call my friends.

To the fans I want to say thank you for your support your faith, your enthusiasm and your trust. Hard as this may be to understand I am trying to keep that trust with you. Thank you all. It’s been a wonderful experience."

Based on that, it doesn't sound as if money was ever the issue, and like I speculated before, he simply wanted to move on and do something different. It's what Ross has always done.

Now the question turns to who will take over Catching Fire. While the name Steven Soderbergh may be first on fans' lists as the top notch filmmaker did 2nd Unit work on The Hunger Games, chances are it'll be somebody with more franchise experience. David Slade(The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Andrew Adamson(The Chronicles of Narnia), Francis Lawrence(I Am Legend), and Sam Mendes(Skyfall) were contenders the first time around and may be considerations again. 

Catching Fire is currently being written by Simon Beaufoy(Slumdog Millionaire) and set for release on November 22nd 2013.

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Gary Ross may or may not have dropped out of 'The Hunger Games' sequel; Depends on who you ask

So I go away for eight days and what I come back to is the year's biggest franchise film possibly losing one of its most important components. Of course I'm talking about The Hunger Games, and there have been some significant moves taking place in the last couple of days. It's actually more of mixed bag of good news and bad news, so let's just start with the good.

Jennifer Lawrence now has two major franchises under her belt, with The Hunger Games taking aim at nearly $300M in just over two weeks. But she also has X-men: First Class, which last year reinvigorated the sagging mutant franchise to the point where 20th Century Fox greenlit a sequel with Matthew Vaughn returning to direct. So here's the dilemma: Fox wanted to begin filming on the X-men sequel this fall, which would have crashed into Lawrence's schedule to shoot Catching Fire, the second film in The Hunger Games trilogy. Let's face it, Lawrence probably wouldn't choose a side role as Mystique in X-men: First Class over the global juggernaut that is The Hunger Games, but fortunately she won't have to make that decision. THR says that Lionsgate and Fox have ironed out a deal that will push X-men back to next January, meaning Lawrence will be tackling two huge films in a row. Not bad for an actress none of us had heard of  three years ago.

Before Catching Fire can get rolling, they may need to find a new director. Over the last few days, reports began to trickle out that Gary Ross wasn't making negotiations to return very easy on Lionsgate. He signed a low figure deal to direct the first film, and since he wasn't signed to a multi-pic deal, the story was that he was aiming for huge A-list numbers to return. Can't really blame him considering Lionsgate had to have known The Hunger Games would be a smash hit from the start. A recent story by ThePlaylist states that Ross will not be coming back for Catching Fire, which is already in the scripting process with Simon Beaufoy(Slumdog Millionaire) writing, and a release set for November 22nd 2013. How much of their report is accurate is up for dispute, as other trade sites are stating that nothing is a done deal as of yet.

Ross really seemed to be enjoying his time with the cast and crew of The Hunger Games, and is genuinely fond of the material, having helped in the adapting process with original writer Suzanne Collins. So it wouldn't surprise me to see him return as long as Lionsgate paid him what he's due. On the other hand, Ross doesn't really do sequels. Never has. And one glimpse at his resume shows that he relishes taking on sensitive subjects, such as oppression and race with Pleasantville, and never does the same thing twice. The Hunger Games probably scratched a particular itch for him, and maybe he's done with it?

If Ross does go, expect to see some of the names he beat out for the job initially resurfacing, especially those with considerable franchise experience. Names like David Slade(The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Andrew Adamson (The Chronicles of Narnia), and Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend). Sam Mendes (Away We Go) also was a top contender at one point.

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Why wait? Simon Beaufoy already writing sequel to 'The Hunger Games'

If you're Lionsgate and you just spent over $400M to buy Summit, you have to be tinkled pink at the prospect of having the two biggest tween franchises under the same banner. Twilight may be wrapping up, but there's a good chance it'll continue in some form. And The Hunger Games, while probably not quite on the same level as those glittery bloodsuckers, is poised to take over the top spot starting on March 23rd.

A couple of months ago we learned that Lionsgate wanted to get the ball rolling on Catching Fire, the second novel in Suzanne Collins' trilogy, and were looking at Simon Beaufoy to take over the script. The Wrap now confirms Beaufoy has begun work on the adaptation, which already has a release date nailed for November 22nd 2013.  Gary Ross, who directed The Hunger Games and co-wrote the script alongside Collins, has been confirmed to return. In less surprising and slightly spoilery news, Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, and Liam Hemsworth will all be back.

Beaufoy is a frequent collaborator with Danny Boyle, having written both Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours. So yeah, he's pretty good. Ross will be overseeing his work on the script, but to what degree he'll have input is unclear.

I'm not going to dive into the plot of Catching Fire, since it gives away some key plot points. I'll just say that the world of Panem is expanded to a considerable degree, and we find out there's a lot more going on than just the tournament. 

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Steven Soderbergh working 2nd Unit direction on The Hunger Games

Gary Ross doesn't have a lot of time to crank out his adaptation of The Hunger Games. That might explain why we've seen so many shots from the film already. It's due to hit theaters on just barely over half a year, and this is no small production by any means. So it makes sense that he'd get somebody with experience to help out on the 2nd unit, and that just happens to be Steven Soderbergh.


Yeah, Soderbergh is still supposed to retire at some point in the near future(>sniff<), but he's still got a lot on his plate. He's got two films coming up in the next few months, the virus outbreak film, Contagion, and his revenge actioner, Haywire.  After that he's lined up Magic Mike, which is based on the early stripper career of Channing Tatum.  The tweets from The Hunger Games crew confirmed Soderbergh's presence, but why would he do it to begin with?

Soderbergh and Ross have a long history together, stretching back at least as far back as 1998's Pleasantville. Ross directed that film, with Soderbergh producing. The two have been friends ever since. Phil Messina, who is working production design on The Hunger Games, is also a frequent Soderbergh collaborator. Soderbergh's reputation for working quickly is probably the main reason, but having him on board only makes me more confident this will be a terrific film.

The Hunger Games hits theaters on March 23rd 2012. [ThePlaylist]

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Jennifer Lawrence looks badass in new images from The Hunger Games

Yesterday we got our first good look at how Jennifer Lawrence will appear as Katniss Everdeen in Gary Ross's adaptation of The Hunger Games. That came via the cover of Entertainment Weekly's latest issue, and now today we've got a couple more shots. One is just a fuller version of the cover image, giving us a better look at her apparel and her trust bow. The second shows more of her surroundings, the dreaded forest that fans of Suzanne Collins' novels know is the setting for the Games, where kids are sent to kill each other for the amusement of the ruling government. Thanks to The Film Stage for these new scans....

I continue to be impressed. After seeing Lawrence in the clips from X-men: First Class and then again in The Beaver, she seemed to be too pretty and fragile for a role as rigorous and frankly ugly as this. But she's got the look, and the outfit they worked up for her is spot on.

In case you're straining your eyes to read what the print says in that image, it goes something like this...

Katniss’ Costume: When it comes to the dazzling attire Katniss will wear when she’s interviewed in front of the Capital audience, Lawrence couldn’t care less. But she was plenty vocal on the subject of her arena outfit – the survivalist-style clothing (seen here) that she wears while fighting for her life. “I’m going to be doing a lot of my own stunts,” says Lawrence. “I want to make sure I can run and jump and climb. I’ve been driving [the costume designer] crazy with the boots: ‘You have to fix this here, you have to make it lighter here, you have to open it up here.’ The dresses I don’t care about them. Just put them on me. It’s like Oscar season again.”

 I told Gary, ‘I totally understand if you don’t hire me, but please remember that after Katniss shoots a bow and kills someone, her face cannot be badass. It has to be broken.”

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The Hunger Games set for a March 2012 release date

I know quite a few people who are itching for every little detail on Gary Ross's adaptation of The Hunger Games, based on the first of three novels by Suzanne Collins. The story centers around a post-apocalyptic city run by a powerful central government. Every year one boy and one girl from the surrounding districts are chosen to fight to the death. Well now all those folks I know can start clearing their schedules, because Lionsgate has officially nailed down a release date of March 23rd 2012 for the film.

So far nobody has been cast in the PG-13(booo!!!) rated flick, but names like Chloe Moretz and Hailee Steinfeld have already been tossed around. Expect those names to start flying around even more now that a release has been set in stone.  If The Hunger Games does well, expect to see the next two books in the trilogy announced fairly quickly.

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