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In an interview with the Washington Post about What to Expect When You’re Expecting. She also mentioned Effie and working on CATCHING FIRE:

The film is due in the fall, right when she returns to the world of “The Hunger Games” to film its second installment, “Catching Fire.”

Her turn as the super-coiffed Effie Trinket has won Banks younger fans and reinvigorated her passion for acting.

“I just love Effie so much,” the actress said. “She’s a really amazing character, a complicated, interesting, wild character to play — the type of character that when you’re a young actor you dream of getting to play, and I get to do it now.”

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According to E! Online, Ben Falcone (who made an appearance in Bridesmaids), is campaigning for a role in CATCHING FIRE:

And he has a really good connection—he plays Hunger star Elizabeth Banks’ husband in What to Expect When You’re Expecting (out May 18).

“I knew she had done this movie and then someone showed me a picture of her and it was so cool!” Falcone remembers. “I was like, I wanna be one of those.

“So I’ve been openly campaigning to be in it,” he continued. “I want to be one of those Capitol dwellers. I want my hair to be 8 feet tall and have purple skin.”

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According to the Lethbridge Herald, THE HUNGER GAMES was responsible for increasing Cineplex Entertainment’s profit:

The first instalment of the trilogy by the same name had the highest-grossing first-quarter weekend of all-time and the third-largest opening weekend of all-time, Canada’s largest movie theatre company said Thursday.

“A strong film slate including titles such as ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ contributed to a 12.1 per cent increase in both attendance and total revenue,” president and CEO Ellis Jacob said.

The Hunger Games helped Cinexplex post a $15.1-million profit for the quarter ended March 31, a marked improvement over the $800,000 loss the company (TSX:CGX) booked in the same period last year.

On a per-share basis the company earned 26 cents, up from a loss of a penny per share in the first three months of 2011.

Revenue for the quarter was $248.2 million, up 12 per cent from $221.4 million a year ago, as attendance was also up 12 per cent at 17.1 million customers.

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In an interview with MTV, Josh Hutcherson revealed how THE HUNGER GAMES has changed his personal life…not by much…:

“I’ve changed a lot. I wear nothing but high-end designer suits. I fly private everywhere,” he joked to MTV News about his superstar status. “I haven’t changed at all.

“I was expecting it to be a huge difference and it hasn’t been, and I can’t tell you how relieved that I am,” he added. “It’s been so low-key and people who do recognize me have been awesome, cool and not crazy.”

With all the hype that has surrounded the film, Hutcherson had certain expectations for how his life would change. “I did for sure [think it would be different]. Everybody was telling me ‘It’s gonna be crazy.’ I go everywhere all the time and nobody stops me,” he said. “I’m good with what I have.”

One thing Hutcherson doesn’t seem to want to give up is his love for getting inked. “The last one I got was six months ago. I have like an anchor ship creation on my back; it’s like an old sailor Jerry tattoo kind of thing. I love that old, traditional style,” he said.

Continue reading »]]> According to Market Place, Lionsgate has announced that THE HUNGER GAMES will receive an early June release in China:

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 5, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Lionsgate LGF -3.61% , a leading diversified global entertainment company, announced today that THE HUNGER GAMES, which has already grossed nearly $620 million at the worldwide box office, has been approved for release in China in the first half of June.

The film will be released nationwide in China with both dubbed and subtitled prints by The China Film Group in conjunction with Lionsgate’s promotional partner, Talent International. THE HUNGER GAMES will be one of the first Hollywood studio films to be released in China under the new blockbuster revenue sharing agreement announced in February that allows Western distributors to collect up to 25% of a film’s receipts in China.

“THE HUNGER GAMES juggernaut continues to gain momentum around the world, and we’re thrilled that we can now share the exciting first installment of THE HUNGER GAMES franchise with Chinese moviegoers in June,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman. “China is already one of the leading territories at the international box office, and the launch of THE HUNGER GAMES in this key market is another sign of the franchise’s continuing emergence as a truly global phenomenon.”

THE HUNGER GAMES has already grossed more than $380 million at the North American box office where it ranks 13th among the highest-grossing films of all time. It has grossed nearly $620 million worldwide with upcoming launches in China and Japan.

“We view China as an increasingly important market for our content in Asia,” said Wendy Reeds, Executive Vice President of Content Sales & Distribution for Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), Lionsgate’s venture with Saban Capital Group and Astro’s Celestial Pictures in Asia. “The Chinese box office grew by more than 30% last year to over $2 billion, and THE HUNGER GAMES’ approval for nationwide release in China is a major step in translating the enormous commercial potential of this huge market into reality.”

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Lionsgate has confirmed with us that Francis Lawrence is directing CATCHING FIRE! :

LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, announced today that Francis Lawrence has officially signed on to direct CATCHING FIRE, the sequel to THE HUNGER GAMES, based on the second in a series of books by Suzanne Collins that has 36 million copies in circulation in the US alone. The announcement was made by Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group Co-Chairmen Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman.

Francis Lawrence released a statement today as well:

“It is truly an honor and a privilege to bring Catching Fire, the second chapter of Suzanne’s beloved trilogy, to the big screen. I fell in love with the characters, the themes and the world she created and this chapter opens all of these elements up in such a thrilling, emotional and surprising way. I can’t wait to dive right into it and bring this chapter to life along with the truly superb cast and filmmakers involved.”

Lionsgate’s President of Production Erik Feig said:

Lionsgate, the cast, and filmmakers are all thrilled to have Francis Lawrence come on board as director of Catching Fire. Suzanne’s brilliant book is the intense story of the birth of the rebellion and Katniss’ emotionally charged journey as she takes on the mantle of the Mockingjay, and we all think Francis is the perfect director to bring the story to life

Nina Jacobson from Color Force also said:

From the very beginning of this brilliant trilogy’s journey from page to screen, our first priority has been to stay true to the heart and soul of Suzanne Collins’ powerful stories. From my first conversation with Francis, I knew he would make a great partner for both me and Suzanne. His passion for Catching Fire and inspired ideas for a faithful adaptation make him the perfect director for this movie. I know this will be a wonderful collaboration and I cannot wait to get started

Make sure to check out a note Francis Lawrence wrote to THE HUNGER GAMES fans HERE!

“Hello fellow Hunger Games fans! I just want you all to know how unbelievably excited and honored I am to be a part of Catching Fire. At the end of the day, all of the work that I put in to my movies is for you — the fans. Make sure to post and let me know what you’re most excited to see in this adaptation as we aim to make something truly faithful and spectacular!” – Francis Lawrence

Continue reading »]]> While Gary Ross is not directing Catching Fire, he is still focusing on other projects. According to Hollywood Reporter:

Gary Ross, fresh off his wildly successful adaptation of The Hunger Games, is in negotiations to direct Houdini for Summit.

‘Hunger Games’: Director Gary Ross Gives His Take on the First Trailer (Video)
The project is an adaptation of The Secret Life of Houdini, The Making of America’s First Superhero, a biography of Harry Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman.
The tome, published in 2006 by Atria Books, became known for insinuating that the master magician and premier escape artist acted as a spy for Britain, helped the Secret Service and was in cahoots with police organizations. Summit picked up feature-film rights to the book in March 2009 with the aim of launching an action-thriller franchise featuring a character who is part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes.

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This year, for the 2012 MTV Movie Awards, THE HUNGER GAMES has been nominated for EIGHT categories!:

Movie of the Year» “Bridesmaids”
» “The Hunger Games”
» “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
» “The Help”
» “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″

Best Male Performance
» Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
» Ryan Gosling, “Drive”
» Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50″
» Josh Hutcherson, “The Hunger Games”
» Channing Tatum, “The Vow”

Best Female Performance
» Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games”
» Kristin Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
» Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid Love”
» Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
» Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Breakthrough Performance
» Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
» Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
» Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games”
» Elle Fanning, “Super 8″
» Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

Best Cast
» “Bridesmaids”
» “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
» “The Hunger Games”
» “21 Jump Street”
» “The Help”

Best On-Screen Transformation
» Elizabeth Banks, “The Hunger Games”
» Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
» Johnny Depp, “21 Jump Street”
» Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
» Colin Farrell, “Horrible Bosses”

Best Fight
» Daniel Radcliffe vs. Ralph Fiennes, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
» Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig, “The Hunger Games”
» Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill vs. Kid Gang, “21 Jump Street”
» Tom Hardy vs. Joel Edgerton, “Warrior”
» Tom Cruise vs. Michelle Nyqvist, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”

Best Kiss
» Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”
» Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
» Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, “The Hunger Games”
» Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, “The Vow”
» Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″

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Josh Hutcherson had a few words to say to EW during the White House Correspondent’s dinner about Gary Ross’s departure and Francis Lawrence becoming the CATCHING FIRE director:

“I called him and I was like ‘Gary what’s up? What’s happening? Tell me it’s not the truth,” said Hutcherson. “I’ve never heard someone sound more dejected on the phone than he was. He was so sad he can’t be doing it.”

Though Hutcherson said he was “sad about Gary not being there,” he explained he’s eager to start shooting Catching Fire and looks forward to working with new director Francis Lawrence, whom he referred to as “extremely talented.”

“I think we’re going to make a good movie nevertheless and I’m excited to see what Francis brings to the table,” said Hutcherson.