Pop quiz, hotshot.  You're Lionsgate, the mini-major studio that has scored the biggest hit in its history with The Hunger Games, which has now grosses more than $534 million globally.  With a release date already announced for Catching Fire, the first of what will likely be three sequels, and some scheduling complications, you discover that The Hunger Games director and co-writer has surprisingly opted not to return.  Who do you pick to replace him and make that all-important release date?

Well that was dramatic.  After co-writing and directing The Hunger Games, easily the biggest movie in Lionsgate's history and his career, Gary Ross has decided not to return for the sequel, Catching Fire.  Ross himself, who made the first film a critical hit in addition to a commercial juggernaut, released a statement making it official.  While early reports cited difficult negotiations, the director explicitly denies that this was not the case, and instead says, "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.'

In two weeks of release, The Hunger Games has now grossed $384.3 million dollars globally, while also earning a pretty ecstatic response from critics, fans of the novel by Suzanne Collins, and general audiences.  So you'd think that co-writer and director Gary Ross would be eager to return to the futuristic dystopia of Panem.  Evidently not, as Ross has opted not to direct the sequel, Catching Fire.

After opening to the third-biggest domestic debut weekend of all time, legitimate pop culture phenomenon The Hunger Games has grossed $368.0 million globally.  It's done so in under two weeks of theatrical release.  So with by far the biggest hit in its history, Lionsgate is naturally keen to continue the series with Catching Fire, the already announced adaptation of Suzanne Collins's novel.  But apparently it's not a guarantee that Gary Ross, who co-wrote and directed The Hunger Games, will be back for another round.

The sheer amount of marketing material pertaining to The Hunger Games ensured that I long ago ran out of things to say about the adaptation of Suzanne Collins's first novel in the crazy-popular young adult novel trilogy.  It's been months of casting speculation, announcements, and endless new images, but today there's a bit of The Hunger Games promotion is quite novel, effectively eye-catching, and really sort of funny.

One day, two big happenings pertaining to The Hunger Games.  It's still early, but the second big news on the potentially huge adaptation of Suzanne Collins's first novel in her dystopian Panem trilogy is the release of a new theatrical trailer.  It's brief, clocking in at not much more than one minute, but it does a lot with the time, hitting a bunch of big emotional notes, getting across the basic concept of the eponymous competition, and setting up the dystopia of Panem.

With two months to go until The Hunger Games actually arrives in theaters across this great nation of ours, Lionsgate has released yet another new still from the film.  This is picture number 473,218 from the anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins's novel, and I am officially out of things to say regarding any still from the dystopia of Panem.

Lionsgate has released the final one sheet for The Hunger Games, the much-hyped adaptation of Suzanne Collins's bestselling young adult novel.  Back in October, eight character posters for the film went for stark simplicity, showing each character in profile staring off into the distance.  Then last month, a busier poster conveyed the scale and popularity of the titular survival competition that so enthralls the citizens of futuristic dystopia Panem.

This last one sheet is somewhere between those two approaches, featuring one close-up image of Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen with her signature bow drawn, presumably ready to send a lethal arrow through a similarly youthful Tribute from a competing District.  The film's logo is also on display, along with some of the spark effects you see on so many posters these days.

Months ago, somebody in the marketing department at Lionsgate walked into an important The Hunger Games meeting and declared simply, "Pictures."  By fr the most consistent new material from the adaptation of Suzanne Collins's bestselling young adult novel have been stills from the futuristic dystopia of Panem.  For months, these stills were exclusively from the impoverished District 12, and generally featured Jennifer Lawrence and/or Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth standing in the woods.  With just a few months until the film hits theaters, though, we're getting a good feel for the wealthy, ridiculously stylized Capitol.

Yesterday, Elizabeth Banks explained that, when it comes to a film like The Hunger Games, which is adapted from a much-loved young adult novel, basically, "Haters gonna hate."  Throughout the film's development and production, fans have indeed scrutinized every available element, from casting to costumes.  And they'll likely to continue to do so until well after the movie arrives in theaters, but for now, official stills offer the most comprehensive feel for the world that director Gary Ross is building. 

Lionsgate has released a new image featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in character as leads Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.  They're chilling in the official training uniforms provided to them in the capital of Panem, and many people will no doubt criticize the everything from the boots to the little number 12 signifying their home district.