Lionsgate scored by far the biggest theatrical hit in its history with The Hunger Games, as the film has now grossed $391.9 million domestically and continues to attract repeat viewers.  For the last few months, we've been focused on Catching Fire, the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' second novel in the series set for theatrical release in November of next year. 

While fans have been justifiably upset by the absence of director Gary Ross on the sequel, today brings happy news: The Hunger Games will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download this August 18th.

Lionsgate has officially announced that they've found a director for The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire, with Francis Lawrence set to take over as helmer in the place of Gary Ross. 

Ross, who directed the phenomenally successful film adaptation of Suzanne Collins's dystopian novel, opted not to return for the first of three planned sequels, citing the rushed schedule required to meet an already-announced November 2013 release date.  As the release date loomed and scheduling issues became paramount, Lionsgate needed to find a Catching Fire director, and needed to do so post haste.

Some actors bring something special no matter the movie in which they're appearing, regardless of the size or nature of their role.  To say that Willem Dafoe is such an actor would be a dramatic understatement.  The Oscar-caliber actor has officially signed on to Relativity Media's Out of Furnace, an homage to gritty 1970s crime thrillers that follows a recently released convict as he sets out to avenge his brother.

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.'

Lionsgate looked to the horizon with The Hunger Games, spending the last year playing to the novel's considerable fanbase, first by ensuring that every part of casting was a big deal, then by consistently reminding everyone that the film was on the way and was gonna be huge.  Today, the adaptation of the first novel in Suzanne Collins's dystopian trilogy opens nationwide, and it looks like The Hunger Games will live up the commercial hype.  According to Lionsgate, the film earned an estimated $19.7 million at midnight screenings already.

On the eve of its release, The Hunger Games is enjoying the kind of critical reception that most movies can only dream of and is preparing for an opening weekend that distributor Lionsgate and pretty much everyone else in the nation are expecting to be massive.  Anticipation amongst fans of the novel by Suzanne Collins and the moviegoing public at large is at a fever pitch.  The Hunger Games is everywhere at the moment.

Set in the futuristic dystopia of Panem and focusing on an annual twenty-four person death match between young people is televised for entertainment and as a reminder of governmental power, The Hunger Games could have easily become just the kind of slick entertainment that it subtextually criticizes.  Instead, it's a smart, thrilling science fiction film with smartly drawn characters and a subtle, knowing depiction of a world out of whack.

That The Hunger Games turned out as such can be largely attributed to director Gary Ross, and his effective choices are reflected by his unexpected cast, from lead Jennifer Lawrence through supporting players Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, and Wes Bentley.  At the Los Angeles press junket for the film, IAR was lucky enough to sit in on roundtable interviews with Ross, as well as Banks, Kravitz, and Bentley.  All four were eager to discuss the source material, the film's development, outlandish makeup, their leading lady, and preparation for the first sequel, Catching Fire.

Opening in theaters on March 23rd is the highly anticipated new film The Hunger Games, which is based on the extremely popular novel of the same name by author Suzanne Collins. The film was directed by Gary Ross (Seabiscuit), and stars Academy Award-nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) as the story's hero Katniss Everdeen, as well as Josh Hutcherson (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island), Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song), Woody Harrelson (Rampart), Elizabeth Banks (Man on a Ledge), Lenny Kravitz (Precious), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Toby Jones (My Week With Marilyn), Wes Bentley (There Be Dragons), and Donald Sutherland (Klute). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had the pleasure of sitting down with actor Wes Bentley to discuss his role as Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games. The actor discussed the new film, his pivotal role, getting the part, his character's unique facial hair, the inspiration he gained for his role from watching reality television, director Gary Ross' vision for the film, and the brilliant world that author Suzanne Collins has created. 

The fourth official clip from The Hunger Games has arrived online.  It's a quick one, clocking in at well under one minute, but it is the first to focus on the relationship between Katniess Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne, played respectively by Jennifer Lawrence and Gale Hawthorne. 

The last two weeks have seen the first two official clips from The Hunger Games, Lionsgate's much-hyped adaptation of the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins.  With the nationwide release just around the corner this month, the clip parade continues as new one-minute snippet from the film has appeared online.

If you saw this week's The Hunger Games clip introducing Lenny Kravitz as Cinna and wondered just who Cinna would bet on in the eponymous survival competition, then there's a new TV spot that answers your question unequivocally. Hint: It might just be Katniss Everdeen, the heroine played by Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence.  In addition to answering that crucial question, the TV spot also shows off some new imagery from the Capitol and a teeny tiny peek at the actual games, which have been largely kept out of the marketing.