Simon Beaufoy

Simon Beaufoy Already Writing HUNGER GAMES Sequel CATCHING FIRE; Director Gary Ross Confirmed to Return

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 17th, 2012 at 2:44 pm

While we reported back in November that Lionsgate was eyeing Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) to pen the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire, the news has now been confirmed. Moreover, The Wrap reports that Beaufoy is already hard at work on adapting the second book in Suzanne Collins’ bestselling trilogy. Director Gary Ross, who is busy finishing up post-production on The Hunger Games, is also confirmed to return for the second go-around of teenager murdering.

Ross and Collins previously wrote the script for The Hunger Games (with some help from Billy Ray) but since Ross is busy finishing up the first film, Lionsgate has gotten a jump on the scripting process in order to line up Catching Fire for a late 2012 or so shoot. Catching Fire is my favorite of the three books, and it’s also the most cinematic. I’m incredibly excited to see how Ross and Beaufoy handle the big set pieces of the story, as it’s packed with some potentially fantastic visuals. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of Catching Fire (which, obviously, contains spoilers for The Hunger Games). The Hunger Games opens March 23rd and Catching Fire is set for a November 22nd, 2013 release.

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN Opens 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: December 22nd, 2011 at 5:24 pm

When the Palm Springs International Film Festival starts on January 5^th, the honor of being the opening film will fall to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. The film, by Oscar-nominated director Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules) and Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) is an adaptation of the Paul Torday award-winning novel of the same name. The plot follows a sheik (Amr Waked) who desires to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen, a wild idea that is facilitated by a fishing expert (Ewan McGregor) and a PR consultant (Emily Blunt) with the urgings of the Prime Minister’s press secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas). While Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is set to open the festival, the German comedy Almanya, Welcome to Germany will close it out on January 15^th. Hit the jump for more on Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

Lionsgate Eyes Simon Beaufoy to Pen HUNGER GAMES Sequel CATCHING FIRE; Gary Ross Expected to Return

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 16th, 2011 at 1:57 pm

The first real trailer for director Gary Ross’ adaptation of The Hunger Games was unveiled this past Monday, and as an avid fan of the books I was wholeheartedly pleased. Lionsgate appears to be happy with the footage as well, as they’re moving right along with the sequel Catching Fire. A release date for the follow-up (November 2013) was announced this past August, and now the studio is getting to work on the script. Lionsgate is courting Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) to pen the script, and Ross is expected to return to the director’s chair as well. Hit the jump for more details.

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy Exclusive Video Interview 127 HOURS

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 6th, 2010 at 4:02 pm

If you read Collider on a regular basis, you might have already seen and read our roundtable interview with 127 Hours screenwriter Simon Beaufoy.  During that extended interview, Beaufoy talked in detail about how he got to the project and told some great behind the scenes stories about how the script came together.

However, while many people like reading Q&A’s, others prefer to watch someone talk about a project.  So when I was offered the chance to speak with Beaufoy on camera, I thought it would be a wise move.  Also, I’m a fan of his work (The Full Monty, Slumdog Millionaire), and I wanted to ask his thoughts on how some people are having physical reactions while watching 127 Hours.  Hit the jump to check out what he had to say:

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy Interview 127 HOURS

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: October 26th, 2010 at 1:09 pm

Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle’s new film, 127 Hours, is a gripping account of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s harrowing ordeal after he becomes pinned under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and must take desperate measures in order to survive. The film, co-written by Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, who won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Slumdog Millionaire, is inspired by Ralston’s memoir, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” and features a compelling, Oscar worthy performance by James Franco.

We sat down recently with Simon at a roundtable interview to talk about his collaboration with Danny Boyle. He told us how they set about finding the cinematic potential of a story involving one location and one actor and mined the anti-superhero aspects to reveal the spiritual journey Aron embarks on when he is pushed to the limits of human endurance. Simon also updated us on his upcoming film, Salmon Fishing in Yemen, directed by Lasse Halstrom from his screenplay.

HBO Adds Another Star To Its Roster As Kathryn Bigelow Signs On To Direct the Pilot For THE MIRACULOUS YEAR

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 14th, 2010 at 9:01 pm

Since the dawn of the new year, it’s been hard to keep up with all the film talent HBO was luring to the channel for various projects.  Michael Mann is directing a pilot for Luck from Deadwood creator David Milch.  Charlize Theron and David Fincher are teaming for the serial killer series Mind Hunter.  Russell Crowe and Maria Bello are set to star in Emergency Sex from Slumdog Millionaire scripter Simon Beaufoy.  Zooey Deschanel will headline a series adaptation of I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie.  And most recently HBO acquired the Todd Haynes miniseries adaptation of Mildred Pierce with none other than Kate Winslet attached to star.  Plus miniseries The Pacific, which counts Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks among its producers, will begin a ten-week run on March 14th and the Martin Scorsese-directed pilot for Boardwalk Empire starring Steve Buscemi is set to air later in the year.

But they’re not done just yet.  The Hollywood Reporter announced that recent Oscar-nominee (and soon-to-be Oscar-winner) Kathryn Bigelow will direct the pilot for The Miraculous Year from a screenplay by John Logan.  Details after the break.

Kate Mara set to Spend 127 Hours with James Franco and Director Danny Boyle

by Keith Demko    Posted: February 12th, 2010 at 6:53 am

Before James Franco gets trapped under a boulder and has to amputate his own arm in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, it seems he’ll at least first get to enjoy the company of two beautiful young women along the way.

Joining the previously announced Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara is now in negotiations to also join the cast. The duo would play a pair of hikers that Franco’s character, Aron Ralston, meets near the beginning of his rather perilous journey. For anyone unfamiliar with his story, Ralston is a mountaineer who became trapped while climbing in Utah and was forced to remove his own arm to survive. The harrowing tale, which is being scripted by Simon Beaufoy, should give Boyle, Franco and their two lady friends plenty of great stuff to work with.

Hit the jump to find out more about what Kate Mara has been up to lately.

Russell Crowe, Maria Bello, and Writer Simon Beaufoy Will Have EMERGENCY SEX At HBO

by Bill Graham    Posted: January 29th, 2010 at 1:44 pm

Simon Beaufoy, Oscar winning writer for Slumdog Millionaire, is set to script Emergency Sex on HBO, starring Maria Bello in a project based on the book that Russell Crowe bought the rights for, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story From Hell on Earth, written by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait, and Andrew Thomson, follows their travels, sex, and addiction to helping rebuild and heal communities across Bosnia, Cambodia, Haiti, Liberia, Rwanda, and Somalia.

The three met in Cambodia as helpers for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the ’90s and the story details their travels to the various locales and the mental strain they endured. Obviously, Bello will likely be playing Postlewait in the series.

Danny Boyle Would Like to Spend 127 HOURS with a Man Who Cut Off His Own Arm

by Adam Charles    Posted: November 4th, 2009 at 10:28 pm

After running through the striking slums of India, Danny Boyle will scale it back a bit for his next film and tell a simple story of a man climbing a mountain.  The only problem is that man got himself caught under a boulder and had to amputate his own arm in order to survive.  Luckily for Boyle and us, that’s a much more exciting story and it will be the Oscar-winning director’s next project, titled “127 Hours.”  More after the jump, but be extremely careful on your way down.

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