Though the Twilight franchise recently came to a close with the release of Breaking Dawn – Part 2, another wildly popular YA franchise is only just getting started.  Production is currently underway in Atlanta on the second installment in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire, and fans are eager to see what director Francis Lawrence will bring to the adaptation after taking over the director’s chair from Hunger Games helmer Gary Ross.  Star Josh Hutcherson recently spoke a bit about how the shoot is going, teasing some impressive set designs and revealing which scenes from the pic will be filmed with IMAX cameras.

Hit the jump to see what he had to say, but beware of spoilers for those that haven’t read the book.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22, 2013.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a teaser motion poster for the upcoming sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has been released online.  The motion poster was actually attached to screenings of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 in the form of a teaser trailer, so it served to ensure Twihards that even though their brooding vampire series is over, there’s more teen goodness on the way.  The poster also reveals what looks to be the film’s tagline, “Every Revolution Begins with a Spark.” Francis Lawrence takes over directing duties from Gary Ross this time around (he’ll also be directing the two-part finale, Mockingjay) and core cast members Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth are joined by newcomers Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright, and Amanda Plummer.

Hit the jump to see the Hunger Games logo catch fire.  The film also stars Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22, 2013.

We have just learned that Francis Lawrence, who was hired to direct The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, has now been tapped to helm the remainder of the series.  While author Suzanne Collins‘ The Hunger Games books amount to a trilogy, Lionsgate has split the final novel, Mockingjay into two parts, as is now the custom for major adaptation of best-selling book series.

It is worth noting that Gary Ross, who directed the first film, decided to pass on Catching Fire because he felt he wouldn’t have enough time to write and prep and the movie he wanted to make because of the tight production schedule.  For Lawrence, this is apparently not an obstacle.  He is currently filming Catching Fire, and will then presumably set to work immediately on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.  Catching Fire will open November 22, 2013.  Part 1 is due out on November 21, 2014 and Part 2 is set for November 20, 2015.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of Mockingjay. [Update: Lionsgate has now sent out a press release confirming our report.  We've added the press release after the jump.]

One of the best films I saw at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was writer-director Martin McDonagh‘s (In Bruges) dark comedy Seven Psychopaths.  The film centers on a screenwriter (Colin Farrell) suffering writer’s block, who then gets drawn into the mischief of his two dog-napping friends (Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken) after they kidnap a pooch belonging to a psychotic gangster (Woody Harrelson).  For more on the film that also stars Tom Waits, Zeljko Ivanek, Abbie Cornish, and Olga Kurylenko, here’s Matt’s review, seven clips, and all our previous coverage.

The day after the world premiere I sat down with Woody Harrelson for an exclusive interview.  We talked about collaborating with Martin McDonagh and did he change any of the script, how he landed the role, how it was originally going to be played by Mickey Rourke, his desire to write more and direct a play in NYC, and he talked a little about The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire.  Hit the jump to watch.

Production is currently underway in Atlanta on the highly anticipated sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and some new set photos have landed online.  We’ve previously seen some of the stars in their training uniforms as well as Donald Sutherland in full President Snow garb, but today’s low-key batch features Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss and a few people in Capitol-esque white suits (Peacekeepers, perhaps?).  It’s not clear, but if I had to guess these images are likely from scenes at the beginning of the book in which Katniss and Peeta are in the middle of their duty-bound “victory tour” of the 12 districts after winning the Hunger Games in the first book/film.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film also stars Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, and Woody Harrelson.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22, 2013.

The hilarious new comedy Pitch Perfect, from director Jason Moore (Broadway’s Avenue Q) and screenwriter Kay Cannon (New Girl, 30 Rock), tells the story of Beca (Anna Kendrick), a young woman who dreams of being a music producer, but who instead finds herself at Barden University in an all-female a cappella singing group. With both new takes on old favorites and hits of right now, The Bellas fight to climb their way to the top of the cutthroat world of college music competitions. The film also stars Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Adam Devine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks.

At the film’s press junket, actress/producer Elizabeth Banks spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about how much fun she had playing one of the a cappella competition commentators, how much improvisation she did with co-star John Michael Higgins, just how many outtakes they have, what made her see a movie in the book the film is based on, what she’s most proud of with the finished product, and the guidelines she and her husband use, when it comes to finding projects for their company, Brownstone Productions. She also talked about getting ready to return to the role of Effie Trinket for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the possibility of taking on the role of Tinkerbell for the feature film Tink, and recording a voice for the animated feature Lego: The Piece of Resistance. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

New photos have emerged from the sets of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Angriest Man in Brooklyn.  The set photos from Catching Fire show off Donald Sutherland as the nefarious President Snow.  I would like to think that Snow plays a larger role in the new film, but I doubt it since Sutherland is never in a movie for more than ten minutes total (go ahead and look back at his work from the last decade; it’s always a small but significant role).  As for Angriest Man, the film centers on a stand-in doctor who mistakenly tells an obnoxious patient that he has an hour-and-a-half left to live.  While the patient goes on a tirade in New York City, attempting to right all the wrongs in his life, the doctor tries in vain to track him down.  The film stars Mila Kunis, Robin Williams, and Peter Dinklage.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is due out November 22, 2013.

Filming is underway on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, so the inevitable set photos have begun to leak out.  The first leaked images don’t show anything revelatory except that Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Sam Claflin hit the gym a lot, and it’s really paying dividends.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film also stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Shalhoub, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen, Bruno Gunn, Alan Ritchson, E. Roger Mitchell, Meta Golding, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, and Woody Harrelson.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22, 2013.

Rejoice, The Hunger Games fans!  Production has officially started on the Francis Lawrence-directed follow-up, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  According to their press release, the film “will shoot primarily in existing locations in and near Atlanta, Georgia.  The film will subsequently be shot on location in the beaches and jungles of Hawaii before wrapping in late December, 2012.”  Perhaps more importantly, the director has recorded a video message for fans, announcing a worldwide sweepstakes that will win some lucky fans a chance to visit the set and participate in a cast and crew Q&A!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson, in addition to Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Shalhoub, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen, Bruno Gunn, Alan Ritchson, E. Roger Mitchell, Meta Golding, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland and Woody Harrelson.  Hit the jump for the video from Francis Lawrence and details on the fan set visit contest. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22, 2013.

Tony Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright is the latest addition to the cast of the sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  Lionsgate announced today that Wright will take on the supporting role of Beetee in the Francis Lawrence-helmed adaptation of the second novel in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy.  It’s really tough to talk about this movie without getting into spoilers, but the incredibly smart Beetee hails from District 3 and is known for his electronics expertise.

Tony Shalhoub was previously mentioned as a possibility for the role, but I think Wright is a more inspired choice.  Beetee has quite a few scenes with the character Wiress, another District 3-native who will be played by Amanda Plummer.  Wright and Plummer join a fairly impressive list of newcomers that now includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, and Sam Claflin. Hit the jump to read the press release.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22nd, 2013.

Arguably the highest-profile new role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is Finnick Odair.  It’s a fun character who gets a lot of action and some meaty drama.  Today, Lionsgate has announced that the role has gone to Snow White and the Huntsman star Sam Claflin.  Claflin was rumored for the role last month, and I’m not sure how I feel about the choice.  He got his start in The Pillars of the Earth, which I haven’t seen, and I haven’t found him all that memorable in Snow White and the Huntsman or his other big film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  However, those blockbusters aren’t very good, and he didn’t have much to do in either.  Finnick will presumably be a much larger role, so I’m eager to see what he does with the part.

Claflin joins newcomers Tony Shalhoub, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen, Bruno Gunn, Alan Ritchson, E. Roger Mitchell, and Meta Golding along with returning stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Woody Harrelson.  Hit the jump for the press release.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22, 2013.

Some new casting assignments for you today and the Lion’s(gate) share comes from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is finalizing its supporting roles.  Here’s the news in brief:

• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has added E. Roger Mitchell (S.W.A.T.) and Meta Golding (Surrogates) to its ranks.  The sequel, starring Jennifer Lawrence, opens November 22nd, 2013.
• Garcelle Beauvais (Franklin & Bash) has joined the cast of Presidential thriller, White House Down, the Roland Emmerich-directed film starring Channing Tatum as a Secret Service agent tasked with protecting the President (Jamie Foxx) after a hostile takeover of the White House.

Hit the jump for more information.

A bit of casting news to sum up for you today.  Here are the particulars:

• Heather Graham played a memorable character in The Hangover but was absent in the follow-up. Todd Phillips’ The Hangover Part III will see her return, alongside Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Ken Jeong.
• Alan Ritchson (Smallville) is set to play a returning tribute in Francis Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
• Dawn Olivieri (House of Lies) will join Catherine Hardwicke’s erotic thriller, Plush, along with Emily Browning and Cam Gigandet.
• Mark Margolis (Breaking Bad) has been cast in director Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic, Noah, which stars Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Hit the jump for more on each picture.

We’ve got a few casting stories to share this afternoon.  Briefly:

• Donald Faison is in talks to play Doctor Gravity in Kick-Ass 2.
• Malin Akerman may join Arnold Schwarzenegger in the actioner Breacher.
• Bruno Gunn has been cast as Brutus in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Hit the jump for more details.

When it was first reported that Philip Seymour Hoffman was being courted to join The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, I’m not sure many people actually believed he’d take the part.  Gary Ross’ first entry in the franchise was a hit with both audiences and critics and boasted Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence as its lead, but Hoffman isn’t typically one to take on franchise roles (Mission: Impossible III being the glaring exception).  Nevertheless, it was subsequently confirmed that Hoffman would indeed be joining the cast as Plutarch Heavensbee.  It’s a fairly crucial role, but it’s tough to get into specifics without spoiling those that haven’t read the book.

Hoffman recently talked a bit about why he decided to take the part and what drew him to the character, but in doing so he essentially spoils his character’s entire arc.  For those that have read Suzanne Collins’ book trilogy, or if you don’t care about spoilers, hit the jump to see what he had to say.