The Hunger Games: Catching Fire provided fans with a sneak peak of one of the articulate and colorful costumes actress Elizabeth Banks will be wearing in the second installment of the young adult franchise.  Banks’ character Effie Trinket is known for her outrageous looks, and this Capitol portrait certainly continues that trend.  New director Francis Lawrence definitely has big shoes to fill, with the first installment debuting to $152.5 million in its first weekend alone.  With the film’s website promising more portraits throughout the day, fans may be treated to a number of first looks for other main characters.  Hit the jump to see the first Capitol Couture portrait. [Update: The portrait for Stanley Tucci's Caesar Flickerman has been added]

Bryan Singer’s fantasy-adventure film Jack the Giant Slayer is now playing in theaters.  Starring Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) as the title character, the big-budget fairy tale follows Jack the farmer as he leads an expedition into the land of the giants in order to rescue a kidnapped princess (Eleanor Tomlinson). The film also stars Ian McShane, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsan, Bill Nighy and Warwick Davis.

Recently, I landed an exclusive phone interview with Tucci, who plays the film’s villain.  We talked about making the movie, script changes, doing press, how he got into acting, filming with 3D cameras and CGI monsters, collaborating with Singer, and more.  In addition, we also talked about his work in Captain America: The First Avenger, if he’ll make an appearance in the sequel, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, DreamWorks Animations Mr.  Peabody & Sherman, Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant, adapting City of Women, and so much more.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

Lionsgate’s marketing campaign for the upcoming sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is about to kick into another gear, so prepare accordingly, folks.  Today, the studio has unveiled a couple of new posters for the film.  These aren’t just any posters, though, as they appear to play along with the premise of the books/film by advertising the Victory Tour that Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) embark on as part of their commitment to the Capitol following their triumph at the Hunger Games.  It’s actually a pretty neat marketing angle, and I’m eager to see where things go from here.

Hit the jump to take a look at the posters.  Directed by Francis Lawrence, the film also stars Sam Claflin, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, and Amanda Plummer.   The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens in traditional theaters and IMAX on November 22nd.

It’s February, so you know what that means: it’s time to start making preparations for this summer’s Comic-Con.  Public badges for SDCC 2013 went on sale this morning and, quite amazingly, completely sold out in an hour and a half.  Indeed, demand for Comic-Con only seems to be growing as time goes on, and it appears that thousands of fans will be descending on San Diego this coming July to catch a sneak peek of upcoming film and TV fare and to peruse the ginormous convention floor for some geek-friendly finds.

Last year was my second time to attend SDCC, but I found that the lines and overall madness descending on Hall H had grown exponentially since the previous year.  My more experienced colleagues confirmed that demand for the 6500 seater was higher and crazier than ever before.  If these badge sales are any indication, the nuttiness is likely to continue this year.  Hit the jump as we wildly speculate about which films and TV shows might be making hosting panels at Comic-Con 2013.

None of us can hide from Google Earth, not even the post-apocalyptic future of Panem.  The satellite imaging service has uncovered the arena for the Quarter Quell, which is held every 25 Hunger Games.  In The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the 75th Hunger Games is upon Panem, which means a new arena for the contestants.  Fans of the book know the design of the arena, and if you don’t mind spoilers, you can check out what director Francis Lawrence and his crew are building.

Hit the jump to see the arena.  The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, and Amanda Plummer.   The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22nd.

Lionsgate has released a new teaser poster and some high-resolution images for the highly anticipated upcoming sequel, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  We previously saw a motion poster for the Francis Lawrence-directed adaptation, and this still poster is not entirely dissimilar from that piece of marketing.  The first images from the film were recently released, giving us a look at Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, and Liam Hemsworth, as well as new cast additions Sam Claflin and Philip Seymour Hoffman.  With this barrage of material coming our way over the past couple weeks, I imagine a teaser trailer will be popping up soon.

Hit the jump to check out the poster along with high-resolution versions of the previously released images and a new image featuring director Francis Lawrence on set.  The film also stars Elizabeth Banks,  Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone,  Jeffrey Wright, and Amanda Plummer.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22nd.

The marketing campaign for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire kicked off in earnest yesterday with the first images from the film, revealing the return of Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth as well as our first look at Sam Claflin as fan-favorite character Finnick.  Another batch of images has landed online today, giving us a peek at Philip Seymour Hoffman as new Head Gamesmaker Plutarch Heavensbee (yes, the names are increasingly ridiculous) and the return of Woody Harrelson as Haymitch.  Moreover, director Francis Lawrence has revealed three characters from the book that didn’t make it into the movie.

Hit the jump for the images and info.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22nd.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is still 11 months away, but there’s not a moment to lose when it comes to the marketing.  The cover of the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly features Jennifer Lawrence and Sam Claflin as Katniss and Finnick.  We’ve seen the new bodysuit uniforms in leaked set photos, and they look good in this official image.  As for Claflin, I can definitely see him as Finnick now that they’ve dyed the actor’s hair blonde.  As for his performance, we’ll have to wait and see.

Hit the jump to check out the full cover and the first image from the film.  The film also stars Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright, and Amanda Plummer.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22nd. [Update: EW has released a couple of new images, including a new look at Hemsworth's Gale. They're included after the jump.]

While I stuck to my genre-loving guns in my Top 10 Films of 2012 and Top 10 Trailers of 2012, I’m happy to branch out a bit more with respect to the year’s ten best movie posters.  Here’s where I get pretentious.  Posters have the difficult task of attracting attention, holding it long enough to convey a message and getting that message across without the use of sound or motion (normally).  I prefer posters that are minimalist in nature and leave you with an iconic image that you’ll forever associate with the film.  Bonus points are given to those posters that offer layered meanings tied into the movie in question and which inspire curiosity in the picture.  What follows are the year’s ten best posters from a mix of big budget and lesser known movies.  Hit the jump to check them out.

We previously brought you release dates from Disney’s slate of 2013 films and today we have Lionsgate’s line-up. The next year will include a new installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise with Texas Chainsaw 3D, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return to action in a leading role with The Last Stand, three films involving Tyler Perry and, of course, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. One guess as to which film will be the biggest win for Lionsgate next year. Hit the jump to see the whole schedule with release dates, posters and synopses. 

As 2012 winds down to a close, it’s tough to see us having another year filled with so many good movies anytime soon. Nevertheless, looking to 2013 there’s certainly reason to be excited, and what better way to kick off the new year than to take a look at what 2013 has in store for us by way of blockbuster filmmaking?  We’ve compiled a list of 20 “blockbusters” to look forward to in the coming year, and the resulting preview teases some promisingly diverse fare.  Naturally there’s no lack of superhero movies headed our way, but we’ve also got a great mix of exciting entries in horror, comedy, sci-fi, and drama to look forward to.  Hit the jump to take a look at our 2013 Blockbuster Preview.

The dress code in The Hunger Games was casual, although comfortable clothing was recommended.  New images have surfaced from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and now the tributes have some skin-tight swimwear.  The suits probably serve the dual purpose of not only being costumes, but also to prevent the actors from getting hypothermia.  The new images not only show off Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), but new tributes Mags (Lynn Cohen) and Finnick (Sam Claflin).

Hit the jump to check out the images, and click here for a recent interview with Hutcherson.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens November 22, 2013.

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.]