The Cannes Film Festival, like most major film festivals, is where studios deal behind the scenes to acquire films, although Cannes has the added touch of also packaging movies (which is why we’ve seen so many casting stories) and selling existing properties to foreign buyers. Lionsgate managed to sell nine of their movies, and their press release contains brief synopses for each of the films.  Some confirm what we already know, some provide new information, and some are Step Up 5 (“Fifth installment of Summit Entertainment’s successful STEP UP franchise”).

Hit the jump for the synopses as well as the cast and above-the-line crew.

Just when I thought my limited edition poster appetite was satisfied, the Halloween season rolls around and Mondo drops this beauty from Ken Taylor for John Carpenter‘s masterpiece. Given that I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend the benefit at L.A.’s New Beverly Cinema where the print’s Regular edition of 225 was released for only $100 (which included a ticket to the screening no less!), I’m now banished to dealing with sellers who are already asking upwards of four times that number. Sigh. What’s a guy to do but drop ridiculous amounts of money on movie art?

But enough of Hoarders: Collectible Movie Poster Edition, standing out from this past week’s headlines is the huge news regarding Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm and the launch of a new Star Wars trilogy beginning in 2015, Wreck-It Ralph interviews with John C. Reilly and more, our American Film Market 2012 coverage, Francis Lawrence helming the remainder of The Hunger Games franchise (including a two-part adaptation of Mockingjay), and special Election 2012 assets including Joss Whedon‘s endorsement of the Zomney Apocalypse and the return of Idiocracy‘s President Dwayne Elizando Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

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.]

Though production just now got underway on the sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate is already putting the wheels in motion for their two-part adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ trilogy closer Mockingjay.  We learned in July that the studio was looking for a new director to tackle the two-film adaptation, signaling that Catching Fire helmer Francis Lawrence would not have time to prep and shoot Mockingjay given his Catching Fire commitments.  Now it appears that Lionsgate has hired Emmy Award-winning scribe Danny Strong to tackle the screenplay adaptation for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2.  Hit the jump for more.

In this age of back-to-back-to-back feature film adaptations of books in a series, it’s nearly impossible to keep the same director onboard throughout the franchise’s run.  Director David Yates was up to that Herculean task on the last 4 (or 3, however you count the last book) installments of the Harry Potter franchise, but that meant that he was having to prep the next film while still in production or post-production on the previous film.

The Twilight series has had a different director for each book adaptation, and now it looks like Lionsgate/Summit is planning on taking the same route with The Hunger Games, as they’re currently looking for a director to helm the final book in the series, Mockingjay.  Hit the jump for more.

Production isn’t yet underway on the second film entry in the adaptation of author Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy, but that’s not stopping Lionsgate from setting release dates for two further installments.  Though there are only three books, the studio previously announced that they would split the trilogy up into four movies.  At the time we assumed this meant that they were following the recent trend of splitting the final book in a series into two movies regardless of whether or not it’s entirely necessary.  In the case of Mockingjay, the third and final book in The Hunger Games series, the merit of splitting it into two films is bit of a toss-up.  Nevertheless, we’ll be getting The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 on November 21st, 2014 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 on November 20th, 2015.

Hit the jump for more, including where I think the last book will be split.