Lionsgate Films also confirms that the first installment of 'Mockingjay' will be released in the U.S. in November 2014, while its follow-up will hit theaters nationwide a year later.
- July 11, 2012
AceShowbiz -
"The Hunger Games" film franchise will follow the footsteps of the "Twilight Saga" and the "Harry Potter" movie series by splitting its final chapter into two parts. The news was confirmed by Lionsgate Films on Tuesday, July 10.
The studio officially announced that "Mockingjay", the third and final book of the Suzanne Collins-written novel series, would be adapted into the big screen in two installments. The first one, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1", would be released in the U.S. on November 21, 2014, while its follow-up ,"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2", would hit theaters nationwide on November 20, 2015.
While the two "Mockingjay" films are still away from being made, Lionsgate is currently busy preparing for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire". Scheduled to arrive in cinemas on November 22, 2013, the second installment of the series is expected to begin filming with director Francis Lawrence in late September.
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth will return as Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthrone respectively. They will be joined by new cast member Philip Seymour Hoffman, who has just been tapped to play Plutarch Heavensbee, the head gamemaker of Hunger Games.
The first movie, which was out last March, has successfully broken multiple box office records despite the fact that it was not released during the summer or the holiday period. Currently placing 50th on the highest-grossing films of all time, the Gary Ross-directed flick has collected a massive $678.2 million worldwide.
