‘Catching Fire’ Down to Two Possible Directors

There have been many names thrown out, from 'Attack the Block' helmer Joe Cornish to David Cronenberg, but it's being reported that 'Catching Fire' is now down to two directors. Those two are the two we reported yesterday as being added to the shortlist: Francis Lawrence and Bennett Miller.

This comes from the L.A. Times, which is fairly trustworthy. And our take would be that it means that Francis Lawrence has the job... if what they're saying is true. As good as Bennett Miller is as a director, he's got a cast and script for his next film 'Foxcatcher' so why would he jump ship for this? The only answer would be money. And money is something that many of his productions have been lacking as a semi-independent director. That said, he just made a film with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill which was Oscar nominated, so it's not as if studios don't want to work with him.

But Lawrence has nothing on his plate, and he's likely more hungry for something like this. Even though the position is less than flattering (following up a hit film isn't always good for the career) it would likely be a big payday and a big high profile title. The decision will be announced shortly, and though some of this may just be Hollywood gossip, if it's true, expect Lawrence to be the director of 'Catching Fire.'