Lionsgate is attempting to snag Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind Slumdog Millionaire, to script Catching Fire, the adaptation of the second novel in The Hunger Games trilogy.
According to Deadline, the second film will not be co-written by Hunger Games novel author Suzanne Collins and director Gary Ross like the first film, but Catching Fire will still be directed by Ross.
The Hunger Games is slated to release on March 23, and the intense scheduling of another high-priority film apparently has Lionsgate scrambling for an excellent screenwriter.
Beaufoy has been nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar twice – for Slumdog and for 127 Hours last year, he was also nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar in 1997 for The Full Monty. Basically – the guy knows screenplays.
I’m a huge fan of The Hunger Games series, but I must say that, with all due respect to story-telling deity Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire has some pacing issues. It’s difficult to explain without spoiling the first novel, but Catching Fire has a really slow start leading up a really dramatic ending.
Simon Beaufoy seems like the perfect screenwriter to take up the challenge though. I’d be pleased as punch if he decided to adapt Catching Fire.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
