'Hunger Games' Director Gary Ross in Tough Negotiation for Sequel
Negotiation
'hunger games' director gary ross tough negotiation sequel
'Hunger Games' Director Gary Ross in Tough <m> Negotiation </m> for Sequel
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'Hunger Games' Director Gary Ross in Tough <m> Negotiation </m> for Sequel
8 : 00 AM PDT 4 / 4 / 2012
Despite the movie's box - office records , the director isn't locked up as Lionsgate could pull a "Twilight" - style switcheroo over money .
Now that The Hunger Games is a hit with more than $363 million in the till , the question is whether writer - director Gary Ross will return for the next installment in the lucrative Lionsgate franchise .
Unlike stars Jennifer Lawrence , Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth , Ross is not signed for a sequel .
And negotiations for him to do the first movie were "a terrible experience , " says a source with knowledge of the discussions , because Ross is a seasoned filmmaker ( Pleasantville , Seabiscuit ) and Lionsgate isn't accustomed to paying seasoned - filmmaker fees .
He ended up taking a relatively low $3 million to write ( with Billy Ray and novelist Suzanne Collins ) and direct .
But he will collect a very remunerative 5 percent of backend .
Sources say Ross , 55 , would like a significant raise for a second Hunger Games , but Lionsgate didn't kick off negotiations with him until about three weeks before the first film's March 23 opening .
By then , with tracking suggesting a huge opening weekend , Ross and his CAA reps were in no hurry to bargain .
Lionsgate has a script from Simon Beaufoy ( Slumdog Millionaire ) that Ross has yet to revise .
The studio is in a rush to start the next film in the fall , though Fox might upset Lionsgate's plan by exercising its option on Lawrence to start another X - Men movie first .
( Fox's option would trump Lionsgate's hold on Lawrence , say sources . )
Adding urgency : Lionsgate already has booked a November 2013 release for Hunger Games : Catching Fire .
With other big literary properties , directors have been seen as fungible .
Warner Bros . entrusted the first two Harry Potter films to Chris Columbus before employing a host of other filmmakers , and Summit memorably did not invite Catherine Hardwicke back to direct the second Twilight , despite the success of the first installment .
( And Summit's Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger now run Lionsgate's film division . )
But Ross will argue that his film was much better received than any in the Twilight series , with an A CinemaScore and an 85 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to huge worldwide box office .
He'll contend that the movie will play longer and stronger in theaters and that he could direct his pick of other movies should Lionsgate refuse to pony up .
( But to state the obvious , Hunger Games' bi - gender story line appeals to a wider audience than Twilight . )
It's always striking when a giant hit leads to anger and hurt feelings in Hollywood , but that seems to be the case here .
Nonetheless , sources involved with the franchise are betting that Ross will return .
"Ultimately , it will be difficult , and yet everybody will do the sane thing , which is to work it out , " says one .
"Everybody will end up unhappy in their own way .
It's just the nature of the beast . "