With it looking more and more likely that Lionsgate’s adaptation of The Hunger Games will be a huge success, the studio is already getting keen that the planned sequel happens as soon as possible. So while Hunger Games won’t hit theaters until March 23, they want the script for Catching Fire started well before then and Deadline reports they’re seeking Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours’ Simon Beaufoy to write it.
The original plan was to have Hunger Games director Gary Ross team up with author Suzanne Collins to write the sequel, since they wrote most of The Hunger Games’ script. However, a tight post-production schedule means Ross doesn’t have time to work on the Catching Fire script is there’s any hope of keeping to the schedules Lionsgate wants.
Apparently Beaufoy and Lionsgate have not entered into discussions yet, but the studio is reportedly very high on getting Simon Beaufoy. Back in August Lionsgate set a November 22, 2013 release date for Catching Fire, so the clock is already ticking.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
With virtually every other franchise dragged out of the studio vault and dusted off for a makeover in the last few years, it’s almost surprising nobody’s made a concerted effort to bring Woody Woodpecker to the big screen before. However Universal, which bought the character back in 1985, is going to have a go and has teamed up with Despicable Me makers, Illumination Entertainment, to try and make it a reality.
A few weeks ago it was revealed that while Clint Eastwood had said Gran Torino would probably be his final trip in front of the camera, he’s planning one more on-screen role with Trouble With The Curve. At the time it seemed Sandra Bullock was likely to star alongside him. However a deal couldn’t be worked out (largely due to scheduling) and so 
After their very public spat earlier this year, it seem Ricky Gervais and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have kissed and made up, as the comedian has been confirmed to host the Golden Globes again this year. While this has come as a surprise to some – not least because Gervais publicly vowed he wouldn’t do it again – he’s good for rating, so it makes sense for them to get him back.
Over the past year or so, about half a dozen Frankenstein projects, all with a slightly different takse on Mary Shelley’s classic tale, have been in development in Hollywood. One now finally seems to be moving ahead – I Frankenstein. Aaron Eckhart recently signed on to play the title character in this modern day sequel, and now