[Trailer] The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
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I haven't seen The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, so I can't quite vouch for exactly everything going on in this first official trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1. Much like the Harry Potter films, the final book in the The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay, is being split into two films. The first part, of which you can watch the trailer above, will be released this year with Part 2 set for next November. As we mentioned earlier in the year, Philip Seymour Hoffman's untimely death won't have much impact on the shape of the films. Still, it's a bit surreal to see the departed actor in a few of the trailer's shots.
Again, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 will be in theaters on November 21st.
Billy Ray to Script New Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill Film
Billy Ray is coming in fresh off an Oscar nomination for his latest work with writing the script for Captain Phillips. His efforts in depicting this real life drama were pretty fantastic, and now he is set to recreate the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing drama The Ballad of Richard Jewell based on Marie Brenner's Vanity Fair article. Following the security guard who reported the bomb and cleared out bystanders, the security guard found himself a suspect of the terrorism plot.
Wolf of Wall Street's Oscar nominated duo Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill will be brought together once again for the film as well. They are the two biggest stars attached to the future script, with Hill set to play Jewell and DiCaprio the lawyer attempting to clear his name. However, both of the actors have a ton of projects going on. Hill has a good handful of films in post production, and DiCaprio was just announced to be producing the film A Boy and His Tiger. Because of this, there's no date set specifically when the film will begin its production. Fox is working right now to acquire rights to the story and hire Ray in an effort to show that the story is their major priority. Additionally, DiCaprio may be producing with Jennifer Davisson Killoran through his Appian Way banner. Hill is also set to produce along with Kevin Misher who resurrected the article.
Ray has had a lot of great credentials in the past few years with his work scripting The Hunger Games and an award from the Writers Guild of America for best adapted screenplay for Captain Phillips last month. With his work on those two films alone, I have no doubt that he will be able to capture the essence of this next film's terror.
[via Variety]
Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Death To Have Little Impact On Hunger Games
The late Phillip Seymour Hoffman's passing caused many who knew him sorrow from his loss. However, it has been reported by Lionsgate that his tragic departure fails to affect much of the Hunger Games trilogy's final stretch with Mockingjay.
Playing the former gamemaker turned rebel leader Plutarch Heavensbee, it appears that Hoffman was done with his performances for the film before his death. Lionsgate said that with the exception of one scene that has yet to be released to the public, there remains no need to work around his absence.
"We're all extraordinarily sad," said the executive of Lionsgate to The Hollywood Reporter. "But as it relates to production, it's going to have no impact. Obviously, we're going to have a couple of work-around issues but the movie will be creatively whole. His performances in both [remaining] movies will be up to the best of his craft. We feel it will be a good tribute to him."
The final two films are still set to premiere at their intended times, with Mockingjay -- Part One to premiere in November, with the second part to be released in November 2015.
Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment on the morning of February 2 of an apparent drug overdose. The award winning actor of Capote, The Big Lebowski, The Master, and other major cinematic works, was born in Fairport, New York and pursued an interest in acting since he was in high school. He leaves behind three young children with ex-partner and fashion designer Maggie O'Donnell. He was 46.
[via MTV]