The multiplatinum group, Coldplay, has announced they will release the first track for the upcoming official soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The news came from both Lionsgate and Republic Records.The song will be the first time that the group has recorded an original song for a motion picture. The song, entitled, “Atlas” will be released on iTunes and all digital retailers on August 26th, 2013. Continue reading
Sylvia Day’s bestselling “Crossfire” series has officially been optioned by Lionsgate. The acquisition of the series of romantic novel was announced by Kevin Beggs, President of the Lionsgate Television Group, and Executive Vice President Chris Selak, who will oversee development for the studio. Continue reading
Lionsgate’s Codeblack FIlms announced that they have officially acquired the film rights to the popular “Flyy Girl” book trilogy written by New York Times bestselling author Omar Tyree. Tyree’s books have been read by over 8 million people worldwide, and have grossed more than $30 million for publishing giant Simon & Schuster. His brand is one of the most talked about in the urban community, and his products can be found in 12 countries. Continue reading
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire follows the events immediately after the first novel/movie. However, the 75th Hunger Games features a twist. It is the Quarter Quell and it takes place on an island where the competing victors begin in the water. Thusly, several new character posters have been released featuring the wet suits from the Capitol. Continue reading
Lionsgate announced that they have entered final negotiations to aquire the film rights to R.J. Palacio’s bestselling debut novel “Wonder” and has entered talks with “Frankenweenie” scribe John August to adapt the pre-teen tale, which David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are producing for Mandeville Films.
Wonder follows a 10-year-old boy named Auggie whose facial deformity prevented him from attending a mainstream school. Starting fifth grade at a new school, he struggles to convince his new classmates that, despite appearances, he’s just like them. Story explores the theme of bullying and is told from multiple points of view.
The novel has done extremely well since it’s release. It has sold more than 15,000 copies worldwide between print and ebooks and spent 32 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller list since its publication in February. It has been long-listed for the Carnegie Medal and the UKLA Book Award, two of the most prestigious and well-known children’s book awards in the U.K.
Lionsgate is currently working on several other major adaptation such as the adaptation of Patrick Ness’ dystopian sci-fi tale “Chaos Walking” and the last two “Hunger Games” pics based on Suzanne Collins’ “Mockingjay.”
Mandelville also has a few high profile adaptation readying for release such as developing “Swiss Family Robinson” and “Jungle Cruise” for Disney and Summit’s zombie romancer “Warm Bodies” and Relativity Media’s comedy “21 and Over.”
August previously worked with Tim Burton on writing “Big Fish,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Corpse Bride” and “Frankenweenie. He also aided in the adaptation of “Dark Shadows,” to film. He recently adapted the Monsterpocalypse strategy game for a DreamWorks film and Garth Ennis’ comicbook “Preacher” for Sony.
While the deal has yet to be closed, it appears to be lining up to be final in the next few weeks.
You can watch the book trailer below:
Lionsgate is already promoting the highly anticipated next film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which releases in theaters and IMAX on November 22, 2013. The studio has begun the promotions by releasing a brand new motion poster that can be seen above.
Catching Fire is directed by Francis Lawrence and sees the return of main cast members Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. However, with a new set of games comes a new set of tributes and actors. New cast additions include Jena Malone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen, Patrick St. Esprit, Meta Golding, Bruno Gunn, Alan Ritchson, E. Roger Mitchell, Maria Howell, Stephanie Leigh Schlund, Sam Claflin and Jeffrey Wright.
Beginning where the first film and novel left off, Catching Fire shows the aftermath of Katniss and Peeta returning from the 74th Hunger Games both as victors. Embarking on a Victor’s Tour, Katniss and Peeta realize the implications of their actions while civil unrest grows throughout Panem. Soon the 75th Hunger Games, Quarter Quell edition, are being prepared and its revealed that there is a special twist that will change Panem forever.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be released November 22, 2013.
With production wrapped up earlier this summer, and the release date not set till next year, news regarding the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s sci-fi novel Ender’s Game has been scarce. But one peice of information released this past week is that the film will indeed be released in IMAX.
Ender’s Game is set in the future (and mostly in aboard a space station) when man is preparing for war against an alien race referred to as the Buggers. The first book in Card’s series follows Ender Wiggin, a young boy who’s recruited to join a fleet of children preparing for battle by playing strategy games and undergoing other forms of training. While Ender is smaller and younger than most of the other recruits, he soon proves to be something of a tactical genius.
The film adaptation is the first after several attempts since the novel’s release in 1985. The film, directed by Gavin Hood, stars Asa Butterfield as Ender, with Harrison Ford playing Colonal Graff, and Ben Kingsley playing Mazer Rackham.
During the production, the producer Roberto Orci, provided fans with weekly updates on their official production blog that included glimpses of the set and actors and information regarding the project.
Releasing the film in IMAX will be a good movie on the part of Lionsgate. Given the setting of the novel, fans are excited to see the famed Battle Room ( a room where the kids train while battling in zero gravity) which has the potential to look amazing on a larger screen such as an IMAX screen.
While we wait for more information regarding the upcoming adaptation, you can always remember: The enemy’s gate is down.
Lionsgate recently announced that is has acquired the film rights to Jack Finney’s illustrated novel “Time and Again.” The project will be directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Liman will also produce the project alongside his Hypnotic partner Dave Bartis.
Published in 1970, the romantic time-travel novel tells the story of Simon Morley, a Manhattan illustrator who enlists in a secret government experiment which transports him to 1882 New York. While there, he falls in love and must choose between living in the present or the past.
Sleep. And when you awake everything you know of the twentieth century will be gone from your mind. Tonight is January 21, 1882. There are no such things as automobiles, no planes, computers, television. ‘Nuclear’ appears in no dictionary. You have never heard the name Richard Nixon? Did illustrator Si Morley really step out of his twentieth-century apartment one night — right into the winter of 1882? The U.S. Government believed it, especially when Si returned with a portfolio of brand-new sketches and tintype photos of a world that no longer existed — or did it?
The book sold 27,000 copies in hardcover, and more than 200,000 copies over the years, according to Variety.
“From Time to Time,” the novel’s sequel, was published in 1996, one year after his death. The sequel left room for a third and final installment that will never be written due to the author’s death.
Erik Feig, Mike Paseornek, Gillian Bohrer and Jeyun Choi will oversee the project for Lionsgate, according to Variety.
This is not the first time the book has been eyed for adaptation. In the mid-1990s, Robert Redford began developing the project after Paul Newman introduced him to the book. Tom Thayer, former president of Universal Television, attempted to adapt the work into a network miniseries.
While numerous filmmakers have considered the job, it has yet to be completed by anyone.
Throughout his career, Liman has proven himself to be a versatile director, with projects ranging from indie flicks (Swingers and Go) to action (The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith), and even science fiction with 2008’s thriller Jumper.
Liman is currently working on Warner Bros.’ All You Need is Kill, which will star Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.
The two-part franchise ending film Mockingjay has got its projected release date. The third book of the massively popular trilogy, will be split into two films much like franchises adaptations before it. Both part 1 and part 2 of the film adaptation have gotten their projected release dates.
The first part of Mockingjay will arrive November 21, 2014, with the fourth and final installment part 2 movie slated for November 20, 2015. Atleast four members of the main cast have already signed up for the four movie franchise. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson have confirmed their four movie involvement.
There is no word yet on where within the story the films will be broken up but some speculate it maybe after Peeta is rescued from the Capitol.
The heavily anticipated movie sequel Catching Fire based on the second book of the series is set to debut in November 22, 2013 with several new roles currently being cast. t was announced earlier this week that Philip Seymour Hoffman will portray Plutarch Heavensbee in that installment, making him the first new (confirmed) actor to sign up for the franchise, with Jena Malone reportedly circling the role of tribute Johanna Mason.
With the last installment of the mega-popular film franchise just around the corner, Lionsgate may be looking for ways to keep the series going. Lionsgate has been looking into rebooting the Twilight Saga franchise, which has already grossed $2 billion with the fifth and final installment set for release Nov. 16.
Lionsgate owns the studio Summit Entertainment, which made the popular films. ComingSoon has reported that Lionsgate is considering restarting the franchise “down the road,” so it may not happen anytime soon, if it happens at all. But according to Bloody-Disgusting, “they’re already discussing it internally. It will happen. It is still undecided exactly what the future of the franchise will be, though. It could be a direct remake… but then again it could also be a spinoff or maybe even a one-off sequel.”
Lionsgate Co-Chairman Rob Friedman had different news for Deadline, telling them.
“We are not remaking Twilight. We will happily support Stephenie Meyer if she decides to proceed in any way. But this will be the last one unless that should change.”
A brand new trailer has also been released for the upcoming fifth film, entitled Twilight: Breaking Dawn Pt 2, which you can see below: