We might have bid a fond farewell to Gary Ross this week, but that didn't stop fans everywhere from jumping right into the debate about which available auteur might be brave, bold, and capable enough to take up the "Hunger Games" mantle for films two and three. And now, the L.A. Times is reporting on Lionsgate's list of maybes—a list which, and we are not kidding, should make even the most staunch Gary Ross loyalist squee in their fan-pants a little.
The short list of names being tossed around includes such biggies as David Cronenberg (pictured; otherwise known as the man behind the best movie ever to feature Jeff Goldblum turning into a housefly), Alejandro González Iñárritu (the master behind the darkness-embracing delights of "21 Grams" and "Babel"), and even Alfonso Cuaron, who made what is arguably one of the best films in the entirety of the Harry Potter franchise when he helmed "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Of course, this list isn't without problems (and knowing this fandom, it won't take long for them to point them out): for instance, Cronenberg is best-known for horror, and might find himself cramped by the need to obtain a PG-13 rating for the violent "Catching Fire." And Cuaron, despite his artistry, took liberties with the story on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" for which diehard Potterheads have still not forgiven him—and which would make "Hunger Games" fans apoplectic after the loyal-to-a-fault approach of the first film. And with all names on the list belonging to gentlemen directors...well, what gives, Lionsgate? Where the ladies at? Surely a Kathryn Bigelow, a Debra Granik, or even a Catherine Hardwicke should have merited some consideration in this pool of directorial elites. But nevertheless, an impressive list made of nothing but big names shows that Lionsgate is taking this shizz very seriously.
What do you think of the directors in consideration for a chance to direct "Catching Fire"?
