In some interesting news, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that while Simon Beaufoy wrote the initial draft for the Catching Fire script,  screen writer Michael Arndt is  currently in talks with Lionsgate to work on the re-write of the script.

According to THR :

Catching Fire is catching a new writer.

Michael Arndt, who won an Oscar for his Little Miss Sunshine screenplay and penned Toy Story 3, is in talks with Lionsgate to work on the high-profile sequel to The Hunger Games, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

Francis Lawrence is officially on board to direct the movie, stepping into the chair vacated by Gary Ross, who helmed the $600 million-grossing first installment in the franchise.

The sequel is barreling toward a late-summer production start. While Lionsgate doesn’t yet have a deal with Arndt, if he signs on, he will have to work double-time to get the script ready due to a squeezed schedule caused by star Jennifer Lawrence’s commitment to Fox’s X-Men: First Class sequel. That tight schedule was one reason Ross declined to take on the project.

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