On August 8, 2011, while still shooting the film, Lionsgate announced that a film adaptation of the second novel in The Hunger Games trilogy, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, was scheduled to be released on November 22, 2013.[170] In November 2011, Lionsgate entered negotiations with screenwriter Simon Beaufoy to adapt the novel for screen, since the post-production schedule for The Hunger Games was too crowded for Ross and Collins to adapt the next film as originally planned.[171] The Hunger Games: Catching Fire began production in the summer of 2012.[172] Gary Ross did not return for Catching Fire, and instead Francis Lawrence directed the film.[173] On May 6, 2012, it was reported that Michael Arndt was in talks to re-write the script for Catching Fire.[174] Arndt officially signed on as the new script writer on May 24, 2012.[175] The Hunger Games: Catching Fire began filming September 10, 2012, and concluded December 21, 2012;[176] it premiered in London on November 11, 2013,[177] before premiering on November 22, 2013, in the US as was originally scheduled.
In July 2012, release dates were confirmed for two films based on the last book Mockingjay. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 was released November 21, 2014, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 was released November 20, 2015.[178] Lawrence, Hutcherson, Hemsworth, and Harrelson were all signed on to the whole franchise.[4][179]
