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“After a quick but fairly exhaustive search, Lionsgate has chosen Francis Lawrence (Water For Elephants and I am Legend), to direct the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire. Sources say that Lawrence will receive an official offer this afternoon. If he accepts and a deal can be worked out, he will replace Gary Ross, who directed the first installment of the hugely successful franchise. Lawrence was deemed the front-runner by observers simply because of his open schedule. Runner up Bennett Miller is working his way to a December start for Foxcatcher, a true-life project centering John Du Pont that has been his focus for several years. Miller has even lined up Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffallo for the drama and pushing it would have been a Herculean task. Other directors on the list of Catching Fire contenders were Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In, Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy), Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (Babel), Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre) and Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code).”