While the first movie doesn’t hit screens until March 2012, Lionsgate has decided to stretch The Hunger Games trilogy into four films. It’s unclear how director Gary Ross, who is expected to direct all four films of the franchise, plans to split the three books. It’s possible that Ross will make two sequels out of the third book, MockingJay.
Another rumored possibility is that the third movie could serve as a bridge between the second and fourth films, combining elements from both Catching Fire and MockingJay.
This of course isn’t the first time a mega-franchise has been stretched. With the second part of the Harry Potter finale due out next month and the final Twilight book, Breaking Dawn being split into two movies, Lionsgate is hoping The Hunger Games is a huge success on par with these mega-franchises.
The Hunger Games is currently shooting in North Carolina and is due in theaters March 23, 2012. Catching Fire hits theaters in 2013 with Mocking Jay wrapping things up in 2014.
So what do you think, Games fans? Do you think stretching the franchise out is a good idea or should Lionsgate have kept it a trilogy?
