SANTA MONICA, Calif.,
April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global
content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) today announced that
the studio will adapt Suzanne
Collins's highly anticipated novel The Ballad of
Songbirds and Snakes, which takes place in the Hunger
Games universe, into a major motion picture. The
announcement was made today by Joe
Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
One of the most eagerly awaited publishing events of the year,
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be published by
Scholastic simultaneously in print, digital and audio formats in
the US, Canada, the UK and
Ireland, Australia, and New
Zealand on May 19. The first
three books in Collins's series—The Hunger
Games, Catching Fire,
and Mockingjay—have more than 100 million copies in
print worldwide and have been translated into 52 languages;
Lionsgate adapted these books into four feature films that took in
nearly $3 billion worldwide.
To adapt the new book, the studio has re-enlisted several
members of the franchise's creative team and some of the
industry's most sought-after filmmakers. Color Force's
Nina Jacobson, who has produced all
of the films in the franchise, will produce the film adaptation of
the new novel along with her partner Brad
Simpson, who will also be involved in a producorial
capacity. Francis Lawrence, who
directed Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1,
and Mockingjay Part 2, will return to the director's
chair. Collins will write the film's treatment and
Michael Arndt, the
Oscar®-winning screenwriter of Little
Miss Sunshine and a nominee for his work
on Toy Story 3, will adapt the screenplay, after
previously serving as one of the writers
of Catching Fire. Collins also will serve
as an executive producer of the new film.
The film will focus on Coriolanus Snow at age 18, years before
he would become the tyrannical President of Panem. Young Coriolanus
is handsome and charming, and though the Snow family has fallen on
hard times, he sees a chance for a change in his fortunes when he
is chosen to be a mentor for the Tenth Hunger Games… only to have
his elation dashed when he is assigned to mentor the girl tribute
from impoverished District 12.
Commenting on the announcement, Drake said,
"Suzanne's new book has been worth the wait. It offers
everything fans could hope for and expect from The Hunger
Games while also breaking new ground and introducing an
entirely new canvas of characters. The Ballad of Songbirds and
Snakes is creatively thrilling and takes this world to complex
new dimensions that open up amazing cinematic possibilities.
We're thrilled to reunite this filmmaking team with
this very unique franchise, and we can't wait to begin
production."
"Lionsgate has always been the cinematic home of The Hunger
Games, and I'm delighted to be returning to them with this new
book," said Collins. "From the beginning, they have treated the
source material with great respect, honoring the thematic and
narrative elements of the story, and assembling an incredible team
both in front of and behind the camera. It's such a pleasure to be
reuniting with Nina, Francis, and Michael to adapt the novel to the
screen, and having them share their remarkable talents, once again,
with the world of Panem. I look forward to collaborating with them
and all at Lionsgate as we bring The Ballad of Songbirds and
Snakes to theaters worldwide."
The deal was overseen by Drake, who bought the original book
during his previous tenure at the studio as head of the motion
picture group. With the release of the new book, Drake
made The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes a priority
for Lionsgate.
Jim Miller, the Lionsgate
executive who has served as the studio's project executive on all
of the franchise's films, will oversee the
production. Patricia Laucella and Phil
Strina oversaw the rights for the book as well as all talent
deals for Lionsgate. Collins was represented by Jason Dravis from The Dravis Agency and
Diane Golden and Jennifer Justman from the law firm Katz Golden
Lerner LLP. Lawrence is represented by CAA and 3 Arts as well as
Gretchen Bruggeman-Rush at Hansen,
Jacobson, Teller & Hoberman. Jacobson was represented by Julian
Zajfen at Ziffren Brittenham. Arndt is repped by Verve and McKuin,
Frankel & Whitehead.
ABOUT SUZANNE COLLINS AND THE HUNGER GAMES
Bestselling
author SUZANNE COLLINS first
made her mark in children's literature with the
New York Times-bestselling
Underland Chronicles fantasy series for middle grade readers. She
continued to explore the effects of war and violence on those
coming of age with The Hunger Games Trilogy. The Hunger
Games (2008) was an instant bestseller, appealing to both teen
readers and adults. The book appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than
260 consecutive weeks (more than five consecutive years), and there
are more than 100 million copies of all three books in the trilogy
in print worldwide.
For more information about The Hunger Games, visit
http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/hungergames.
FRANCIS LAWRENCE most recently served as an
executive producer of the AppleTV+ series "See"; he
also directed the first three episodes of the series. He previously
directed three of the four films in
the Hunger Games series (Catching
Fire and Mockingjay Part 1 and 2)
and reteamed with Jennifer Lawrence
for the thriller Red Sparrow.
MICHAEL ARNDT won the
Academy Award® for his screenplay Little Miss Sunshine. He shared another nomination
for his work on the screenplay to the animated
blockbuster Toy Story 3. His other credits
include The Hunger Games: Catching
Fire, Oblivion, and Star Wars: Episode VII
– The Force Awakens.
NINA JACOBSON and
Color Force produced all of the films in the Hunger
Games franchise. Other recent projects include the
breakthrough hit Crazy Rich Asians, the television
series "American Crime Story," for which they were
honored with two Emmy Awards, adaptations of the novels The
Goldfinch and Where'd
You Go, Bernadette, and the Diary of a Wimpy
Kid franchise. Jacobson and her partner Brad Simpson were also Emmy-nominated for their
work on the series "Pose." Upcoming projects include a
television series for FX based on the comic "Y: The
Last Man."
ABOUT LIONSGATE
The first major new studio in decades,
Lionsgate is a global content leader whose films, television
series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms
reach next generation audiences around the world. Lionsgate film
and television properties also support a global network of
location-based entertainment and other branded attractions as well
as a robust video game business. Lionsgate's content
initiatives are backed by a nearly 17,000-title film and television
library and delivered through a global sales and distribution
infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original,
daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on
the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the
Company's worldwide consumer base.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Steve Elzer
Elzer & Associates
steve@elzerassociates.com
(213) 392-4660
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SOURCE Lionsgate