Image Credit: Joe Corrigan/Getty Images
EW has confirmed reports that Steven Soderbergh will pitch in as second unit director on the set of The Hunger Games. “It’s true he’s shooting two days of second unit,” says director Gary Ross, who’s at the helm of the adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ dystopian best-seller. “He’s one of my best friends and we all help each other a little bit on these things.” Soderbergh was a producer of Ross’ 1998 film Pleasantville.
Meanwhile, production  on the North Carolina set has recently shifted from the ferocious arena scenes to the creepily garish world of the Capitol. “We’ve already done a lot of action-y stuff,” says Ross. “We’ve burned down a forest, we’ve had the fire sequence, we blew up this pyramid of stuff that went 150 feet up in the air, and we had suitcases flying over a quarter of a mile.” While Ross says the high-octane action has been a thrill, he remains most turned on by the story’s emotional core. “I think it’s the power of Jennifer’s acting that’s the most moving to me,” he says. “That’s the stuff that knocks me out.”
The Hunger Games will be in theaters on March 23, 2012.
Read more:
‘Hunger Games’ Central
‘Hunger Games’ photo gallery
Steven Soderbergh blames Matt Damon for retirement talk
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Me too! I was a bit late finding out about these books and am just finishing up the third book. I’m looking forward to seeing the books come to life.
Same here, jbird. Almost done with the third book and honestly started reading them because of all the casting news going around. I was hooked from the very start of the first book. Can’t wait to see the movie. And actually every time I picture Peeta now he looks exactly like Josh Hutcherson. So now I have a huge soft spot for Josh.
Yup same here, I had never even heard of these books before I started seeing all the casting news. I devoured them voraciously in June.
Now I can’t wait for the movie …
Kinda cool to see that Steven Soderbergh is working on this one a bit, even if it’s just to help out his buddy.
WHOOOO!
Nice.
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It’s like a bigger-budgeted version of when Sam Raimi directed 2nd unit stuff on ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ for his friends the Coens.
haha but I think it’s a little weird that a an Oscar winner would do second unit work. But the two are friends so that’s pretty cool.
AWESOME!!. I can’t wait to see this film!!. Seriously, between the cast (particularly of course, Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen) and the behind the camera talent, and production work, The Hunger Games will be incredible.
Too many chefs spoils the pot.
Doesn’t apply here.
He is definitely a good choice for at least one of the films. I would also like for either Roman Polanski or Kathryn Bigelow to do one of the films as well.
I wish Sodeberg had been the director since the beggining. I also like Kathryn Bigelow, Quentin tarantino,Timothy burton , Guillermo del Toro and Clint Eastwood. I didn’t have high hopes for the movie but maybe Sodenberg will make it epic.
Honestly, He’s second unit directing for two days, there’s little chance that little amount of input ill make it epic.
Yeah I’m a little nervous about Gary Ross as the director too. Kathryn Bigelow would have been good, I didn’t even think about that. Quentin would be awesome too … they’d never get the PG-13 rating that way but I don’t think these movies should be PG-13 anyway!! They shouldn’t be watered down because it might ruin the story.
We’ll see how it turns out … I’m still keeping my hopes up but I’m a bit nervous too.
Gary Ross is a fine director…the film is already in great hands. Steven Soderbergh just adds to what is already going to be a great film.
They better make these films good. It can’t turn into another twilight. Hopefully they will focus on the heart and quality and stay away from the cheese and stank.
I was an extra on one of the days where Soderbergh was shooting second unit. It was totally cool. He didn’t say much, but it was fascinating to watch him work, especially since he was his own DP.
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