Lionsgate planning four films in The Hunger Games franchise

The Hunger Games is currently filming in North Carolina last week and while Suzanne Collins wrote a trilogy, it is reported that Lionsgate are planning to make four films from the hugely popular series.

The books in the series are titled The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay and while it is believed that Lionsgate will follow suit and split the last book in two films nothing is set in stone just yet since all eyes will be on the March release of The Hunger Games before any decision is made.

The Hunger Games is set in a not-too-distant future, where North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games.

Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch.

When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

The Gary Ross directed film stars an all star cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Wes Bentley, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones and the newly confirmed Donald Sutherland as President Snow.

The Hunger Games Film Page

THE HUNGER GAMES HITS CINEMAS ON MARCH 23 2012