What is sure to be pretty big news around the stratosphere is the release of the first trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The first film was a surprising success that managed to balance box office prowess with good filmmaking. Since the first installment, Gary Ross has departed as director and has been replaced by Francis Lawrence. The original cast led by now-award-winning Jennifer Lawrence will return with a whole slew of new stars joining in on the fun.

Personally, I thought Ross did a great job at making a raw, stripped-down film that brought the violence of the book without over-emphasising the love triangle element. Instead of another Twilight, Ross gave us something more in the vein of Battle Royale. Here’s hoping that Lawrence will follow suit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyPnQw_Lqds

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Jefferey Wright and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It hits theaters in nearly seven months on November 22, 2013.

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