“The Hunger Games” is a fantastic book that I was going to write up for Print to Projector on the very day that it was announced for production. While this caused me to abandon writing my column that day, it also caused some celebration because the book deserves its popularity and its chance to be on screen.
Now it appears that Seabiscuit director Gary Ross might be the one to bring child on child violence to its rightful place in our theaters and in our hearts.
The book is about the future United States of Dystopianism where a lottery picks a host of children every year to royally battle it out for the televised joy of anyone who cares to tune in. This was at the, admittedly strange, behest of The Capital after several districts launched a rebellion and lost. Remind me to remember this term of surrender when I’m a benevolent dictator.
Still, the real story is about a young girl named Kat and her family. She bravely takes the place of her sister when the little scamp gets chosen, and even though there is a violent possibility, it’s a human story above all else.
This is why Ross is such a great pick for this project. He lives in a zone of incredible humanity. Seabiscuit aside, this is also the writer/director of Pleasantville and the writer of the modern classics Big and Dave.
The man wrote Big.
He isn’t exactly prolific, and this would only be his third film, but Ross has definitely got the story and directorial chops to make this into something special. Lionsgate wants a franchise. Hopefully Ross will be the one to deliver it for them.
What do you think?
Source: Collider
