- Francis Lawrence regrets dividing Mockingjay into two parts, as it frustrated fans.
- The Hunger Games franchise managed to avoid criticisms faced by other franchises regarding adaptation differences.
- Lawrence will avoid splitting the prequel book adaptation, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and will instead make it a longer film.
Francis Lawrence, having achieved great success directing the Hunger Games saga since the release of Catching Fire, has regrets about the approach taken with the franchise. One of his main concerns is dividing the adaptation of Mockingjay into two parts.
Since its first movie release in 2012, the Hunger Games has become one of the most popular youth sagas of all time, alongside Harry Potter, Twilight, and Percy Jackson. Thanks to Francis Lawrence’s vision, the franchise managed to avoid many of the criticisms faced by other franchises regarding differences between films and source material. Lawrence had previous experience in adaptations, bringing DC Comics’ Constantine and I Am Legend to the screen. His work with Catching Fire is considered by many fans as one of the best movie adaptations within teen-aimed productions.
Lionsgate chose to continue working with Lawrence to adapt Mockingjay, the third and final book of Suzanne Collins’ original story. However, like Harry Potter and Twilight, they decided to divide it into two films, a decision that Lawrence now sees as a mistake. In an interview with People Magazine, he admits that the decision to split Mockingjay into two parts led to feelings of frustration among fans and critics, and that he regrets the choice.
In response to the negative reaction, Lawrence has decided to avoid splitting the adaptation of the prequel book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and will make it into a longer movie. The film, focusing on a young Coriolanus Snow’s first steps as a Hunger Games mentor, is set to hit theaters on November 17 and stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer, and Jason Schwartzman.