Simon Beaufoy Says He’s Done with ‘Catching Fire’ Script

Last month The Hollywood Reporter reported that Michael Arndt was in talks to re-work the initial Catching Fire script that was drafted by Simon Beaufoy.

So it’s not particularly surprising to hear Simon tell the LA Times in a new interview that he’s finished with his part of the script-writing process.

You might not think there’s much left for a Hollywood screenwriter to accomplish after penning a sequel to “The Hunger Games.” But for Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar-winning scribe behind “Slumdog Millionaire,” there’s plenty of work ahead now that he’s  finished adapting Suzanne Collins’ novel “Catching Fire.”

“I’m done [with ‘Catching Fire’] and getting back to several different projects,” Beaufoy told 24 Frames from his home in London on Thursday.

There still hasn’t been any official confirmation from Lionsgate that Michael Arndt is working on the next iteration of the script.

WSJ: Updates on ‘Catching Fire’ Director & Script, ‘Hunger Games’ DVD

In a new article, The Wall Street Journal is taking a look at where Lionsgate is right now with the Hunger Games franchise. The article reveals that Lionsgate is close to a deal with Francis Lawrence for Catching Fire, discusses Suzanne Collins’ close involvement with the Catching Fire script, and reveals that Lionsgate is looking at August/September to release The Hunger Games DVD.

On the ‘Catching Fire‘ director:

For “Catching Fire,” now in preproduction and expected to hit theaters in fall 2013, Lions Gate—also known as Lionsgate—lost the director of the first film, Gary Ross, who issued a statement earlier this month saying he couldn’t work on the studio’s time table.

Lions Gate, which said at the time that it was sorry Mr. Ross had chosen not to direct the film, is now close to a deal with Francis Lawrence, whose previous projects include “I Am Legend” and “Constantine,” according to people familiar with the matter.

On the ‘Catching Fire‘ script:

One issue that is under control: All the primary “Hunger Games” cast members are signed up for the entire four-film series, so none are likely to follow Mr. Ross to the exit.