* Lionsgate must be feelin' pretty good after the wave of good reviews for The Hunger Games' trailer. So much so that rumors are they're already at work trying to snag a writer for the sequel, Catching Fire. Gary Ross will be back to direct, and the studio is said to be aiming for Academy Award winning writer Simon Beaufoy(Slumdog Millionaire) to pen the script. He hasn't taken the job yet, so this is still pretty early, but it shows that enthusiasm for The Hunger Games is pretty high. The sequel, which is set for a March 9th 2012 release, expands on the world of Panem considerably, but I don't want to say more and spoil who comes out of the first film alive. [Deadline]
* Kirsten Dunst, Best Actress award winner? She's got my vote, thanks to her gripping performance in Melancholia, and I've been very happy that others are starting to take notice and give her roles that will make people forget she was ever in those Spider-Man movies. The latest addition to her slate is Red Light Winter, based on the play by Adam Rapp(Winter Passing). Starring Mark Ruffalo and Billy Crudup, the story centers on two friends who travel to Amsterdam to get away from their lives, only to have a sexy prostitute(Dunst) get between them. Sounds like another mature role for the actress, who has a number of interesting flicks on the way. Filming will kick off in January. [Thompson On Hollywood]
* If it wasn't enough that Pacific Rim sounds like the perfect film for Guillermo Del Toro to make his directing return to after what'll be five years at the time it comes out, but he gave us a drool worthy cast that promises it'll be one of the most fun films of that year. Charlie Hunnam, Charlie Day, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, and Max Martini are all lined up for the massive creature feature. But wait...isn't there an old Del Toro favorite who seems to be missing? Like say...Ron Perlman? No need to worry, as Del Toro recently revealed to Wired that his Hellboy star will have a role in the film, which chronicles a futuristic battle between humans and an invading swarm of monsters.
