'Hunger Games' Sequel Set For November 2013

Get your fire extinguishers ready, because the world is going to be "Catching Fire" on November 22, 2013.

Lionsgate announced the release date for the second installment in the "Hunger Games" film series Monday (August 8), following two new stills from the first flick hitting the Web. "The Hunger Games" is still in production and is slated for a March 23, 2012, release. "Catching Fire" is the only movie slotted for the prime 2013 Thanksgiving weekend spot.

No word yet on whether "Catching Fire" will maintain Gary Ross as director or whether it will follow "The Twilight Saga" and "Harry Potter" trend of getting new directors for its four installments. But, considering "The Hunger Games" is close to wrapping, the timing of the announcement leads us to assume that Lionsgate is attempting to maintain some continuity from the first movie to the second.

The new photos from "The Hunger Games" show that the cast is well into filming. The first still shows off Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in the middle of the titular Hunger Games. It is a familiar image from the previously released photos, but the "X-Men: First Class" star looks ready for battle with her quiver full of arrows. If you look close enough, you can even see her mockingjay pin peeking out on her jacket.

Photo number two features Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, one of the two leading men in the movie. He looks a bit worse for wear and a lot less concerned than Katniss about the fight to the death he's embroiled in. It appears that this photo takes place about halfway through the movie, after Peeta suffers a serious injury.

According to Elizabeth Banks' interview with ComingSoon.net, there's only about a month of filming left on "The Hunger Games." Banks, who plays Effie Trinket in the series, had nothing but wonderful things to say about the project. "We're really making a provocative movie that's also highly entertaining. It's gonna be fun," Banks said. "It's really great to make something that you know people are excited about and also that you know is gonna deliver. I really think the fans are gonna love it."

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