The Odds are Ever in His Favor - Francis Lawrence Directing The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

Once the machine starts up, you can't stop it.

Lionsgate has no intentions of doing so with their machine The Hunger Games. Its sequel Catching Fire is hard at work under the direction of Francis Lawrence (due out November 2013). The concluding book in Suzanne Collins' trilogy Mockingjay got split into two flicks, as you know, for November 2014 and 2015.

Collider reports the studio has retained the services of the I Am Legend director for those remaining installments. Such a move allows little down-time searching for replacements and keeping their eye on the ball. Twilight never stuck with a director between films and Harry Potter stopped searching after David Yates worked out so well. I can see the appeal of going the latter route for Hunger Games.