Gary Ross has become one of the most famous directors working today, and a large part of that is due to the runaway success of the ‘Hunger Games’. However, both the cast, crew, and fans were shocked when Ross announced that he wouldn’t be returning to direct the sequels, ‘Catching Fire’ and ‘Mockingjay’. 
Jennifer Lawerence the star of the hunger games
There was a lot of confusion and assumptions to why he wasn’t coming back, and eventually Lionsgate went ahead and announced that Francis Lawrence, director of ‘I Am Legend’ and ‘Water for Elephants’ would be returning to direct the sequel.
Now, Ross is finally speaking up in detail about why he left the franchise, in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly. Talking about the decision, he tells EW, “I didn’t feel that I would have the time for the way that I work to do the movie justice. I wear two hats. I don’t wear one hat. When you write and you direct that’s a linear process, it’s not a simultaneous process. I would’ve had to have written a script and prepped the whole movie in four months and on the first movie that’s a process that took me eight months. And I thought [Catching Fire] was a more difficult adaptation, not an easier one. I didn’t really feel I had the time I needed to live up to my own standards. And I haven’t had a moment’s regret. It was absolutely the right decision and I’m thrilled about new challenges.”
a complete legend of a director ... gary ross
The EW interview also contains information about Ross’s latest children’s book and his upcoming projects, and can be viewed in full here.
Gary Ross interviewed about The Hunger Games
