Hollywood has totally run out of original ideas. But then again, are there any actual new ideas anymore anyways? The Hunger Games franchise will be coming to a close at the end of the year and Lionsgate is looking for another epic action franchise to fill the void. The studio is cutting out the middle man and going directly to the source for adventure stories, by developing a big-screen adaptation of Homer’s epic Greek poem, The Odyssey. Deadline describes the development.

Lionsgate has enlisted Francis Lawrence to direct, Peter Craig to write and Nina Jacobson to produce. Lawrence directed three of the four Hunger Games films, Craig co-scripted the two installments of Mockingjay, and Jacobson and her Color Force have shepherded the franchise from the very beginning…Lionsgate has put this on a fast track. The plan is to begin production early next year, right after the filmmakers complete promotion of Mockingjay – Part 2. 

Director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) has proven to be extremely capable at handling large scale action, with strong subtext. It probably is not coincidental that there haven’t been many straight adaptations of The Odyssey. The scale of the story is enormous, featuring mythical creatures, warring armies, and powerful gods. Typically only a part of the adventure is adapted, like in Troy. Or just the spirit of the story is used in a movie such as O’ Brother Where Art Thou. It is one of the largest stories every told by man and clearly Lionsgate is feeling confident after the stellar success of The Hunger Games series. 

The Odyssey lends itself to long-form storytelling, so it is probably being developed as a trilogy or series, however there are not details on that yet. The fact that they are keeping the creative team together from the past few Hunger Games films, also bodes well for the upcoming movie. Since they have been working together for the several years, hopefully there will be a unity in their vision for the epic. They are looking to go into production around the beginning of next year, so expect to hear more news in the coming months.

Does the prospect of adaptation excite you? Who do you think should play Odysseus this time around?  Let us know what you think on , , ! Share our stories on your favorite social media below!

Source: Collider