Jennifer Lawrence to reunite with Hunger Games director for two new projects
The Silver Linings Playbook actress will star in adaptations of Burial Rites and Steinbeck's East of Eden - both being developed by writer and director Gary Ross
Director Gary Ross has decided against a long, hard search for the stars of his two upcoming projects. Instead, he's chosen his leading lady from last year's blockbuster The Hunger Games to do both.
The writer and director of the first film in Suzanne Collins' teen franchise is busy working on adaptations of John Steinbeck's East of Eden and Hannah Kent's Burial Rites.
East of Eden follows the tale of Cal Trask who faces a hopeless competition with his brother, Aron, for their father's affection, and was first dramatised with James Dean in the lead. Lawrence is attached to play the boys' mother, although the 23-year-old has already been criticised as being too young for the role.
Meanwhile, Burial Rites is the debut novel from Australian writer Kent and met with rave reviews when it was released at the end of last month. Lawrence – who won a best actress Oscar in February for her role in Silver Linings Playbook – will play a woman on trial for murder in Iceland back in 1829 when men dismissed the possibility of women committing violence as laughable.
It is not yet clear when Lawrence will find time in her busy schedule to film both movies, with The Hunger Games movie trilogy currently taking up the lion's share of her time. The second instalment, Catching Fire, will be released in the UK on 22 November, with Mockingjay currently being shot in Atlanta.
