Francis Lawrence is in negotiations to direct a feature adaptation of "Red Rising" for Paramount Pictures, according to sources familiar with the project. The deal, which has not been formally announced by the studio, would mark Lawrence's return to the kind of large-scale genre filmmaking he became known for with "The Hunger Games" franchise.

Lawrence's involvement signals Paramount's intent to launch a new tentpole property at a time when studios are aggressively hunting for the next multi-film franchise. The director has spent much of the past decade shepherding young-adult and science-fiction material to the screen, a track record that makes him a logical choice for a property with a devoted readership and series potential. Paramount declined to comment for this story.

A Director With Franchise Experience

Lawrence first broke through with 2005's "Constantine" before directing "I Am Legend" two years later. He went on to helm three of the four "Hunger Games" films, steering that series through its most commercially successful stretch. More recently, he directed "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," which returned the franchise to theaters after an eight-year hiatus and demonstrated that the property still carries weight with audiences.

That résumé is precisely what makes him attractive to a studio sitting on a title with built-in name recognition. Adapting a beloved book series requires a filmmaker who can balance fidelity to the source material with the compressed demands of a two-hour runtime - and, ideally, one who can map out a multi-film arc from the outset.

The Particular Perils of Book-to-Film Transitions

Hollywood has a long and uneven record with page-to-screen translations. For every franchise that thrived, others collapsed under the weight of fan expectations. The most common failure points are familiar: condensing too much plot, miscasting central roles, or sanding down the tonal edges that made the original resonate.

There is also the matter of the title itself. "Red Rising" is shared by more than one property in the entertainment ecosystem, including a 1994 action feature directed by Francis Megahy and starring Don Wilson. That film, a 99-minute English-language Hollywood production released on September 1, 1994, followed Thomas Hoshino, a hard-edged Japanese detective whose partner is killed by a Yakuza assassin named Jaho. Hoshino pursues the killer and his master to Los Angeles, where he partners with Det. Karen Ryder and uncovers a looming gang war and a weapons-smuggling operation. The cast included Terry Farrell as Ryder, Mako as Buntoro Iga, Michael Ironside as Capt. Meisler, Soon-Tek Oh as Yamata, Edward Albert as Decklin, James Lew as Jaho, and Stoney Jackson as Gamal.

That earlier "Red Rising" - a straightforward action vehicle that drew a modest 5 out of 10 rating on TMDb - bears no relation to the project now taking shape at Paramount. The shared name is coincidence, though it illustrates how crowded the marketplace has become for recognizable titles.

What Happens Next

Should the deal close, Lawrence would inherit a project that has been the subject of Hollywood interest for years. Paramount's acquisition of the rights gives the studio a potential anchor for a slate that increasingly leans on adaptations of established intellectual property. The playbook is well-worn: attach a proven director, cast a lead who can carry a franchise, and aim for a release that leaves room for sequels.

No casting has been discussed publicly, and no production timeline has been set. Those decisions typically follow the director's attachment, since the filmmaker often weighs in on who will shoulder the central role. For now, the project exists in that early, speculative phase where everything depends on deals closing and calendars aligning.

Lawrence, for his part, has shown a willingness to remain in the franchise space rather than pivot to smaller, auteur-driven work. Whether that continues with "Red Rising" will depend on how the negotiations conclude in the coming weeks. For a studio in search of its next big swing, and a director with a demonstrated talent for world-building, the pairing has an evident logic - even if the details remain firmly under wraps.

Source: Hollywood Reporter