Francis Lawrence For 'Mockingjay': Director Signs To Final Two 'Hunger Games' Films

Francis Lawrence is currently directing the "Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire," and according to Lionsgate, he's signed on for both parts of the franchise's finale as well.

As first reported by Collider -- and now confirmed by the official Lionsgate Twitter account -- Lawrence will direct "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" (the final installment of Suzanne Collins' best-selling series was split into two parts for the big screen). The films, which will be shot back-to-back, arrive in theaters, respectively, in 2014 and 2015.

Lawrence was hired by Lionsgate to replace Gary Ross back in April. Ross left the highly anticipated sequel earlier this year as "The Hunger Games" was lighting up the box office; he didn't feel like there were enough days on the calendar to produce "Catching Fire" before its Nov. 22, 2013 release date. "As a writer and a director, I simply don’t have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule," Ross said at the time.

For more on Lawrence and the "Hunger Games" finale, head over to Collider.