‘The Hunger Games’ alum tapped in to direct Paramount’s ‘Red Rising’ adaptation

Francis Lawrence, known for directing several 'Hunger Games' movies, is taking over another dystopian franchise. According to THR, Paramount Pictures has tapped Lawrence to direct their 'Red Rising' adaptation. Currently, he is only involved in the development of the first book in the acclaimed series, which is also titled 'Red Rising.' Justin Rhodes, who collaborated with Lawrence on Netflix's video game adaptation of 'Bioshock,' will also be working with him on this project. He is on board as the scriptwriter. Rhodes is also known for his work in 'Terminator: Dark Fate.'

Lawrence will also serve as a producer alongside Cameron MacConomy for their about:blank banner. Francesco Goedhuis is also involved in the project in the same capacity. Pierce Brown is the mastermind behind the best-selling dystopian sci-fi series. To date, Brown has published six books in the series: 'Red Rising,' 'Golden Son,' 'Morning Star,' 'Iron Gold,' 'Dark Age, ' and 'Lightbringer'. The seventh book, titled 'Red God', is reportedly the final one in the series and is currently on the way.

In 2024, Brown announced that the series had sold over 6 million copies. At different points, different teams have tried to adapt the series. In the 2010s, it was set to become a series, while Universal once wanted to develop a feature film out of it.

'Red Rising' is set on Mars and features a dystopian future with a color-coded class system. In this system, the Golds are at the top. Darrow is the protagonist, a miner in this world. He is a Red, the lowest in this class system. People like him are expected to do hard labor. After losing a loved one, he decides to infiltrate the Gold and bring it down from within. To do this, he undergoes a brutal transformation and enters the prestigious military school, where young adults from around the world are tested for the Gold ranks. Brown is billed as an executive producer of the upcoming adaptation.