MAR 26: FRANCIS LAWRENCE TO RECEIVE CINEMACON 2015 'DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR' AWARD

Congratulations, Francis Lawrence! Francis Lawrence, director of Catching Fire, Mockingjay - Part 1 and Mockingjay - Part 2 will be receiving the 2015 CinemaCon Director of the Year Award! The event, which is set to take place on April 20 - 23, 2015. 

Also, our Effie, Elizabeth Banks, will receiving the "Breakthrough Filmmaker of the Year," award for Pitch Perfect 2! Congratulations to you!

Here is a piece from the official statement.

"Since making his feature film debut ten years ago, Francis Lawrence has mesmerized moviegoing audiences with his own unique and inventive style," noted Neuhauser. "A true visionary, Lawrence is sure to captivate audiences next fall when ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,’ the eagerly anticipated finale of the box-office franchise, hits our theaters. We couldn’t think of a more deserving director and are thrilled to be honoring him with the ‘CinemaCon® Director of the Year Award.’" 

Lawrence’s work can be seen this fall in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2," which is set to be released by LIONSGATE, on November 20, 2015. The blockbuster Hunger Games franchise has taken audiences by storm around the world, grossing more than $2.2 billion at the global box office. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 now brings the franchise to its powerful fourth chapter in which Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) now fully realizes the stakes are no longer just for survival — they are for the future. 

With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.