10 Films Directors Regret Making

8. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - Francis Lawrence

Shutter Island Teddy Daniels
Lionsgate

Another director who regrets making a movie adaptation of a hugely popular book now, though Francis Lawrence's experience with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is a little different.

For starters, Lawrence was hired to direct the entire two-part adaptation of the Hunger Games series' final book, Mockingjay, with both movies being shot back-to-back.

But even before Part 1 was released, many questioned the "necessity" of splitting a book the same length as its two predecessors in half - beyond the obvious money-grubbing reasons, of course.

And indeed, once Part 2 came out, the most common criticism of the duology was that the split was unnecessary and Mockingjay could've been easily adapted as a single film.

Lawrence kept quiet about this for years, but while recently promoting his Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, he confirmed to People that he regretted making Part 2 rather than simply producing Mockingjay as one movie:

"I totally regret it. I totally do. I'm not sure everybody does, but I definitely do."

Ironically, perhaps the most vocal criticism of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is that its ending is rushed, with some suggesting it - being adapted from a considerably longer novel than any of the original Hunger Games books - might've actually benefitted from a two-part split.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.