Gary Ross will definitely not be returning to direct “Catching Fire,” the sequel to “The Hunger Games,” that has so far earned over $300 million domestically, and almost $160 million overseas.

This isn’t necessarily a problem because Catherine Hardwicke didn’t return to the ‘Twilight’ films, and they went on to break records worldwide.  George Lucas only directed one film of his original Star Wars saga which isn’t a bad thing since–arguably–the best film of the original trilogy being “The Empire Strikes Back,” directed by Irvin Kershner.

A problem potentially arises when you realize that Ross not only directed “The Hunger Games, but he also helped develop the property and write the screenplay with Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray.