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Francis Lawrence to direct ‘Hunger Games’ sequel, ‘Catching Fire.’ But who is he?

Francis Lawrence is about to become a legend in his own right.

The 42-year-old filmmaker, perhaps best known for directing "I Am Legend" in 2007, has landed the job of a lifetime: directing "Catching Fire," the highly anticipated sequel to "The Hunger Games."

This will be the director's fourth film. His first was the Keanu Reeves angel-and-demons extravaganza "Constantine" in 2005, followed by the postapocalyptic Will Smith vehicle "I Am Legend." His most recent directorial effort was 2011's circus romance "Water for Elephants," starring "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.

Despite directing only a handful of films, Lawrence is by no means unqualified for the next film in the Katniss Everdeen franchise, set for release on November 22, 2013. He has also directed episodes of the 2009 King David drama series "Kings" and, more recently, got behind the camera for Kiefer Sutherland's new show, the supernatural thriller "Touch."

But Lawrence is best known for directing scores of renowned music videos over the past two decades, most notably for Britney Spears ("I'm a Slave 4 U"), Jennifer Lopez ("Jenny From the Block"), Justin Timberlake ("Cry Me a River"), and Lady Gaga ("Bad Romance").

Fittingly, Lawrence's last music video was for Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)." Katniss would be proud.

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