Gary Ross Developing Two More Literary Adaptations, Including "East of Eden" For "Hunger Games" Star Jennifer Lawrence

The Hunger Games director Gary Ross has two more projects in the works for the coming years, and apparently, he’s enjoyed working with Jennifer Lawrence so much, that both films will feature roles, developed specifically for the starlet. Both films are literary adaptations, with the first being John Steibeck’s East of Eden and the second, Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites, The Wrap reports.

The announcement adds two more projects to Lawrence's already packed schedule.

East of Eden will be a joint production between Universal and now that the studio and producer Brian Grazer have finalized a deal with Steinbeck’s estate. Ross himself is excited about the adaptation. The book will be made into a single film, not separated into two, as the director originally intended. This is the novel’s second film adaptation, following a 1955 film starring James Dean and Richard Davalos as a pair of brothers. In this newer version, Ross is gearing the part of the brothers’ mother for Lawrence.

It sounds like the director will face some criticism for choosing such a young actress for the part. At 23, Lawrence has already proven her worth as an actress and has even won her first Oscar. Still, there is the question of how believable she can be as a much older woman.

The Hunger Games director is developing the roles specifically for Lawrence.

As for “Burial Rites,” Lawrence would play a woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829, back when men scoffed at the notion of women committing violent crimes. The project is yet to find its home at a studio, but according to The Wrap, CAA and producer Allison Shearmur will begin shopping the project to studios next week. This is all the information that has been released so far, as both movies are currently in the earliest development stages. In fact, they are likely to spend years in development. While Ross is currently focused on casting Disney’s “Peter and the Starcatcher,” Lawrence has two more Hunger Games sequels lined up, as well as roles in Chris Terrio’s “The Ends of the Earth,” the Jeanette Walls memoir “The Glass Castle” and Susanne Bier’s FilmNation drama “The Rules of Inheritance.”

But can the actress handle such a challenging role?