Lawrence in First Class

One of the biggest things to watch this past month has been the production duel over Jennifer Lawnrece. With the sequel toThe Hunger Games, Catching Fire, scheduled to shoot this fall, 20th Century Fox also wants to get the actress in on their anticipated sequel X-Men: First Class 2. At first, it seemed she would have to choose one or the other, with the likliness going in Fox’s favor. Now, however, the studio has officially set the production start for the film, and has dodged the bullet with Lawrence’s schedule.

THR reports that 20th Century Fox has set a January 2013 start date for X-Men: First Class 2, which means Lawrence is golden for her August/September start date of Catching Fire. The film will once again be directed by Matthew Vaughn, while stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and more are all contracted to return. Simon Kinberg will return to the X-franchise to write the script, with Bryan Singer producing once more.

Meanwhile, Catching Fire has its own problems, as it was reported earlier this week that Gary Ross demanded a “significant raise” in his negotiations with Lionsgate. If the studio feels it’s too much, they could indeed pass him over, and effectively be on the search for another director. But, sources have said it’s likely Ross will return to direct the second film.

Lawrence has become an overnight sensation with The Hunger Games, though she truly broke out last year with her Oscar-nominated performance in Winter’s Bone. She went on to do multiple films last year, but her biggest was taking over the role of Mystique from Rebecca Romijn, providing a more sympathetic relationship with Charles Xavier. Lawrence’s role as Katniss Everdeen has landed her as one of the most in-demand actresses right now, and she’s set to star in horror thriller House at the End of the Street this fall.

Catching Fire is set for a November 22nd, 2013 release, while a date has yet to be determined for X-Men: First Class 2.