Thanks to a ravenous readership of the book series by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is one of the most hotly anticipated projects currently in development. Set to be directed by Gary Ross, there has been much conversation about which young actress should play the film's protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. Sadly, I can't deliver that news at this time, but I can tell you when the movie is set to come out.

THR reports that Lionsgate has officially given The Hunger Games a release date of March 23, 2012. The date puts the movie right in between the Jonah Hill-scripted adaptation of the television show 21 Jump Street and the Jonathan Liebesman-directed sequel to Clash of the Titans, Wrath of the Titans. The studio helps to be boosted by both spring break and the Easter holiday, as the fanbase of the books is primarily teenagers. In the books, an annual, televised event is held in the future where young children are forced to battle to the death.

While I haven't read the books myself, the plot sounds a lot like Battle Royale, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. On the good side, Battle Royale is an awesome movie. On the bad side, Ross has said that he plans to make the movie PG-13, which, from the sound of it, may hurt the material. I suppose we'll have to wait until March 2012 to find out.