Lionsgate announced that Universal Pictures has acquired distribution rights in Italy to The Hunger Games sequel.

Here’s the official press release:

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Universal Pictures, one of the world’s leading producers and distributors of filmed entertainment, has acquired distribution rights in Italy to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the next installment of Lionsgate’s blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, it was announced today by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman.

The first film in the franchise, the global blockbuster The Hunger Games, has already grossed $400 million at the North American box office, the 14th highest-grossing film of all time, and is nearing $650 million at the worldwide box office with a nationwide launch in China upcoming later this week.

“We are delighted to expand our successful international partnership with Universal to Italy on this exciting franchise,” said Lionsgate International President Helen Lee Kim, who orchestrated the deal along with Wachsberger. “We have enjoyed a productive relationship with Universal in several territories on such recent Lionsgate and Summit films as the Step Up franchise, What to Expect When You’re Expecting and The Cabin in the Woods. The Hunger Games has emerged as a truly global phenomenon, and we believe that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will elevate the franchise to a new level of performance at the international box office.”

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will go into production in September and will be released worldwide on November 22, 2013.

source: Marketwatch.com