Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence, Gravity

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Whether she’s leading an indie film or starring in a top box-office saga, Jennifer Lawrence is one to be watched. We highlight the movie darling’s beginnings and upcoming endeavors. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Her performance in “Winter’s Bone” was so riveting, she earned an Oscar nod. And unlike in the film, Lawrence wasn’t afraid to put her good looks on display when she arrived at the 2011 Academy Awards in a figure-hugging red Calvin Klein gown. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tapped Lawrence to reveal the 84th Oscar nominations alongside academy President Tom Sherak. She donned a Prada blue/black eyelet outfit from the spring/summer 2011 collection for the occasion. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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In her first collaboration with a luxury brand, Lawrence was named the new face of French fashion house Dior, replacing actress Mila Kunis. She followed in the fashionable footsteps of Charlize Theron, Marion Cotillard and Natalie Portman. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

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Her portrayal of Tiffany Maxwell in “Silver Linings Playbook” earned Lawrence her first Oscar for leading actress. As she was called to stage for her win, she took a tumble on the Oscar stairway in her Dior Haute Couture gown - but it seemed to make her all the more lovable. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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When Lawrence attended the 2014 Golden Globes on Jan. 12, she made an impression on the red carpet with a puffy Dior gown (not to mention a photo bomb on Taylor Swift) and on the stage when she took home the supporting actress Golden Globe for her role in the movie “American Hustle.” (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The cast of “American Hustle” took home the most important accolade of the evening at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards: the best cast prize. The win marked Lawrence’s second SAG Award after her 2013 lead actor win for “Silver Linings Playbook.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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In perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the 2014 Oscars, and certainly the most viral, host Ellen DeGeneres recruited a who’s who of Hollywood, including Lawrence, to snap a Twitter portrait. The pic, retweeted by more than half a million people, knocked Twitter offline for a few moments. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Making it official (for the second time), Lawrence and actor Nicholas Hoult split in August 2013. The pair, who met while filming “X-Men: First Class,” had a difficult time making their relationship work due to their busy, not to mention highly successful, schedules. (Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images; Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Snowlodge)

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What began as a rumor proved to be true after it was confirmed that Lawrence and Coldplay frontman (and Gwyneth Paltrow’s ex) are an item. The new couple have yet to be publicly photographed together. Pictured, Lawrence attends the iHeartRadio Music Festival, in which Martin performed. (Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Clear Channel; Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Clear Channel )

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Come Christmas 2015, Lawrence will star in director David O. Russell’s rag-to-riches tale “Joy,” centered on Miracle Mop inventor Joy Mangano. Lawrence said Russell approached her through a text, and she happily obliged. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images; Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

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Lawrence, with Evan Peters, suited up to play Mystique a third time in Bryan Singer’s “X-Men: Apocalypse.”

(Alan Markfield / AP)

By John Horn

Oct. 22, 2013 10:57 AM PT

The China benefit for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” could come at the expense of “Gravity,” as Chinese officials announced that the Lionsgate sequel will debut in the world’s biggest nation just one day after Alfonso Cuarón’s space drama premieres there.

In opening on Nov. 21, the latest “Hunger Games” will be arriving in China even a few hours before the Jennifer Lawrence sequel lands in domestic theaters.

The first movie adapted from Suzanne Collins’ bestselling dystopian thriller series didn’t get to China until almost three months after its U.S. launch, meaning that pirated DVDs of the film were widely available.

The film, released in domestic screens in March 2012, grossed about $27 million in China, a good but not great result.

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In a statement, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman said, “ ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ has become a truly global phenomenon, and its day-and-date release in this key territory further cements its status as a worldwide motion picture event of epic proportions.”

While the adult-skewing “Gravity,” which is a huge hit with a worldwide gross to date of more than $283 million for Warner Bros., and the teen-powered “The Hunger Games” sequel appeal to different audiences, the proximity of the two films in Chinese theaters will likely hurt both at the box office.

In recent years, Chinese authorities have scheduled some American blockbusters directly opposite each other, in part to depress their ticket sales so that Chinese films will have a larger share of box-office revenues.

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