Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) is in talks to rewrite Catching Fire, Lionsgate's hotly-anticipated sequel to The Hunger Games.

We reported back in January that Simon Beaufoy signed on to adapt the Suzanne Collins novel. Last month, Francis Lawrence was hired to replace director Gary Ross, and now it seems a new script is being commissioned.

If Michael Arndt's deal is finalized, he will likely need to move very fast, since the sequel is prepping for a late summer production start. The studio is trying to finish production before Jennifer Lawrence is summoned to start shooting the X-Men: First Class Sequel in January.