It’s been announced by Lionsgate Films that they’ve set a release date for The Hunger Games, the adaptation of the popular young-adult novel of the same name by author Suzanne Collins.

The movie is set to be released on March 23, 2012, and tells the story of a post apocalyptic future where North America is now known as the country of Panem, where twelve districts are controlled by the government in a city called Capitol. As a punishment, an annual event called the Hunger Games is held, where kids — one boy and one girl from each district within the ages of 12 to 18 — are forced to fight to the death to show that in these brutal times, the controlling government is in power and not even the younger civilians are safe.

The Hunger Games is set to be directed by Gary Ross, who previously helmed Seabiscuit and Pleasantville. Ross has also written Big, Dave, and The Tale of Despereaux along with the two titles mentioned above. Writer Billy Ray (Breach, State of Play) penned the screenplay, but it’s unclear whether his draft will be the one used for filming.