'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' is ''less violent'' than the first movie.

Filmmaker Francis Lawrence - who replaces Gary Ross in the director's chair - was eager to make changes to the blockbuster sequel, such as toning down the blood and gore seen on screen.

He said: ''There's a lot less person-on-person killing in this one. The important theme is the idea of allies and having to work with people you don't necessarily trust. Reliance on others versus reliance on self. It's still intense but there's less violence. I'm more interested in somebody's reaction to violence or the consequence of it than the blood itself.''

Leading lady Jennifer Lawrence, who reprises her role as heroine Katniss Everdeen, feels there is a ''good balance'' of violent scenes in the two films, however.

She added: ''I don't know if there's more or less action in this movie - it's the same. In the first and second movie there's a good balance of violence.''

The film's director has also brought in a new cinematographer and costume designer to put his own stamp on the sequel.

He explained to Total Film magazine: ''I thought there could be more sophistication to the clothing and my version of naturalistic is very different. I like handheld [cameras] but I'm not into that shaky cam look. I tend to use wider lenses. I think viewers will have much more of a sense of what makes up the Hunger Games arena and what the boundaries are.''