Wed 20 Apr 2011
The Hunger Games (Movie): Who’s Playing Who So Far…And Do We Like Them? (UPDATED)
Posted by Miss Info under about miss info , good for me , life beyond rap , photos , things I love[17] Comments
Miss Info: Like all my girlfriends, I’m unhealthily obsessed with The Hunger Games book trilogy. I had no interest when they were all reading cheesy chick lit: “fab” city women with amazing shoe collections looking for variations on Mr. Big….Bah humbug. But these days, I can’t get enough of the new heroine trend: bad-ass female protagonists, sci-fi plots, violence, action, dystopian soul-oppressing societies, and of course, agonizing doomed love. Sure, most of it is categorized as “young adult” fiction, but when done right, the only thing you miss is the Harlequin Romance-style “throbbing manhood” references. Which is to say…I don’t miss that at all, lol.
Now that the Twilight series has turned into a blockbusting dryhumping teen movie franchise…all eyes are on The Hunger Games adaptation. Suzanne Collins’ 3-book series is about poor teens who are forced into an elimination death match, killing each other off like Battle Royale, while rich, brainwashed elite society bet on who will survive. In a fascinating interview with the NYTimes, Collins said: “I don’t write about adolescence. I write about war. For adolescents.” I think this series is waay better than the Twilight tomes, but I’m already a bit leery about which pretty young things will play my favorite characters….
The breakout star of redneck manhunt movie Winter’s Bone, Jennifer Lawrence (above, via GQ) seems perfect for the reluctant survivalist heroine Katniss Everdeen….but what about her crucial castmates? The elfin kid from The Kids Are Alright and that big lug who’s always sucking face with Miley Cyrus?
Plus a Hollywood powerkid, a “30 Rock” staple, a “Grey’s Anatomy” brat and more….
Check out the Hunger Games cast so far…Love it or Hate it?
(*UPDATED: 4/22/11 Haymitch and Katniss’ Mom castings…)
See after the jump…
(left to right: Josh Hutcherson aka Peeta, Jennifer Lawrence aka Katniss, Liam Hemsworth aka Gale)
The Twilight series started out with a crap director, but great casting…When Hunger Games starts shooting in May, it’ll have Director Gary Ross, who did Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, and wrote Tales of Desperaux and Big. So hopefully they won’t have to dump him mid-series like Catherine Hardwicke. But aside from relative veteran Elizabeth Banks, this cast reeks of cheesy hugging dream montages, Haley Williams soundtracks, and Billabong tie-ins.
1) Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence, 20
*She already has an Oscar-nomination for her surly sad beauty in Winter’s Bone. This should take her to the next level. More so than than following Rebecca Romijn’s footsteps in the next X-Men.*
2) Prim Everdeen: Willow Shields (“In Plain Sight”)
3) Peeta Mellark: Josh Hutcherson, 19 (The Kids Are Alright, Cirque Du Freak)
*Peeta is supposed to the strong, heartbreaking son of a baker…this guy reminds me of Elijah Wood instead. smh*
4) Gale Hawthorne: Liam Hemsworth 21 (The Last Song, Knowing)
*Liam seems more brawn than finesse, but that will serve well in Part 3: Mockingjay. Plus: brother Chris Hemsworth, is the new Thor. Minus: Miley Cyrus’ wackjuice.*
5) Effie Trinket (chaperone): Elizabeth Banks (“30 Rock”, 40-Year-Old Virgin)
6) Rue, District 11 (agriculture): Amandla Stenberg (Why Did I Get Married Too?)
7) Thresh, District 11 (agriculture): Dayo Okeniyi (newcomer)
8 ) Marvel, District 1 (luxury): Jack Quaid (newcomer, son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan)
9) Glimmer, District 1 (luxury): Leven Rambin (“Grey’s Anatomy”, “All My Children”)
*UPDATED: 4/22/11
After all the debate about who should play Haymitch, there’s a pretty satisfying conclusion. Looks like John C. Reilly will play Katniss and Peeta’s belligerent drunkard Hunger Games coach. I think he’ll add a nice bit of comic relief. Did you see Cyrus? Full of awkward funny. And in the role of Katniss’ mom…Paula Malcomson. She was great in Deadwood as Al Swearengen’s tough whore, and also in Caprica, Sons of Anarchy etc.
Related/Unrelated:
Robert Pattinson looks past Twilight in Vanity Fair April 2011 coverstory
New “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” trailer: Vamp x Girl x Dag threesome! Tree Porn!
LOL: Taylor Swift’s SNL Kanye jab < her SNL Twilight spoof
I wish I was at Comic-Con Pt2: “Alice in Wonderland,” James Cameron’s “Avatar,” “Sherlock Holmes,” etc
April 20th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
hey miss info – guys can be obsessed with the hunger games too. just sayin’
Reply
Miss Info Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
REALLY?! yay….you are my broham : )
So….everyone is saying Gary Busey should play Hamitch the drunk guy….I really hope not bc I can’t deal with looking at his crack jaw and his wonky eyeball.
Reply
binary hex Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
lol – I haven’t finished Mockingjay yet, though so no spoilers. I’m trying to savor it for as long as possible.
I always thought of Hamitch as the guy who played Hagrid in harry potter but I think that might be too easy. Another easy one would be Alan Cumming as Cinna.
Reply
Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 12:48 am
I was just telling my cousin that they need to find a young version of Alan for Cinna….or maybe see if Johnny Weir can act, lol. Hmm, I think Hamitch has to be a little more belligerent and unlikeable. Hagrid is so cuddly, lol.
All I pray is….no Smith progeny! Lol. And no rappers or pop stars!
April 20th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
They should make a movie about this new book i’ve just got into called Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone…I think it has the potential to be a big hit
Reply
Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 12:48 am
badumbum lol. Speaking of that…the new trailer looks great
Reply
April 21st, 2011 at 11:22 am
I agree. The hunger games books were easy for me, as a guy, to read… except for Mockingjay. I read the first two a hundred times in anticipation of the last and I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed by a book in my life.
As for Haymitch I vote Kris Kristofferson or Nick Nolte with the Tropic Thunder look and a tan.
Reply
Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 11:27 am
YES! Thats a great idea….either of those guys would be perfect.
Hmm, I didn’t hate Mockingjay…it was a bit extreme at times, but I know that 1 and 2 were hard to beat. It’s weird….but maybe all trilogies disappoint with the 3rd? I loved Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, and the second book….but the third was unbearable.
maybe I should do another roundup of the casting for the US version of that movie too….
Reply
Mustafa Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 6:58 pm
I think it was the overall tragedy of the conclusion. At the end of the first two books there was hope, however minute, that the characters would be able to find some semblance of genuine happiness. At least from my perspective the whole idea of Katniss being the beacon of hope ended up being a dead end for her and all the other characters and the fact that it all came around full circle to a point where Plutarch would suggest in the end that it might all start over again was disheartening.
And I don’t mean to be harsh. I’m sure it was extremely difficult for her to follow the success of the first two books and then with the deadlines she must have had she can’t be to blame. But I thought Harry Potter was perfection and even Twilight ended well (Although Meyer bailed herself out of making the hard decisions as to which of the beloved mainstay characters she would have to off by avoiding ultimate conferentation. I still wonder what would happen in a fight with the Volturi.)
Reply
April 21st, 2011 at 6:34 pm
I actually like the casting outside of the main three characters. Jennifer is too grown looking to play Katniss. The book is about kids killing each other. She’s too curvy & healthy looking & isn’t she supposed to be in the wood fighting for her life?
I think Robert Downey Jr would be a good addition to the movie. Yay for no rappers, pop stars, and Smith kids. Thanks God for Amandla Stenberg and Dayo Okeniyi even though I wanted Tristan Wilds to play Thresh.
Reply
Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 6:40 pm
hmm, first off…I think you make a good point about Katniss. There’s alot of outrage about Jennifer’s age and maturity. But she played young pretty well in Winters Bone. Maybe if she loses weight so she’s a bit more frail, it’ll be fine. And by the 3rd book, she’ll be fine bc she’s more athletic. Robert Downey would be good as the president!!! evil and twisted.
I still feel like Thresh needs to be huge and looming…like a big football player type.
And what about the mom….the woman who was in Revolutionary Road? She’s probably too high brow for this project.
Reply
April 21st, 2011 at 6:47 pm
I wanted Hailee Steinfeld for Katniss. The other problem w/ the casting of Katniss is that she is described as “olived skin and dark hair”. People thought casting JL was a missed opportunity to cast a “not so white” actress for the part. That was what the uproar was about according to ONTD and Tumblr.
I’ve never seen Revolutionary Road. Is that the movie w/ Kate Winslet & Leo DiCaprio? I never saw it, but I think I heard of it. Tristan is big kid….erm man. He’s only 5′11, but he’s built like a football player. I heard Michael B Jordan (Wallace, “The Wire”) auditioned for this movie, but he was too small. I have to start reading these books. I have been reading about this movie for almost 5 mths now. I thought it was just for kids, but you’re GROWN & you like it…and you like Harry Potter, so I’ll cop the books before the week is up.
Reply
May 18th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
I would really like a response back!
Does anyone know if the movie is going to include all three books or just the first.
I’d really like an answer to this. I want to read the books before the movie comes out.
Anyone know??
Reply
Ally Reply:
July 3rd, 2011 at 6:55 am
I think it’s only the first due to the fact that if they put all three into one the movie would be very long like over 8 hours. And if they put all into one it would suck.
Reply
February 24th, 2012 at 6:40 am
I had to stop and leave a post for you on your website. I absolutly ador it! You are such a great blogger. I love your design and posts. Thank you for all of this information, it has helped me out more then you know. Smile – I will defenetly be back keep up the good work! Thanks again.
Reply
March 21st, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Mockingjay was a brilliant conclusion to the trilogy. I can only compare it to “Ender’s Game” – and that is extremely high praise, indeed.
When I first closed the book last night, I felt shattered, empty, and drained. This book is my favorite of the series, hands-down.
Reply
Miss Info Reply:
March 21st, 2012 at 5:12 pm
DID YOU KNOW THE ENDER’S GAME MOVIE IS NEXT??!? I’m watching the casting for that very closely too.
And I totally agree. But if you loved Hunger Games I am positive you’ll love this other series Graceling and Fire.
ps: how come your commenter name is so weird. Ive been seeing alot of these weird commenter names….are you guys bots?
Reply