The hunt is over. Lionsgate and director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) have found their 'Katniss Everdeen' in The Hunger Games film series and it's Oscar-nominated 20 year old Jennifer Lawrence. Commenting on Lawrence's casting, director Ross stated, "I'm so excited to work with Jen and see her bring this character to life. Katniss requires a young actress with strength, depth, complexity, tenderness and power. There are very few people alive who can bring that to a role. Jen brings it in spades. She's going to be an amazing Katniss."
Because Lawrence is older than the character in Suzanne Collins' books, it's likely the male lead roles of Peeta and Gale will have to be cast slightly older than written as well. Actors considered to be in the running include Josh Hutcherson, Hunter Parrish, and Alex Pettyfer (although his recent slew of bad press might push him to the rear of the pack). Filming's expected to get underway in May, with Lionsgate setting a March 23, 2012 release date for the first film of The Hunger Games trilogy (Catching Fire and Mockingjay being the other two Collins books that make up the trilogy).
Author Collins appears to be a fan of Lawrence's casting and fine with the fact the actress is older than the character in The Hunger Games. "Jennifer's just an incredible actress," stated Collins. "So powerful, vulnerable, beautiful, unforgiving and brave. I never thought we'd find somebody this perfect for the role. And I can't wait for everyone to see her play it."Lawrence burst onto the scene with her breakthrough performance in the gritty drama, Winter's Bone, which earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination right out of the gate. She's following up that indie film with a major role in X-Men: First Class and a supporting role in The Beaver, directed by Jodie Foster and starring Foster and Mel Gibson.
The Hunger Games Synopsis:
A dystopic Capitol requires its twelve subjugated districts to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl who are forced to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. When Katniss Everdeen's little sister is chosen in the lottery, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Although persevering through hardship is commonplace for Katniss, she must start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home.
Also of Interest:
- Alex Pettyfer for Hunger Games or Mortal Instruments?
- Exclusive Jennifer Lawrence interview
- Top 10 actresses of 2010
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(Photo of Jennifer Lawrence by Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
Comments
I guess a dark skin actress was not good enough for you. You had to make the hero of this trilogy in your own image. It is so typical. Another racist Hollywood film. I guess an olive skinned, dark haired, skinny girl with small breasts was not good enough. These jerks in Hollywood must realize that the book found a fan base with a dark skinned hero on board. Any of you guys who have read the book must know that she was dark haired and hairy (they have a difficult time waxing her body hair to prepare her for the games). Just like Hollywood. Racist, racist, racist. In the old days with people played Indians, Blacks, Asian, etc. What are they gonna do? Put dark paint on her, make her shed thirty pounds, give her a dark haired wig, and give her dark contact lenses? Change her into someone entirely different?
How fake.
(Again, Lionsgates in case you did not get it: Katniss is dark, hairy, poor, hungry, tough, and totally underprivileged.)
This is wrong. The casting is screwed up.
Let this one go down like the “300″, with all of their racist stereotypes, or Prince of Persia with not even one Persian in it. Or The Last Air Bender where all the Asian roles went to Indians and whites. Lionsgates you really screwed this up. You took a great trilogy and turned it into another sh–y, racist Hollywood film.
I’m sorry, she doesn’t look like Katniss. I totally agree with Mark. She looks too sweet, she doesn’t look tough or something. Not like a young girl who’s almost been dead.
Thanks! You just saved me the money of a movie ticket, beacus I am sow not seeing this movie now. Is that girl going to play Katniss? Well she more looks perfect for a role in The Hills our somthing. She looks all wrong! Hallo it`s alots of people that can act way her? Beacus she is hot? Yeah she is hot, and thats a littel of my problem, she look like a playboy model. Thats not Katniss! Thanks for runnig a great story whit some random barbi doll!
Has it come a book 4? Ther Katniss beacums a playboy modell beacus I think I mist it. Ow now I get it, They just take some random blond littel perfect girl.
You know some of what I loved in the books was this girl that fhightet some hard and was sow toff. A pearson that was really strong. A true hero not some random blond sexs ikon.
Umm. Excuse me Mark, but casting an attractive blonde actress for a role does not make lions-gate ‘racist’
Its been confirmed she will be dying her hair to fit the part and she’s a terrific actress! She is maybe not my first choice per-say, but i cant wait to see how she’ll do.
If people wont see the movie because they dislike the casting choices, then i think they should grow up. Seriously? i loved these books and nothing is going to keep me from seeing how its turned in to a film. Don’t be so ignorant. Grow up.
Ummmmm, people fell in love with Katniss because of her character and the writing. You saying people fell in love with her because of her appearance makes YOU the racist. Please stop your racism, it is very ugly.
Jen was very perfect for the role. Katniss was described it the book as brave, independent woman ,loving. She needs to grow up pretty quickly because of her father’s death. And Jen have all these traits ( Watch Winters Bone first, you all be enlightened by your pessimistic views). And if you worry about the “LOOKS” – color of skin especially, well Hollywood can do that. I mean come on , you’re being racist because you judged a person by its appearance. I’ll gonna watch this film. So excited for Jen!
It’s not racist that she is white. It’s racist that the casting call specifically wanted a caucasian for the role when the author intentionally made her racially ambiguous.
I am a fan of the book. It’s complexities and social commentary really got to me. A significant theme of the book is institutional oppression. But apparently some readers like KhaylaT, Bily, and Jo didn’t apply the message in the lives they lead. Or perhaps they just didn’t grasp that concept because, admittedly, the plot of the book sometimes overshadows the themes. Or maybe they don’t understand the complexities of institutional racism.
As much as institutional oppression is real in Panem, it is real in our own world, our own society, our own media.
To Bily: You remind me of a poster for “equality” that portrays defaulting: “Equality–It’s for everyone, no matter if you’re black, yellow, red, brown, or normal.” lol
To KhaylaT who said “Its been confirmed she will be dying her hair to fit the part and she’s a terrific actress!” Many find this good enough to change one into another race. Maybe it is. Just as casting a Native American of mixed ancestry and giving her grey contacts is “good enough.” But of course, Lionsgate didn’t want to go out of their way to include Native Americans in the casting call. The call was for a white actor.
What about her being a terrific actress? She’s a good actress, but, because Lionsgate did not open auditions to all races, she cannot prove herself to be a great one. Because of the casting limitations, she does not owe her role solely on her talent but also on the accident of birth that allowed her to be white.
Then there is the question : What if dying her hair is NOT good enough? haven’t white actors put on heavy eyeliner to appear Asian or Egyptian? Haven’t white actors tan their skin to appear Native American? Didn’t “Jim Crow” blacken his face to play a Black man?
To KhalyT and Jo:
The fact is, having white actors depict a race they are not insults people of all races. It insults the white majority by saying, “You are too ignorant to look past race when you buy your tickets. You are too blind to comprehend that we as the media have undermined your values as a free individual and free society.” It insults the minority by saying, “You are too insignificant a population that our society will not support what you do. You are too inferior that you cannot even portray yourselves or the ‘defaults’ on screen.”
That, ma’am/sir (not quite sure which one it is), is institutional racism. It’s not necessarily that a white person will be playing someone thought to be of color, it’s that the people of color who could have portrayed the part just as well (maybe even better) but were never given the chance.