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Monday, March 21, 2011

Jennifer Lawrence is "the girl on fire"

It was announced last week that twenty-year-old actress Jennifer Lawrence will play the role of Katniss Everdeen in the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games trilogy. Fans like me have been waiting to hear which buzzworthy actress would win this coveted role. I previously posted about how True Grit's Hailee Steinfield was my pick to play Katniss, and I was initially disappointed to hear about Jennifer Lawrence's casting. But after reading this article at EW.com in which director Gary Ross explains how he and author Suzanne Collins needed a mature actress to play Katniss, I found myself more supportive of the choice. And then any lingering doubts I had were erased when I read this exclusive statement from Suzanne Collins in which she praises Jennifer Lawrence's audition. Lawrence's previous work includes Winter's Bone, for which she received a Best Actress nomination, and the upcoming X-Men: First Class.

Now that director Ross has found Katniss, I hope we'll soon hear about who will play Peeta, Gale, Prim, Rue, and the other characters. As I write this, no other casting announcements have been made. Josh Hutchersen, previously seen as Laser in The Kids Are All Right, has talked about why he loves the character of Peeta, and I am crossing my fingers that he'll get the role. He definitely understands the character from having read the books himself, and he is a talented actor. Do you have any casting ideas about who should play Peeta or Gale?

Read The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins:
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay