In early November came the confirmation that Gary SEABISCUIT Ross will direct HUNGER GAMES for Lionsgate, the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ first in a series of dystopic novels. One problem…who’s gonna play the young female lead?!?
The L.A. Times is one the case, but it doesn’t seem like a whole lot of answers are readily available. Lionsgate is currently casting the crucial lead in the film, which is that of a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen. However, the problem isn’t due to a dearth of talent, so says producer Nina Jacobson:
“We have so many great young actors right now whose representatives are interested, or who are interested themselves…It really comes down to finding that person who can capture the physicality, the vulnerability and the toughness. She’s a paradoxical character and you need somebody who has the range to capture all of those dimensions.”
“We’ll start auditioning fairly early in the new year. There are no front-runners yet.”
Wow, not even named candidates? What is up? Surely all those cutesy little actresses in the running for Lisbeth Salander can’t be too far off. If you were in Lionsgate, who would you cast as Katniss Everdeen?
HUNGER GAMES – the first in a novel trilogy by Collins – takes place in an unidentified future time period after the destruction of North America, in a nation known as Panem. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts. As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol, every year one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected at random and forced to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised event where the participants, or “tributes”, must fight to the death in a dangerous outdoor arena until only one remains.
The story follows fatherless 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also participating from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a boy whom Katniss knows from school and who once saved Katniss’s life by giving her bread when her family was starving.