Ok, here’s a promise from me. Last year, a lot of news outlets were pretty slavishly reporting on EVERY SINGLE PIECE of Hunger Games casting news, and the vast majority of it was pretty pointless. It doesn’t matter who’s playing the male Tribute from District 3 because they are just meat for the grinder. I’m going to try and make sure that when we report on news for the sequel, Catching Fire, that it’s only in terms of principal characters. This is regarding one of those.
Into the Wild actress Jena Malone will be playing the role of Johanna Mason in the upcoming Hunger Games follow-up. She’s one of the winners of a previous Hunger Games brought together for the Quarter Quell bout between other past winners, which Katniss finds herself embroiled in as well. Some of you may remember that Kristen Bell, a Hunger Games fanatic, was campaigning heavily to get the role. I’m certainly a much bigger fan of Jena Malone than I am of Kristen Bell, so I guess I’m happy?
You can read the full press release after the jump.
JENA MALONE CAST AS JOHANNA MASON IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Santa Monica, CA, July 23, 2012- Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that Jena Malone has been cast in the role of Johanna Mason in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire. Johanna Mason is a female victor from a past Games still in her early twenties, and is one of the youngest, but also one of the most psychologically scarred Quarter Quell participants.
Malone recently starred opposite Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton in the History Channel’s Emmy® nominated mini-series Hatfields & McCoys. The mini-series broke cable records and is the new most-watched entertainment telecast of all time on cable. Her additional credits include Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, Oren Moverman’s The Messenger, and Sean Penn’s Into the Wild. She will soon begin production on Lonely Hunter.
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has over 50 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.
