A couple of weeks ago we learned that Woody Harrelson had been offered a role in Gary Ross's The Hunger Games, but we weren't sure what it was. At one point it was believed to be that of Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane, but that part recently was awarded to Wes Bentley. Now we know exactly who Harrelson will play, and it's the role we thought was going to go to John C. Reilly, that of Haymitch Abernathy.
THR has the news of the signing, also revealing that the District 10 Tributes have been cast as well. Dakota Hood and Jeremy Marinas will play those two, leaving two of the most important ones left to be cast: District 2's Cato and Clove.
This is a big time coup for Harrelson because Haymitch is the key adult figure in the film, which follows a future society where children are forced to fight and kill eachother in an annual competition. Haymitch was the winner of the 50th Hunger Games, and thus a celebrity of sorts. Since winning, he's served as mentor to the District 12 Tributes each year, but watching his young charges die has turned him into a stone cold drunk. He takes Katniss Everdeen(Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark(Josh Hutcherson) under his wing in the 74th Games. Haymitch's role and influence only gets bigger over time, making this a plum gig for Harrelson to snag.
I dug the idea of John C. Reilly as Haymitch, but Harrelson might be even better. I think there's a darkness and toughness to Harrelson that isn't prevalent in Reilly, and of course he can handle the biting humor that would be called for as well.
