So what the heck is going on over there at Lionsgate? The last two weeks has seen the question of who will play Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire take hold like nobody could have expected for such a supporting role. The funny thing is, every actor with their name in the hat has shot those stories down soon after. First it was Robert Pattinson, and then it was Taylor Kitsch, which left Lionsgate's rumored shortlist down to Armie Hammer and Garrett Hedlund.
According to producer Nina Jacobsen, everything we've heard so far has been a load of nonsense, with none of the actors mentioned in contention. She also says that discussions on the role haven't even started yet...
Jacobsen: “That’s the thing that’s crazy -- people are like way ahead of where we are. We’ve not narrowed things down by any means. It’s funny to see how things can take on a life of their own.”
Don't get too excited, Hunger Games fanatics. You with your online polls and petitions aren't going to hold a lot of sway when it comes to making a decision....
Jacobsen: “It means something that people can see [an actor] in that light, so you know [the actor] will be accepted by a lot of people, on the one hand,” she said. “On the other hand, you have to kind of ignore it. You have to just sort of act like you’re sitting in a room and you want to just pick the person who gives the best audition and looks and feels most like the part.”
To me, that sounds like they're more open to bringing in an unknown for the part, rather than feeling beholden to a big name. The Hunger Games made well over $600M worldwide, and the sequel will likely make a lot more, so whoever is cast as Finnick probably won't affect that. Still, stranger things have happened, and you can bet Lionsgate will take their sweet time to make sure they get everything just right. [LA Times]
