Man, doesn’t that official title just roll off the tongue? Anyways, with the next installment of The Hunger Games heating up for production later this year, casting rumors are at a fever pitch. We know that the bulk of the cast (minus the dead ones, of course) will be returning for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, with Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Water For Elephants) coming in as director. And aside from some rumors that leave Armie Hammer and Garrett Hedlund remaining, that’s about it.
We can now throw another possibility into the basket, as Deadline reports that Philip Seymour Hoffman has been offered the major role of Plutarch Heavensbee in this sequel. For those unfamilair, he is the gamemaker who replaces Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) as leader of that group and interacts with Jennifer Lawrence‘s Katniss Everdeen. Whoever gets cast would also continue to the final film, Mockingjay, in an even bigger role.
If we take a peek at Hoffman’s recent filmography, this just doesn’t seem like a project he would take part in. The last (and only) franchise play he had was for Mission: Impossible III over half-a-decade ago, where he was one of the best villains in some time to hit the screen. With his next, meaty roles in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s The Master and Anton Corbijn‘s A Most Wanted Man, it’s hard to see him accept supporting work in this blockbuster franchise.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire arrives November 2013.
Can you imagine Hoffman would ever join this franchise?