Well there have been a lot of rumors swirling around final casting of Gary Ross’ Hunger Games. And Lionsgate has been rolling out their cast in a steady (though painstakingly slow) drizzle of announcements. But fans of Suzanne Collins bestselling YA book series have been most vocal in their eagerness to hear who would be chosen to play Haymitch, the grizzled mentor to Jennifer Lawrence‘s Katniss and Josh Hutcherson‘s Peeta as they enter the gruesome arena of The Hunger Games. Well, word’s come down, and this round goes to Woody Harrelson. [THR]
Now those who’ve been obsessively following the film’s development may well remember that Vulture had previously insisted that Harrelson had been up for the role of Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane (a role later given to Wes Bentley) and declared John C. Reilly was the front runner for Haymitch, a rumor the curly-haired actor later denied. So, strike two for Vulture, I guess.
Anyhow, as someone whose been fervently following all HG developments, I am both surprised by this pick, and somehow feel I shouldn’t be. Stanley Tucci was rumored to be in talks, and while many assumed he was gunning for the role of the sassy stylist/confidante Cinna (a part not unlike his Devil Wears Prada role), he scored the less prestigious but more comedic part of Caesar Flickerman, the poshly coiffed host of nationally televised battle royale’s tribute interviews. Similarly Harrelson has scored a part no one expected. But you know what? We should have.
A little background: 20 years back before the film’s start, Haymitch was a champion of the grisly games, meaning he mercilessly killed his peers to come out the bout’s sole survivor. Cut to the present, where the once esteemed champion has mutated into a belligerent and dangerous drunk — who ultimately holds a tender heart beneath his very rough exterior. It’s a character type Harrelson has done right by before – most recently in action-fueled horror comedy Zombieland. So with all this in mind, I’m going to say I like this pick. I think Harrelson’ll bring an off-kilter liveliness/wildness to Haymitch that could prove interesting. But I’d be lying to say I wasn’t pulling for one of our cast picks.
So with Tucci and Harrelson on board, I expect that Lenny Kravitz, who has also been rumored to be in negotiations, will join them in short order. But as who? It seems the only remaining adult roles of note are the aforementioned Cinna and the malevolent President Snow. Of course, he’d be an odd choice for Snow, but if he is picked for Cinna, color me underwhelmed.
In other news more tributes have been cast: Jeremy Marinas and Dakota Hood will represent District 10, while Imanol Yepez-Frias and Annie Thurman will play the tributes of District 9. Unknowns all around.
Image courtesy of Hunger Games’ facebook page.
Now that all the literally nameless tributes have been cast, all that’s left is Cato and Clove, the vicious career tributes out of District 2. While most of the other tributes are unknowns, it’s possible that roles of this devilish duo may be filled by some mildly famous young actors. I’m guessing nearly every twentysomething TV star is vying for these parts, and with Haymitch finally cast I’d say we’ll hear about more on these brutal brawlers soon.
What do you think of this latest round of casting news?