Caffeinated Clint
Newcomers Amandla Stenberg and Dayo Oekniyi have been cast as Rue and Thresh in director Gary Ross’s film adaptation of “The Hunger Games”, while comedy queen cum drama dame Elizabeth Banks (“The Next Three Days”, “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”) will play Effie.
The film’s official facebook site announced the news of Stenberg and Oekniyi’s appointment, while Variety broke the news of Banks’ involvement.
Liam Hemsworth (“The Last Song”) and Josh Hutcherson (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”) – who, if you haven’t been keeping up, were considered for the lead roles in ‘Thor’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ there for a while (ironically, Liam’s brother Chris snagged ‘Thor’) – will star as Gale Hawthorne and Peta Mellark in the film. The duo join the previously announced Jennifer Lawrence (“Winters Bone”) in the March 2012 release.
”The Hunger Games” chronicles a dystopic Capitol which requires its twelve subjugated districts to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl, forced to participate in the annual “Hunger Games,” a fight-to-the-death live televised event. Katniss Everdeen’s little sister is chosen in the lottery to participate and Katniss volunteers to take her place. Although persevering through hardship is commonplace for Katniss, she must start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home. The “Hunger Games” novel has been on the New York Times best seller list for over 100 consecutive weeks. Foreign rights for the book, published by Scholastic have been sold in 41 countries.
Peeta accompanies heroine Katniss Everdeen into the 74th annual Hunger Games as the male tribute chosen from their native District 12, the most remote and marginalized district of all the subjugated districts of Panem. At the outset of the Games, Peeta publicly confesses his longtime feelings for Katniss, setting up one of the most fascinating fictional rapports of all time with his supposed arena rival.
Though Katniss and Gale have never had a romantic relationship, they share a transcendent bond, often of few words. When Katniss volunteers to participate in the 74th Annual Hunger Games in her younger sister’s stead, they both presume that bond will carry her far through the horrors she will face in the arena, and they each silently hope they’ll be reunited in safety on the other side of the ordeal.
