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Hedlund, Hammer or Kitsch Could Play Finnick Odair in 'Catching Fire'

by Ethan Anderton
May 29, 2012
Source: E! News

There was plenty of death on the big screen when The Hunger Games hit theaters in March, and while a whole slew of tributes from the various districts of Panem won't be back in the sequel Catching Fire, with I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence filling in for Gary Ross, there's plenty of new faces heading back into the arena. One such character is that of Finnick Odair, a new competitor in the next Hunger Games, and E! News (via The Playlist) reports Taylor Kitsch (John Carter), Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy) and Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) have been shortlisted for the role. Beware of spoilers from here on!

Again, just so we're clear, for those who haven't seen the first movie, or read the first two books, there might be spoilers from here now onward. We won't ruin any of the twists and surprises from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (the official title of the film), but in order to talk about this character, we have to talk about a bit of the story. So once again, if you don't want to know anything else, stop reading right now.

In Catching Fire, after Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) have become the first duo to win The Hunger Games, there's the threat of revolution as Ms. Everdeen's act to threaten suicide and deprive the Capitol of a victor has created unrest among the districts who are tired of the oppressive rule of President Snow. As a sort of punishment, the third Quarter Quell, a special version of The Hunger Games marking the 75th anniversary of the brutal tournament, the tributes from the district are decided to be pooled from the previous living victors. Katniss, Peeta and their mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) are the only ones from Distrcit 12 to ever win, at least two of our three main characters will be fighting to the death again. And the stage is set for another round of The Hunger Games.

But that means there are also a whole slew of other tributes heading into the arena again, and this time they aren't just kids. There are adults of all ages entering the arena again and new threats all around. One intriguing new character comes in the form of Finnick Odair, male victor from District 4 in the 65th Annual Hunger Games at age 14. Now in his mid-20's, Odair heads back into the arena, and he's got the deadly skills and charm to back up his uncannily good looks. It's this role that Hedlund, Hammer and Kitsch have been shortlisted for, and honestly, all of them fit the bill really well. Their names come after a wild rumor this weekend that Robert Pattinson was up for the role, but it turned out to be completely false.

After recently finishing the book, all I will say is that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will really kick things up a notch, and the action, suspense and story really get thrown into high gear. There's plenty of new faces to go along with the old, and an ending that will shock audiences for sure. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will begin shooting this fall (with an eye for a November 22nd, 2013 release), so the new cast members will be announced over the coming months as Lionsgate is hurrying to shoot the sequel before Jennifer Lawrence has to shoot X-Men: First Class 2 early in 2013. Thoughts?

Filed under Casting, Development, Movie News

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