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Mia Wasikowska and Model Zoe Aggeliki Circling 'Catching Fire' Role

by Ethan Anderton
June 22, 2012
Source: The Playlist

While we're waiting to hear whether or not Philip Seymour Hoffman will accept the offer for a pivotal role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and seeing what names end up actually being considered for Finnick Odair, a different part has surfaced with interesting contenders. The Playlist has word that Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and model turned actress Zoe Aggeliki (who will be seen in R.I.P.D. and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters) are up for the role of Johanna Mason, a female victor from a previous Hunger Games summoned back to the arena for The Capitol's Third Quarter Quell, or 75th Hunger Games.

Mason is a fierce competitor from District 7 in the arena and poses a variety of complications for Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) in the arena. Like the rest of the tributes this time around, they are all previous winners of past Hunger Games, making for quite a wide array of competition, and plenty of experienced killers. This is quite an important role, and while Wasikowska clearly has the chops to take it on, perhaps this is a good role for someone like Aggeliki to have a breakthrough performance. Of course, shooting doesn't begin until September, so there's plenty of time to figure all this out. Someone like Dakota Fanning wouldn't be bad, she might be a tad young. Hopefully we'll get solid casting information soon. Any other suggestions?

Filed under Casting, Movie News

From around the web:

http://twitter.com/dalton_weaver Dalton Weaver

Not really who I pictured. Mia Wasikowska doesn't really look like someone who would have a chance of winning a Hunger Games. I always pictured Johanna as someone who looks like she's been through hell and back, and older.
- spike
  
  Just out of interest, who did you picture as Johanna
  - http://twitter.com/dalton_weaver Dalton Weaver
    
    I pictured someone like Rebecca Hall.
  - http://twitter.com/dalton_weaver Dalton Weaver
    
    I may have pictured her way too old.
    - Sugar_Spice
      
      I pictured someone older too, like late twenties or early thirties
  - Sugar_Spice
    
    I pictured Jordana Brewster or Michelle Rodriguez
http://twitter.com/potterfan78 potterfan78

Zoe is too young to play Johanna IMO. Mia just doesn't look the part!
Ehsan Davodi

Dakota make bad decision for playing in Twilight , Dear Ethan I suggest Imogene Poots (I think fit for Hunger Games) And Yeahoooo Screen Would Be Catching Fire Under Steps of Mia (Hotty)kovska Fransis Lawrence must had some Craftship Fireman for this firey sequel!
fem!anon

for the love of christ, we need some people of color in this scrubbed down, bleached up movie.
- http://www.firstshowing.net/ Ethan Anderton
  
  If the characters were described as such, then it would be appropriate. Only Rue and Cinna are the major characters described to be non-white. Otherwise, you might have fans getting bent out of shape on the other end of the spectrum about accuracy.
  - Emily Chang
    
    So you're saying that everyone NOT specifically described as non-white is white? What kind of shitty ass reasoning is that? Also, Cinna was never described as "black." in fact, I believe he was described to have green eyes. Just fyi.
Isildur_of_Numenor

Acting skills are no longer required among women to be in a movie, it seems. They just stand there so their rubber-like body can be admired by weirdos. "Model turned actress", my ass! More like model turned model in a movie...
- DAVIDPD
  
  So true my friend.
  - Isildur_of_Numenor
    
    Unfortunately. It's not their fault, who doesn't want a nice pay check with lots of zeros written on it? The people to blame are the directors/producers/casting directors/studio execs/whoever decides, who think it's cool to have a hot chick in their movie, regardless of her acting abilities. I hope it's jut a trend and it will end soon.
- redskulllives
  
  marketing schemes at their desperate best
  - Isildur_of_Numenor
    
    Indeed.
Llama

While I love Mia, I don't really think she fits the part. As for Zoe, she has the look but I don't really know much about as an actress. The only person I can imagine playing Johanna is Mila Kunis.
http://www.facebook.com/em.gee.359 Em Gee

Anyone that has read the books will agree that these two actress are WRONG for the role of Johanna! This is not a good sign for the sequel. I'm not saying that movie should be 100% like the book, but at the same time the director should respect the source material. Here is a brief synopsis of what the character should look like: Johanna is described as having wide-set brown eyes. In Catching Fire, Johanna has spiky brown hair. In Mockingjay, she returns from the Capitol with a shaved head after being tortured by them but eventually grows pieces of her hair back, where the perspiration from her forehead made her hair form spikes. She is also very muscular and tan.
- http://www.firstshowing.net/ Ethan Anderton
  
  Let's keep the talk about the third book/film to a minimum. I've finished reading the series, but there's plenty of people who don't want to know who lives and dies in the second book/movie. Also, there's nothing you've described aside from the wide-set eyes that can't be accomplished with a make-up artist. Contacts can be use, hair can be cut and dyed, and to be honest, these two actresses' eyes aren't far off from the description anyway.
- Jericho
  
  this should have had spoiler alerts just in case a few dozen or so people may not have read the book....
vsonics

Yeah, I really don't think either of them look...hard enough to be Johanna. When I saw Wasikowska I thought it would be for Annie Cresta. I could see her as Annie, maybe.
Ehsan Davodi

I think this sequel want some Talented Guys , Shape of Bodies isnot " Too Important " Ian Holm not was in size of Hobbit but his presence was essential and " Special Effect " did the Magic. Better Fransis be after some Adorable Guys
undisclosed

Mia Wasikowska is a good actress, but she's a bit of a wildcard for Johanna because she's not the toughest chick on the block. As Zoe Aggeliki, let's not go there! Ellen Page should be Johanna, because she may be short, but you wouldn't want to mess with her, like Johanna! Also, Johanna was victor only a few years before Katniss, and Ellen is only 3 years older than Jennifer Lawrence