Rumors about Jennifer Lawrence playing the lead, Katniss, in The Hunger Games movie have circulated for weeks. On March 17, 2011, those rumors were confirmed, and fans most likely won't be happy.
Sure, the actress has the acting chops to pull of a gritty role in a dystopian world--that was proved with her Oscar-nominated performance in Winter's Bone. But what fans don't like is that Katniss Everdeen was always described as a girl with olive skin, gray eyes, and black hair. Jennifer Lawrence has none of these traits.
The white-washing of the movie aside, the author of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins, has a large role in the development of the screen adaption of her book. She wrote the script, and it'll be interesting to see her take, if she gives one, on her new Katniss.
The announcement about Jennifer Lawrence is the first bit of casting news to be released by Lionsgate Films. Katniss's two love interests have not been decided yet, but now the pot has been stirred and fans are anxiously awaiting news of which Hollywood starlets will play the two boys.
What do you think of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss? Do her talents as an actress supersede the fact she doesn't match Collins's description of the main character at all?
The Hunger Games hits theaters in just over a year: March 23, 2012.
© Copyright: 2011 Elizabeth SanFilippo at Gather.com
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Comments: 7
That said, and on a somewhat different note, I'm finishing up the first book of the Pretty Little Liars series. And wow, the actresses they picked for the four main characters, or any of the females, are COMPLETELY different (other than maybe Hanna) compared to the way they describe. All the girls in the book are white, but not so on TV. Far from it in fact. Goes to show it can go either way.
At least Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress. That helps. But then again, there were other actresses out there that could have done just as great of a job and fit the idea readers had of Katniss.