March 11, 2011

Hailee Steinfeld and Liam Hemsworth are favorites to play Katniss and Peeta
AB Media

Auditions are about to get underway for the first installment in the "The Hunger Games" trilogy based on the novels by Suzanne Collins. Suzanne Collins has extensive experience writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit "Clarissa Explains it All" and "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo".

Four time Academy Award nominee Gary Ross is set to direct from a screenplay by Billy Ray, who has written screenplays for such films as "Hart's War," "Flightplan," and "State of Play".

Three time Casting Society of America Artios Award winning casting director Debra Zane has been brought in to cast "The Hunger Games". Zane recently cast "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" Part 1 & 2.

The huge sales of the trilogy novels make the film adaptations a potential game-changer for Lionsgate, the way that Twilight was for Summit Entertainment. Nina Jacobson and her production company Color Force will produce. Nina Jacobson has built an impressive career as a senior film executive and producer, including stints at DreamWorks, Universal and Disney, where she served as President of Walt Disney Motion Picture Group.

Shooting will take place in Georgia from May 23, 2011 - September 3, 2011, with the film set for a theatrical release in March 23, 2012.

Main characters to be cast in "The Hunger Games":

[KATNISS EVERDEEN] Female, 16 years of age. She is the the main protagonist and the narrator of the story. Long black hair which she wears in a braid, olive skin, and gray eyes. Small in stature and light for her age. Independent survivalist, lethal, but good at thinking outside the box. Good singing ability.

[PEETA MELLARK] Male, 16 years of age. He is medium height with a stocky build, ashy blond hair with blue eyes. Rarely moody or upset and generally takes things lightly. Very well on his feet and has a very likable personality and a flair for showmanship. He also is wise beyond his years. His larger build and strength also gives him an advantage during hand-to-hand combat and wrestling.

[GALE HAWTHORNE] Male, 18 years of age. Katniss's best friend and hunting partner. He has black hair, olive skin, and gray eyes. Gale is in love with and fiercely devoted to Katniss.

[HAYMITCH ABERNATHY] Male, middle aged. A potbellied drunk. Sarcastic and harsh, but he is independently wealthy and can be highly canny and clever. He help Katniss and Peeta whom he now considers his family.

[PRIMROSE EVERDEEN] Female, 12 years of age. Light hair and blue eyes. Katniss' younger sister. Primrose's face is as fresh as a raindrop, as lovely as the primrose for which she was named. Thoughtful, sweet, and somewhat delicate in spite of all she has been put through at a young age.

[PRESIDENT CORIOLANUS SNOW] Male, older. He is the main antagonist of the series. Described as having very puffy lips, having a smell of blood from drinking poison over the years. He also has a permanent smell of genetically altered roses which makes Katniss gag. Ruthless and willingness to kill even innocent children, but end up being a man of his word.

[FINNICK ODAIR] Male, very handsome, tall, with tan skin, bronze hair, and stunning sea-green eyes.

[CLOVE] Female, tribute from District 2. She is arrogant, strong and can use many weapons—especially knives, which she is described as being extremely skilled with. She has a special hatred of Katniss early on because of her high training score. She is in her late teens. Ethnicity unspecified.

[CATO] Male, tribute from District 2. He is very large and strong, has skill with many weapons, and takes a savage pleasure in killing. Like most Careers, Cato has complete confidence in his abilities and expects that he will be the victor. It is believed that he is not completely sane. He is in his late teens. Ethnicity unspecified.

[GLIMMER] Female, tribute from District 1. As a Career, she teams up with Cato, Clove, and the tributes from Districts 1 and 4. She is described as very beautiful, tall with long blond hair and green eyes. She is in her late teens, ethnicity unspecified.

[THRESH] Male, African American tribute from District 11, who has the same dark brown skin as Rue but is not very similar in appearance, because he is so much bigger than her. He is very strong and physically well built, possessing immense strength. He is 16 years of age.

[RUE] Female, 12 years of age. African American. Dark skin and hair with golden brown eyes. Aside from coloring, she is similar in appearance and size to Katniss' sister Prim.

Numerous additional roles will be cast for kids and teens, as well as adults.
 
Director Gary Ross and producer Nina Jacobson have stated that they are open to casting unknown actors in the film's lead roles. It is also very common for casting directors to seek talent over 18 years of age that can play the roles of the characters in their late teens. This is due to child labor laws restrictions on the amount of hours per day that minors can work.

Principal Actor Casting

Please submit photos and resumes by mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs.

Los Angeles:

Debra Zane
The Hunger Games Casting
5225 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 536
Los Angeles, CA 90036
 
If you are interested, please personaly mail your Headshot, Resume, and Demo Reel CD's directly to Casting.
 
*MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE CRAZE AGENCY'S CONTACT INFO. ON YOUR SUBMISSION. If Casting is interested in you, they will want to book you through your representative Agency.*
 
Thanks,
Craze Agency