The Quest to Ruin The Hunger Games Has Begun
Those Hollywood dream masters are narrowing the field of actresses in contention for the lead in their adaptation of the dystopian teen book series The Hunger Games, and we're not thrilled with their choices. Also today: some bigger name actresses land in TV pilots and Superman gets a mom.
- Well, here we go. The Hunger Games movie continues to develop, and now there is a list of actresses who are being considered for the lead role of Katniss the braided, bow-toting badass. And, I gotta tell ya ladies and germs, I am not liking what I see of this list. Here are some of the 30 or so actresses who have had a meeting or even read for the role: Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Chloë Moretz, Emma Roberts, and someone from the
AmericanUK Skins. I'm not like that invested in who gets cast in this thing, but I swear to mother Gaia that if Abigail freaking Breslin gets cast in this thing, I'm out. I'm going to get in my homemade rocketship and move permanently to my moon condo. Same goes for the other ones listed above, just with a little less vehemence. Of course they could still go with some rando, which I think would be ideal, but so far these choices just don't have the right tone to them. (Of course, Jennifer Lawrence is on the list too, so they're at least partially on the right track.) Oh well. I mean, really, we don't care about that do we? Ultimately it's all about who plays Peeta and Gale, right? I mean, duh. So far I have Ben Barnes for Gale and Mitch Hewer for Peeta. Good? Bad? Let's cast this bitch! [EW] - Speaking of casting (when, really, are we not in this damn thing?) Diane Lane has landed a role in the big new Superman movie they're putting together. She'll be playing Superman's Earth mom, Martha Kent. Well that works. I mean it's weird that she'll be playing her daughter's boyfriend's mom in a movie, but I'm sure Lois won't mind. (Also, this quote from director Zak Snyder is funny: "We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination." Haha, what? How do you know that very particular fact about her? That she is quite capable of understanding having a magic son? Is it because she was Hayden Christensen's mom in Jumper? Is that why? Because I don't think we should be taking any advice from that movie.) [THR]
- Down in TV land, we learn that little Margene Heffman has found life after Big Love. Ginnifer Goodwin has landed a lead role on the pilot Once Upon a Time, about a modern day fairy tale town. Goodwin will be playing Snow White, which is just about perfect. I dunno, though. I mean, sure playing Snow White for the time it takes to film a pilot would be fun, but is that something you'd really want to do for the duration of a whole series? Though, heh, that question implies that a show about a modern day fairy tale town would actually make it to being a whole series, so I guess it might be kind of moot. [Deadline]
- Remember Elizabeth Hurley, the gorgeous British lady who acted for a little while but mostly zomg Hugh Grant got a blowjob from that prostitute? Well, she's back! Not the prostitute. Elizabeth Hurley. Elizabeth Hurley is back. She has been cast in a possibly recurring role on the new Wonder Woman show, playing a business rival of Wonder Woman who turns into a villain. That sounds like a fun thing for Hurley to do. Though hopefully it won't be sad and weird like Sharon Stone was in Catwoman. (Is there something to be said about how female superheroes tend to be matched up with female villains? Or will that just devolve into "Buffy fought lots of guys"? Yeah, it probably will, so let's not ask the question.) The likable Tracie Thoms, who played Joanne in the immensely unlikable Rent movie and was in Death Proof, has been cast as Wonder Woman's loyal assistant. So Tracie Thoms will be playing an invisible airplane. [Deadline]
- Kevin Spacey is teaming up with his Se7en director David Fincher to make an American version of House of Cards, the British political thriller novel and miniseries from way back in 1990. Spacey will produce and star, Fincher will direct. Sounds great! There's only one catch: there's no network yet. Hm. Guys... didja maybe want to, I dunno, figure that out? I mean, you don't have to, not necessarily. Remember there used to be a lot of shows that ran in first-run syndication, like Star Trek: TNG and Xena: Warrior Princess and Relic Hunter: The Search for Tia Carrere's Career. (Carrere's Career would have been a much better title for that show.) Maybe you guys could do that? That'd be fun, right? Remember Relic Hunter? Guys? Tia Carrere? [THR]
- Political thrillers are all the rage! Sphere and Toys director Barry Levinson has just signed on to direct O.K.C., a political thriller about the Oklahoma City bombing and the Timothy McVeigh trial. So there will be some things written about how it's a reaction to the Tea Party and political extremism in the U.S. and everyone will yell at each other and while we're all distracted, Levinson will quietly sneak off and make Jimmy Hollywood 2: More Jimmy to punish us all for our terrible behavior. [Variety]