Jennifer Lawrence has long been considered one of the top contenders for the role of Katniss in Liongate’s The Hunger Games movie adaptation. Now a report suggests that she is the top choice.
Sources have told Lainey Gossip that Jennifer Lawrence has already read for the part of Katniss and she “blew them [Lionsgate and director Gary Ross] away.” Furthermore, the sources claim that Lawrence has already entered into negotiations with Lionsgate and she’s their girl barring any complications due to scheduling, dollars or other formalities.
Lainey Gossip further goes on to speculate that Jennifer’s mother may have let the cat (or is that kat?) out of the bag on the red carpet at the Academy Awards. Apparently the mother had read Winter’s Bone prior to Jennifer scoring the part that wound up earning her the Academy Award nomination. When asked what she was reading now, the mother replied ‘The Hunger Games’ to which Jennifer quickly reacts to silence her.
Jennifer and Lionsgate already have a relationship with Winter’s Bone which would assumedly give her a leg up on the competition. They already know first-hand what she’s capable of, and if she truly nailed the audition then the ball would have to be in her court.
Right now the only confirmed actress to be vying for the role of Katniss is Hailee Steinfeld who, also at the Academy Awards, was asked about The Hunger Games role. Many fans of the book series have expressed concern that Steinfeld is too young at age 14 to tackle the role of the 16-year old heroine Katniss. Jennifer turns 21 in August and certainly cannot be considered too young as the Esquire photos below prove. If anything, some will complain Jennifer is too old for the part.
We’ll next see Jennifer in Fox’s X-Men: First Class in blue body paint as a young Raven Darkholme / Mystique. Look for that film in theaters on June 3.
