Jenna Malone has some extra incentive to celebrate this Fourth of July after receiving a formal offer earlier today by Lionsgate to portray Johanna Mason in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Malone was originally thought to be out of the running for the highly coveted The Hunger Games sequel role after it appeared Zoe Aggeliki was the frontrunner. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Malone has an offer in hand and is currently in early negotiations to secure the part.
The Johanna Mason character plays a crucial role in the second and third Hunger Games books as a former District 7 winner of the deadly games. Because Lionsgate is splitting the third book Mockingjay into two films, Malone’s deal could be a three-film pact.
Malone is best known for her role as Rocket in Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch. She most recently appeared in the History Channel’s hit miniseries Hatfields & McCoys as Nancy McCoy.
With the Johanna Mason role settled, attention now turns toward casting the other big role in The Hunger Games sequel, that of another former Hunger Games victor, Finnick Odair. No known frontrunners have emerged for the high profile male tribute role as of yet.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is scheduled to begin production under the direction of Francis Lawrence in September. The film will star Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. It will arrive in theaters on November 22, 2013.
Source: THR
