Written by Sarah

When I wrote about The Hunger Games casting earlier this week, I noted that no one other than Alex Pettyfer had surfaced in the race for Peeta. Strike that, because we now have a Peeta three-way. First, on Monday, Josh Hutcherson mentioned he had also met with producers about the role while he was promoting his new flick Detention at SXSW. And then Wednesday Weeds star Hunter Parrish joined the parade of self-promoters by telling E! that he, too, has met with producers.

I said that I thought logistics were on Jennifer Lawrence’s side in casting Katniss—it’s less of a headache working with someone who’s attained their majority than a minor. I thought that considering a guy like Pretty Face Pettyfer, who is twenty, strengthened Lawrence’s chances over her rivals—Ronan, Steinfeld and Breslin—who are all minors. I could maybe kinda see a twenty-year-old paired up with Saoirse Ronan, who is turning seventeen soon, but a twenty-year-old Peeta pretty much ends the Katniss-hopes of the fourteen year olds, Steinfeld and Breslin.

Late Wednesday night The Wrap confirmed that Jennifer Lawrence will play Katniss Everdeen although we are still awaiting official confirmation from Lionsgate. Now however the hunt is on for Peeta. So what do these new names say about the direction of The Hunger Games? It tells me Peeta will be pretty. Parrish is from the same pretty-boy mold as Pettyfer and Hutcherson has grown up to have the square-jawed looks of a superhero. The Hunger Games is going for glamorous. That’s not a bad thing—from a marketing standpoint it makes a lot of sense. It also tells me they’re reaching for new fans. Because the choices are a bit left field (though Parrish is a fan favorite for Peeta), I think Lionsgate is looking to put together a cast with mass-market appeal, that can draw in newbies, not just the book lovers.

As for the potential quality of the new additions to the race—Hutcherson is the most talented of the three (Lainey: but he’s supposedly dating Vanessa Hudgens which kinda negates some of his talent); while Parrish is fine on Weeds, I’ve never been as into him as everyone else, but I do think he’s reasonably talented. And like Pettyfer, he’d look great on the posters with Lawrence. But these are just three names—the producers had a list of thirty actresses for Katniss so it stands to reason they have a similar list for Peeta. Still, it’s enough to show us the train of thought being pursued for Peeta. Older, pretty, square-jawed, skinny. This is your basic Movie Peeta.

Survey: Everyone wanted to SIT DOWN Pretty Face after his flippant and/or arrogant statements regarding “considering” the role of Peeta, but do you want to do the same to Hutcherson and Parrish for their open-mouthed beggy-beggy approach? Because blatant ass kissing is just as bad to me. Whatever happened to the moderate approach?


File photos from Wenn.com