"Hunger Games" Casting Mania! (part four)

Whoa, slow down! Three new roles cast in one day! I guess now that they’ve got the Big Triangle, building the surrounding web of characters is much easier. Elizabeth Banks appears to be thisclose to landing the role of Effie Trinket (sorry, Chenoweth fans!), but in the meantime, we’ve got more photogenic kids on board!

The Role: Primrose “Prim” Everdeen, Katniss’s little sister. Aka, the most heartbreaking character in the trilogy. Yes, even more so than Rue. Prim seems a fragile victim at first, but she reveals herself to have tremendous determination and deep gifts. She’s possibly the main reason Katniss does everything she does, including dive into the Hunger Games in the first place.

The Actress: Willow Shields. No, not Willow Smith, Willow Shields. Due to the fact that absolutely no one knows who Willow Shields is, suspicious HG fans are latching onto the only thing they can at this point: her unibrow. I wish I was kidding.

My Approval Rating: 9 out of 10. I am wholly defending Willow Shields simply because I’m pissed off by the behavior of the unibrow-bashing fantards. These movies are going to make this lovely young actress into a star, and will people be harping about her personal grooming habits then? Of course not! Shields looks perfect for Prim: pretty and innocent, yet slightly weather-beaten, as if she’s seen hardship. Maybe I’m reading too much into her face, but I like her.

Who I Would Have Picked: If I had to choose a known actress, I’d have gone with Chloe Moretz, who can act her socks off. She’s about to hit puberty, though, so it might not have worked out so well. I mean, look at this picture of her. She’s already starting to get hot. Not appropriate for a half-starved Appalachia girl. No, let’s continue with the unknown actor trend.





The Roles: Glimmer and Marvel, the Hunger Games players from District One -- basically, a couple of vicious rich brats who get off on murdering the poorer kids. People we’re very eager to see die. (SPOILER ALERT) Glimmer earns a spot on Katniss’s shit list by claiming a bow and arrows Katniss covets, but ultimately dies an icky death from poisonous, hallucinogenic mutant wasp venom. (Seriously.) Marvel kills Rue, the BASTARD, and is then shot dead by Katniss. So, to recap: Rich people suck and we love to watch them die. Tee hee!

The Actors: Leven Rambin as Glimmer, Jack Quaid as Marvel. The former has done a bunch of TV work, while the latter is the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. Huh. Casting some kid just because both his parents are movie stars? How silly! As silly as whipping your hair back and forth.

My Approval Rating: 8 out of 10, I guess. I mean, why not? They’re hardly crucial roles and Rambin and Quaid basically have to be gigantic dicks and then die. Rambin looks sexy and blonde and plasticky, which is exactly how Glimmer should look, and Quaid just looks like some dude with goofy hair. I’m sure he’ll chuck spears with great aplomb. I have no beef with this casting.

Who I Would Have Picked: Hayden Panettiere as Glimmer, because I’d like to see her bring her remarkable powers of snark to this party, and also because of all the inevitable “Kill the Cheerleader, Save the World” jokes. Nicholas D’Agosto as Marvel, because ever since his derpy derp face turned up to help ruin Heroes, I’ve wanted to see it get shot full of arrows. Not that I’m petty or anything.

So, yeah. Pretty excited about Prim. And now I’m really curious to see who they get as Cato and Clove, the District Two psychos, who are even worse than Marvel and Glimmer. And is there still hope for Kristen Chenoweth? Stay tuned!