The film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games plans to hit theaters March 23, 2012, to be exact. However, there’s a slight problem: neither of the leads have been cast. Academy Award nominees Abigail Breslin, Jennifer Lawrence, and Hailee Steinfeld look to fill the shoes of female protagonist Katniss Everdeen, but what about male lead Peeta Mellark?
Well, it looks like Alex Pettyfer, leading man of recent tween flicks Beastly and I Am Number Four, might step up to the plate. The Playlist relays a conversation he had with Access Hollywood. Here’s what he said when questioned about being sought for the role:
“Yes I did. Yes, but undecided yet, still [waiting] to see a script.”
When all of this “Hunger Games” drama ends, it’ll likely be Pettyfer who nabs the role of Peeta, even if he hasn't had a runaway hit as a teen idol quite yet. However, we can expect several names to pop up before he eventually lands the part if the disastrous casting dilemma of Katniss is any indication.
/Film speculates that Jennifer Lawrence will play Katniss if Pettyfer is cast, which makes sense given their ages. Both actors are 20 and would be older than their respective characters who are about 16 and 17 in the books. Pettyfer does fit the blonde silent type that Peeta's casting would call for.
How do you feel about Pettyfer potentially leading the dystopian flick?