Although it’s been rumoured for the last week or so, it’s now been confirmed that Jennifer Lawrence has signed on to play Katniss Everdeen in Garry Ross’ adaptation of the top selling Suzanne Collins book, The Hunger Games.
Lionsgate sent us this confirmation, ‘Yesterday it was announced that Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence will assume the role of Katniss Everdeen in Lionsgates highly anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games. Production begins later this year and a UK release date of March 23rd 2012 has been set. ‘
A kind of youg adult Battle Royale-meets-Running Man, Hunger Games centres on Jennifer Lawrence’s character, a teenager forced to compete in a brutal fight to the death with teenagers from other regions of America. However as Lawrence is already 20, it suggests they’re upping the age of the characters slightly from the book – presumably because of worry of a backlash against a film about young teens killing one another.
Now speculation will move to who will play Katniss’ love interest and partner in crime, Peeta, with Alex Pettyfer leading the list of potentials.