Movies

We Rank The Remaining 'Hunger Games' Roles As Paula Malcomson Joins As Mrs. Everdeen

By Germain Lussier

UPDATE: Just as this was published, rumors surfaced that John C. Reilly is in talks to portray Haymitch Abernathy, the #1 character on this list. Read about it here.

Even on a slow news day, The Hunger Games keeps on casting. Director Gary Ross and Lionsgate seem dead set on slowly but surely flooding your Twitter and RSS feeds with daily news of roles filled in their would-be-blockbuster opening March 23, 2012 and Good Friday is no different. They've just cast Paula Malcomson to play Mrs. Everdeen, mother of Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Prim (Willow Shields), who also happens to be the town healer. Recently, Malcomson played Amanda on SyFy's Battlestar Galactica spin-off Caprica. Her other work includes roles on Sons of Anarchy, ER, as on Other on Lost and in films like The Green Mile and Tombstone, among others.

And while it might feel like the whole film has been cast this week, this is far from the end of the Hunger Games casting barrage. The biggest roles may have been filled, but there are still several major ones remaining. Roles much more important than Mrs. Everdeen. Find out which you should be looking out for as we rank them all after the break.

Several outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter, reported on Malcomson joining the adaptation of the popular Suzanne Collins novel. She the latest member to join the ever growing cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks and more.

In addition to those people and the unknown actors that have been cast, Ross still has to fill several prominent adult roles in addition to 18 more (out of 24 total) Tributes, the teenage participates in the actual Hunger Games themselves. And while many remaining roles are insignificant in the larger scheme of things, there are several very important ones still up for grabs. Here is our ranked list:

  • Haymitch Abernathy – A former winner of The Hunger Games, this drunk plays a crucial role in helping Katniss and Peeta compete in the Games and is a key figure in later books too. Ideal casting would be Robert Downey Jr. [UPDATE: As this article was published, John C. Reilly was announced as being in talks.]
  • Cinna – Katniss's young, hip, personal fashion designer is responsible for how people perceive her throughout the country. Ideal casting would be Zachary Quinto.
  • President Snow – The leader of the country, a devious but calculating older man. Ideal casting would be Malcolm McDowell (credit to @StevenCrellin on Twitter).
  • Katniss's prep team – Venia, Flavius, and Octavia – These three are responsible for making Katniss's body beautiful before Cinna provides the clothes and all dress completely crazy. Ideal casting would be three versions of Perez Hilton.
  • Cato and Clove – "Career" tributes from District two, these kids are trained to fight and kill. Ideal casting would be younger versions of Taylor Kitsch and Jessica Biel.
  • Caesar Flickerman – The voice of the country for several decades, this dapper old man interviews all the Tributes on TV before the games and commentates throughout. Ideal casting would be Brian Cox.
  • Madge Undersee – One of Katniss's oldest friends, she provides a pin that ends up being the symbol of a revolution. Ideal casting would be Emily Osment.
  • Peeta's Parents – This family of bakers doesn't play a huge role, but since Peeta is a major character, they need to be represented. Ideal casting would be any two adults, really, but for some reason I keep picturing Ciarán Hinds as the father.
  • Greasy Sae – One of the merchants at the Hob, Katniss's local marketplace, she's a cook who ends up popping up in later books. Ideal casting would be Maggie Smith.
  • Everyone else I missed – the Gameskeepers, trainers, minor characters, etc.

    • So basically, in the upcoming weeks, those are the roles that you should pay the most attention too. Do you agree with my ideal casting choices? Who did I miss?

    If you are still unsure about what The Hunger Games are all about, please peruse our earlier articles, all right here.

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