Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence is reportedly the front runner to play Katniss is the upcoming big-screen adaptation of The Hunger Games.
The 20-year-old actress, who will play Mystique in the upcoming X-Men: First Class, has won over executives at Lionsgate. The Los Angeles Times quotes several anonymous sources close to the production as saying that Lawrence is the front-runner for the role, but that the studio still wants to hold a few more auditions before offering the part to Lawrence.
Lionsgate is hoping that Games could be a franchise for the studio and will lure in audiences like the Twilight films have for Summit.
Reports also indicate that fellow Oscar-nominee Hailee Steinfeld was in the running for the role, but the studio believes she is too young for Katniss.
I enjoyed the book quite a bit; it better be of much higher quality than “Twilight”