Mia Wasikowska & Zoe Aggeliki in the mix to play Johanna Mason
All the hype has been surrounding that dreamboat Finnick Odair, but true “Hunger Games” fans knows the name Johanna Mason is just as crucial to sequels “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” as Finnick is. With Finnick still a mystery, The Playlist gets the jump on the casting of Johanna, with their sources reporting Mia Wasikowska and model/actress Zoe Aggeliki among those in the mix.
Both actresses have reportedly had discussions with director Francis Lawrence about the role, and Aggeliki appears to be a front-runner, though nothing has been decided and Lawrence is taking this casting seriously, looking at both bigger and lesser known names. Like Finnick, Johanna is in her twenties, and is a former Tribute and survivor of the Hunger Games. She hails from District 7, and has lost everyone she knows, making her jaded and dangerous – she’s got nothing left to lose. She and Katniss have an antagonistic relationship at first, but she ultimately becomes an invaluable ally. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and the gang return to film “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” this fall and the film already has a November 23, 2013 release date.
Wasikowska is clearly an example of the bigger names Lawrence is looking at for Johanna, having played “Jane Eyre” to acclaim and recently appearing in Cannes as one of the stars of John Hillcoat’s “Lawless.” She’s currently filming “The Double” opposite Jesse Eisenberg and has more literary adaptations down the pike, including “Madame Bovary” and “Carol.” Aggeliki, much less known than her competitor, is currently in the midst of making that sometimes difficult transition from model to actress. She’ll appear in the upcoming “Fun Size” and “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” and is also, curiously, quite a few years younger than Jennifer Lawrence, whose Katniss is supposed to be younger. In any case, Lionsgate is famously evasive about confirming casting rumors, so we expect this one will be firmed up long before they tell us.
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