[mishmash] book and movies

[krickets]

MEET KATNISS
So apparently Jennifer Lawrence of Winter's Bone is going to be playing Katniss in The Hunger Games movies. I loved her in WB and I think she'll do a good job. I feel kind of ambiguous on the decision which I can honestly say is a good thing. I didn't really have any hopes for casting but I definitely think I could have been majorly disappointed in their choice and with Jennifer I feel pretty good about it. I won't get excited until we have our first trailer, I can pretty much guarantee you that. I don't have any favorite choices for any of the characters but I am eager to see who plays Gale. I am so cynical about it and I'm almost sure there's no way they'll find someone I'll approve of, haha. I don't even know of any good candidates to suggest. *shrug*

I also have very little on the supposed "whitewashing" of Katniss. Her full-blood sister has blond hair and blue eyes (just like their mother), I don't think there's any crime in casting Jennifer, who can easily "costume up" to fit the role, whatever all that entails. Besides, for all of the fans complaining, where was all the fan art with actresses of color? Yeah -- I didn't see any either.

MEET RACHEL & DARCY
I had no clue that this book was being made into a movie. I just finished reading it a few weeks ago and I found it enjoyable enough. I just saw something in an advertisement I got in my e-mail today and couldn't believe how not-in-the-know I was because apparently it's coming out pretty soon. I had a few issues with the book but overall I found it enjoyable. Apparently there is a sequel, but as it's from Darcy's POV I am hesitant to read it. I'll most likely see the movie anyway. It looks cute. Also, Colin Egglesfield, as Dex, is kind of super adorable. In the trailer anyway, I've never seen him before in anything.

Comments

[slybrunette.livejournal.com]

I never paid all that much attention to character description until after the fact but I see both sides of the argument. It is all very ambigious. Regarding the casting calls, it very specifically said Caucasian. Which I don't agree with and is the basis of any problem I might have had with casting. That said, I don't have a problem with the end result, so.

Yeah, it's definitely a wait and see situation, but if it is an all white cast when all is said and done, then something is wrong.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

I wonder how much Suzanne Collins is involved with the production? I know that some authors get far more consideration than others. It would be interesting to know what she intended for the character and what she thinks of the casting.

If it is an all-white cast it will be a shame. But honestly, I love this series so much I would probably see it anyway. I can't fathom that they would do that though. Just the very nature of the Games would prohibit it.

[slybrunette.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. I know she's adapting the novel for the film herself but I don't know about production type stuff. I would be interested to hear what she thinks as well though.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

I saw this article last night that kind of addresses these questions, as well as the question of age and what Suzanne thinks of it all.

Let me go dig it up.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Okay here's the article (http://community.livejournal.com/district_12/34521.html). And here are the pertinent bits:

There’s already quite a bit of hand-wringing that, no matter how good an actress Lawrence is, at 20 she’s simply too old for the role.
First of all I talked to Suzanne extensively about this. Suzanne saw every single audition. And not only did Suzanne not have an issue with Jen’s age, she felt you need someone of a certain maturity and power to be Katniss. This is a girl who needs to incite a revolution. We can’t have an insubstantial person play her, and we can’t have someone who’s too young to play this. Suzanne was incredibly adamant about this. Far from being too old, she was very concerned that we would cast someone who was too young. In Suzanne’s mind, and in mine, Katniss is not a young girl. It’s important for her to be a young woman. She’s a maternal figure in her family. She’s had to take care of Prim and in many ways her mother since her father’s death. She’s had to grow up pretty quick.

In the books, Katniss is described as being olive-skinned, dark-haired, possibly biracial. Did you discuss with Suzanne the implications of casting a blonde, caucasian girl?
Suzanne and I talked about that as well. There are certain things that are very clear in the book. Rue is African-American. Thresh is African-American. Suzanne had no issues with Jen playing the role. And she thought there was a tremendous amount of flexibility. It wasn’t doctrine to her. Jen will have dark hair in the role, but that’s something movies can easily achieve. [Laughs] I promise all the avid fans of The Hunger Games that we can easily deal with Jennifer’s hair color.

[Emphasis mine.]

I don't know if that makes the casting call any better, but I'd be interested to know if they spoke with/solicited/auditioned actresses that did not fit the mold of what was in that little blurb.