In a fantastic article in USA Today, Hunger Games movie producer Nina Jacobson talks about the casting process , Jennifer Lawrence and more.
Here’s an excerpt from the article :
Moments after 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence was announced as the lead in the movie adaption of The Hunger Games, the Twitter-sphere burst to life. Many rejoiced. But others insisted she was too old for the part of the teenage heroine.
Welcome to the world of Suzanne Collins’ beloved best-selling novel and its army of devotees who are watching Hollywood’s every move as the cameras prepare to roll on the film, slated for a March 2012 release.
“Every decision is being so closely watched,” says producer Nina Jacobson. “I understand the fierce and intense feeling the fans have for this movie.”
Given The Hunger Games‘ plot about a futuristic society whose youth must battle in a state-enforced tradition, it’s fitting that the preparation be viewed through the lens of a survival guide:
•Form key alliances. Collins’ active involvement in every step of the film sends a clear message to the faithful: The book will not stray.
•Find the chosen one. Finding a star for the book’s central character, Katniss Everdeen, was the casting competition of 2011. Chloe Moretz, Abigail Breslin and Hailee Steinfeld were just a few of the “it girls” in the running. “We left no stone unturned,” Jacobson says. But Lawrence’s gritty performance in 2010′s Winter’s Bone — as a character moved to violence to protect her family, much like Katniss — gave her a leg up. “It was a lucky break to see her in that role,” Jacobson says.
It was her audition, where she says goodbye to her family before leaving for the Games, that sealed the part and left onlookers in tears. Jacobson says the choice was easy. “You can manipulate appearance, not essence. Jennifer taps the inner life of Katniss.”
Read the rest HERE
