Update :

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that an offer to Philip Seymour Hoffman has been made :

Philip Seymour Hoffmanreceived an official offer to play Plutarch Heavensbee inCatching Fire, Lionsgate’s sequel to The Hunger Games,The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Hoffman’s name had circled the role for several weeks, but an offer formally went out Monday, the same day the actor ended his 18-year association with his agency, Paradigm.

You can read more HERE 

Original Post :

It appears that the folks over at Lionsgate have decided they want to have Philip Seymour Hoffman as Catching Fire‘s head gamemaker! Hoffman was up for the Best Actor in a Play Tony Award last night for Death of a Salesman (but didn’t take home the trophy). While this casting is pretty much brilliant, it might be up in the air if the actor will take the role. From The Playlist:

The eagle eyes at Bleeding Cool have noticed that both Deadline and Variety have dropped the little nugget that the studio wants Philip Seymour Hoffman for the role of Plutarch Heavensbee in the sequel. Who is this character? Since this writer never read the books, to The Hunger Games Wiki we go! Essentially, he’s the new Gamemaker after Seneca Crane gets executed after the events of “The Hunger Games.” This makes us pretty depressed we won’t be treated to more wicked facial hair from Wes Bentley, but we suppose Hoffman isn’t a bad upgrade. At all. But that’s only if he takes the part…

….And we kind of doubt that will happen. Generally speaking Hoffman, doesn’t go the franchise route though “Mission: Impossible III” and “Red Dragon” are the exceptions to the rule. We suppose he could possibly be swayed but something tells us the allure of Francis Lawrence isn’t all that great. But then again neither is Brett Ratner, so who knows. And it’s just as likely that the appeal of working with folks like Jennifer Lawrence and Woody Harrelson could counter that. Guess we’ll have to see.