A big congratulations to Liam Hemsworth on getting engaged to Miley Cyrus. If you’re a Hunger Games fan you’re excited to see more of him as Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
In honor of his engagement here’s a flashback to my brief interview with him at The Hunger Games Tour Seattle in which we talked about working with Woody Harrelson:
Congrats. Shouldn’t this guy play Green Arrow if the ever make a Justice League movie?
By Editor
The race to play a key character in the next The Hunger Games movie is heating up with a Marvel super hero in the running. Taylor Kitsch (Gambit, John Carter) Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger, The Social Network) and Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy) are in the running for the role of Finnick Odair in Catching Fire according to E Online.
In the novels Odair is a champion from District 4 (I think is the Pacific Northwest) who won the Hunger Games when he was 14. The 24-year-old is famous for fighting with his trident and net – a symbol of his district and wearing very little in the arena. Odair has many lovers in the Capitol.
An earlier rumor surfaced that Robert Pattison (Twilight) was up for the role but it was denied.
Kitsch would be a great fit for the role but I’m going for my earlier pick: Ryan Kwanten of True Blood.
By Editor
Thanks to Dark Horizons.
The New Mutants and Kid Loki (in Journey Into Mystery)are currently magically mixed up in the Exiled crossover. Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will follow up with Fear the Future guest starring Doctor Strange and the Defenders in issue #44.
“Something’s up, and the Defenders intend to defend against it, like they do,” previews Abnett. “The New Mutants are right at the heart of it all. There are some pretty big surprises and reveals coming along.
“The Defenders are all serious and grown up; there’s some amusement to be had when they all hang out in the New Mutants’ house.
Fear will be followed by Fight the Future. Marvel.com revealed these covers for New Mutants #47 and #48 by John Tyler Christopher coming in August.
The writing duo confirm Cannonball, Karma and Blink will be making appearances in the upcoming story. Looking the cover – it looks like the Hellions are back (looking all techno zombie resurrected like they did in the Necrosha event!) For more of the Abnett and Lanning interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
Here’s an earlier post talking about the possibility of a New Mutants movie, my hope some of the characters appear in the next X-Men: First Class film and The Hunger Games star who’d be perfect for one of the kids.
By Editor
Updated! I promise I had this draft long before I saw this recent story teasing a possible New Mutants movie. Here’s the Collider link so you can read it for yourself. Basically when pressed Fox’s Tom Rothman is smartly coy in his response. You can be the judge.
Original story:
It’s time Fox show some love for the New Mutants era for the sequel to X-Men: First Class. Cannonball aka Sam Guthrie would be a perfect addition to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
The film series has mixed and matches X-Men from various eras. First Class included everyone from original X-Man Beast and Angel Salvadore from the Grant Morrison New X-Men run. Time for the
Jack Quade played the Tribute ironically named Marvel in The Hunger Games and now that I’ve seen more photos of him I keep picturing him as the poor miner kid from Kentucky who blasts his way into the Xavier school.
The New Mutants graphic novel by Chris Claremont would be a great source of inspiration for the sequel script. X-Men books and films have always demonstrated diversity. Having Danielle Moonstar (Mirage) or Xian Coy Manh (Karma) in the next film would continue that tradition. Dani is a Native American had the power to create illusions of her enemies’ fears or wishes and co-lead the team with Sam. Karma is of Vietnamese descent and has the power to possess minds. In recent years Xian or Shan came out as a lesbian.
Sam and his sister Paige (aka Husk) are currently teaching at the Jean Grey School under headmaster Wolverine. Dani and Karma are on a New Mutants team based in San Francisco.
By Editor
This Geek’s Updated Opinion: Of course I’ll go see any X-Men related movie but with the X-Men: First Class franchise firmly set in the past would it make sense to have another X franchise set in the present? No disrespect to the New Mutants fans, creators or characters but I don’t think they can hold up on their own as a film franchise. I would be curious how Fox would pull it off. Professor X founded the New Mutants but Magneto served as their instructor and eventually the Cable turned the team into X-Force. As I stated above I would love to see Sam, Dani or Karma in an X-Men: First Class sequel or rebooted present day X-Men film.
$500+ million global and growing! The Hunger Games will go back on more than 100 IMAX screens from April 27th to May 3rd according to Deadline. Lionsgate chose Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Constantine, Like Water for Elephants) to direct the sequel Catching Fire.
What do you think of the choice? Given the spectacular visuals of I Am Legend I’m exited to see how Lawrence will stage the Panem uprising. I really hope Gale is developed more. I don’t want to be too specific and spoil but there’s a favorite scene from Catching Fire that’s the really heartbreaking with Cinna that I hope gets the proper direction it deserves.
A Geek Gives Thanks: I want to take a moment again to thank all the thousands of fans who watched my interviews with Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth when The Hunger Games Tour came to Seattle. I appreciate all the support, comments and I wish I had more of Josh sound bites for you! By Editor
Jennifer Lawrence is tough, resourceful yet compassionate in The Hunger Games. Katniss is not a doll…until now.
Who needs Ken? This new Katniss Everdeen Barbie doll is ready to empower girls to take down the Capitol!
Entertainment Weekly scored this exclusive first look at the Katniss Everdeen Barbie from Mattel. You can pre-order now at BarbieCollector.com.
Katniss Everdeen is the amazing heroine of the epic and emotional The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins and the smash hit movie. If you like Katniss I think you will enjoy the adventures of Marvel’s Kate Bishop of the Young Avengers. Katniss and Kate’s backgrounds are very different but they young heroines share a lot of similarities besides their archery skills.
Kate is tough, independent, blunt and an excellent archer. Kate was born rich but dedicated herself to charity like her late mother. The Young Avengers were an all boys team until a rescue attempt lead them to meet the level-headed and tough under pressure rich girl. Donning parts of the costumes once worn by Hawkeye and Mockingbird, Kate became part of the team of found a secret place for the team to train.
In Young Avengers Special Kate confides a dark painful secret to reporter Jessica Jones. We learn Kate was brutally attacked in what appears to be Central Park. Kate was traumatized and inspired undergo intense martial arts and weapons training like fencing, archery, and swordsmanship.
I don’t want to give too much away but Kate’s best friend becomes Cassie Lang, the daughter of Ant-Man who goes by the code name Stature. Kate’s testy and sexy relationship with Eli Walker aka Patriot is part of the ongoing appeal of the series. The two teens are stubborn, independent and it’s a joy to watch their “will they or won’t they” relationship evolve.
Kate wasn’t born with super powers but holds her own as the team confronts villains, gets caught up in Marvel’s biggest epics. She takes on the code name Hawkeye, stands up to Captain America when he orders the team to shut down and eventually meets the real Hawkeye (Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner in Marvel’s The Avengers.)
Allan Heinberg (a writer on Sex & the City, Grey’s Anatomy, Gilmore Girls, Party of Five, The O.C.) and artist Jim Cheung created Kate and the Young Avengers. I’m a huge fan of the Young Avengers. The Children’s Crusade is one of the most beautifully drawn and written stories in modern Marvel history. Here’s the Marvel.com link to learn more about Kate’s team, The Young Avengers.
Here are Amazon links to the big Young Avengers story collections. Hope you enjoy!
This Young Avengers collects issues 1-6 and the special edition. Sidekicks, Family Matters, Young Avengers Presents, Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers, Dark Reign: Young Avengers, Siege: Young Avengers, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade.
Two big studios. Two big franchises. One hot star. There appears to be a compromise that keeps fans of the X-Men and The Hunger Games happy!
The X-Men First Class sequel will start shooting in January. That means Lionsgate can shoot Catching Fire in August/September without a conflict for Jennifer Lawrence according to The Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision. The in-demand actress plays Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, and Raven/Mystique in X-Men: First Class.
The next step for Catching Fire is lining up a director. The Hunger Games director and co-writer Gary Ross does not have a deal for the sequel.
For the entire story’s the Heat Vision link.
by Editor