Movie Casting News: Jena Malone Officially cast as Johanna Mason in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'

It's official! The odds are now officially in Jena Malone's favor to play Johanna Mason, a tribute in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (sequel to the box-office hit The Hunger Games), which means she'll co-star again with her former P&P Co-star Donald Sutherland (as President Snow) along with Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, and Elizabeth Banks. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be in theaters on November 22, 2013!

The official facebook page for the first film, The Hunger Games has officially announced and confirmed Jena's casting for the second (and possibly 3rd and 4th too) movie earlier today with the following:

It's official! Jena Malone will be joining the cast of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as Johanna Mason. http://bit.ly/CFCasting

See all the official cast (with photos) for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire here!

Here's what they posted about Jena Malone as Johanna Mason (plus an official press release and co-star Josh Hutcherson in a video interview mentioning Jena's name for CF casting prior to her official casting announcement on Access Hollywood from last night's Teen Choice Awards)...

About the Character:

Johanna Mason, a female victor from a past Games still in her early twenties, is one of the youngest, but also one of the most psychologically scarred Hunger Games participants.

Jena Malone:

As a rising actress distinguished by her versatility and multidimensional roles, Jena Malone continues to evolve with each new project. Malone recently starred opposite Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton in the History Channel's mini-series Hatfields & McCoys which is based on a true story, and chronicles the bloody hostilities between two clans that escalated to the point of near war between two states. Sony Pictures Television debuted the three part mini-series on May 28th, with the second and third parts airing on the History Channel May 29th and 30th, respectively. The mini-series broke cable records and become the new most-watched entertainment telecast of all time on cable. Malone will soon begin production on The Go Getters. The film is an LA noir thriller about a struggling actress (Malone) who gets caught up in a heist planned by two underworld brothers.

Malone will next be seen in the independent feature In Our Nature opposite John Slattery and Zach Gilford about an estranged father and son who are forced to share a vacation home with their respective girlfriends after a scheduling mistake. The film premiered at SXSW as well as the Sarasota Film Festival and is scheduled to be released this fall. Malone is set to star in a web-based series directed by Ami Mann titled, Dakota. The series of webisodes is part of WIGS, a new YouTube channel that is producing high-end, original, scripted series about the lives of women from all walks of life. WIGS has also attracted the talents of Jennifer Garner, Alfred Molina, Stephen Moyer, Virginia Madsen, Julia Stiles, Maura Tierney, Michael C. Hall, and America Ferrera, who will all star in the various series which began airing this May. Later this year, Malone will be seen in The Wait, opposite Chloe Sevigny about two sisters who decide to keep their deceased mother in their home after being informed that she will come back to life, as well as the independent feature, For Ellen, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

Malone is soon set to begin production on the highly anticipated film, Lonely Hunter. In this biopic, Malone will star in the title role as Carson McCullers'. Production on the film will commence this summer. In 2011, Malone starred in Zack Snyder's, Sucker Punch, for Warner Bros. opposite Emily Browning and Abbie Cornish. In the action film, five young women use their imaginations to escape their bleak reality being held prisoner in a mental hospital. Previously, Malone starred in Oren Moverman's The Messenger, Sean Penn's Into the Wild, Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain, Brian Dannelly's Saved! and Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice. As a young actress, Malone starred opposite Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon in Stepmom, the cult classic, Donnie Darko and her very first role in the independent film Bastard Out of Carolina which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance. Malone has guest starred on several television series including Law & Order and Chicago Hope, and her performance in the TV film Hope earned Malone a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV.

Malone currently resides in Los Angeles.

Here’s the official press release (via Hunger Games Trilogy Fansite):

Santa Monica, CA, July 23, 2012- Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that Jena Malone has been cast in the role of Johanna Mason in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire.  Johanna Mason is a female victor from a past Games still in her early twenties, and is one of the youngest, but also one of the most psychologically scarred Quarter Quell participants.

Malone recently starred opposite Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton in the History Channel’s Emmy® nominated mini-series Hatfields & McCoys.  The mini-series broke cable records and is the new most-watched entertainment telecast of all time on cable. Her additional credits include Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, Oren Moverman’s The Messenger, and Sean Penn’s Into the Wild.  She will soon begin production on Lonely Hunter.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.   Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts.  Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75^thAnnual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has over 50 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.

Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.

Ongoing casting news and information for the film can be found at: www.CatchingFireCasting.com

Hunger Games: Josh Hutcherson Calls Catching Fire Co-Stars ‘Epic (via Access Hollywood)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Josh Hutcherson is overjoyed with his new co-stars in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

AccessHollywood.com’s Laura Saltman spoke to the actor at the Teen Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday about the new faces in the arena.

“I’m super excited. I think that Jena Malone is fantastic,” he said of the actress playing Johanna Mason – which Lionsgate officially confirmed on Monday.

He also called Amanda Plummer, who plays tribute Wiress, “fantastic.”
But Josh’s highest praise was for the actor whose onscreen job is trying his hardest to kill Peeta and Katniss.

“Oh my God, Philip Seymour Hoffman. He’s like one of my favorite actors ever,” he said of the star, who has been cast as Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker in the sequel to “The Hunger Games.”

“Everything he does, he’s just the most epic guy!” Josh continued. “So, I’m like, ‘You’re doing our movie?’ I was blown away when I heard about him.”


“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” begins shooting in the fall and is slated for theatrical release on November 22, 2013