Hunger Games Casting: Give Liam and Josh a Chance, Already

Yesterday’s casting announcement should not be a surprise, we say

By Ted Casablanca Apr 05, 2011 12:59 PMTags
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Just as we told you last week it was going to happen, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson have officially been cast in The Hunger Games.

Indeed, Lionsgate announced yesterday that hunky Hemsworth will be playing the role of Gale Hawthorne, the hunting partner to Jennifer Lawrence's character, Katniss, and Hutcherson has been cast as Peeta Mellark.

Sure these two dudes are easy on the eyes, but can they help pull off making this franchise as successful as say, Twilight?

Of course, they can, if we decide to let them.

Look, just because Hemsworth is several years older than Gale is in the books, that doesn't mean he can't do the part justice. Besides, isn't Hawthorne an incredibly agile and independent outdoorsman (unlike the more socially capable baker boy that is Peeta)? And, sorry, but not only is Hemsworth from Australia—where beer, alligators, sharks and fists are most often a young man's training grounds—the dude has survived not one, but two relationships with Miley Cyrus!

Now, that Cyrus clan is a freak show. They really are the new Lohans. Every time they have an emotion, one of them goes on the damn View to tell us all about it.

Point being, Liam's now a seasoned member of this family. And what are the Hunger Games about, anyway, if not watching people battle for their lives on reality TV?

Also, don't forget, Liam got tired of being Miley's pretty-boy bitch the first time ‘round, that's why he had the nerve to break up with her. This is not some patsy who plays it safe just to keep the headlines and movie roles coming in.

Just like Gale would do it, if he were a movie star.

As for Hutcherson's Peeta, we have nothing but praise for the guy who actually gave Annette Bening a run for her Oscar-nominated money in The Kids Are All Right.

He's got it all: cute-but-not-too-cute, engaging youth and knowingness.

But I'm sure everybody else is far too upset to read this with any common sense.

So when you've all calmed down, think about it. They're really not such bad ideas, we say.