Jennifer Lawrence will be offered the lead role in Gary Ross' adaptation of The Hunger Games , according to a report by Variety.
Last week, news landed that virtually every young actress in Hollywood was being considered to play Katniss Everdeen, including Hailee Steinfeld and Abigail Breslin.
Apparently, Ross and execs at Lionsgate are keen to cast the role a little older, and Lawrence fits the bill at 20 (compared to 14-year-olds Steinfeld and Breslin). Apparently the decision was influenced by the need to cast the love interest.
The film is based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, who has adapted the script with Billy Ray. It tells the story of a young girl who competes in a televised survival competition in a dystopian future.
Lawrence received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Winter's Bone , and she'll next be seen in this summer's X-Men: First Class . She has also been considering starring in Oliver Stone's Savages , although according to Variety she hasn't officially signed on yet.
The Hunger Games is the first novel in a trilogy, so no doubt everyone involved is eyeing the franchise potential.
