While the rumors continue to swirl about who will be playing Finnick Odair in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," as fast as names pop up, they're being swatted down. Robert Pattinson was the first to pour cold water on claims he might be snagging the role, and just a couple of days after a few more names were mentioned, another actor has stepped up to take his name out of the mix.
In an email to the LA Times, Taylor Kitsch bluntly said, "Not going to happen," when asked about his participation in the franchise. Whether that's because he's not interested, not wanted or wasn't even in contention in the first place is unknown, but it still leaves Armie Hammer and Garrett Hedlund as possibilites — or perhaps someone completely unknown, which is the other direction Lionsgate is looking to take this casting. Why is this such a big deal? Well, Finnick is a pretty major (and hunky) character in "Catching Fire" who also carries over to the final installment "Mockingjay," and as always, fans have a very specific idea of who they want in the role. Ryan Kwanten from "True Blood" and young Brit Oliver Jackson-Cohen seem to be popular choices, at least as far as our comments section goes.
The studio could make a decision as early as this week or….not. Either way, some kind of decision will need to be made soon, as shooting is gearing up to start at the tail end of summer/early fall, with Francis Lawrence at the helm, and a firm November 22, 2013 release set.
