Philip Seymour Hoffman Talks The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
If you haven’t read all three Hunger Games books and aren’t a fan of spoilers, please read further so I get more pageviews. Just less than a month ago, Lionsgate announced that Academy Award winner and “deeply serious” thespian Philip Seymour Butts Hoffman had signed on for the role of Plutarch Heavensbee in Catching Fire, the second installment of The Hunger Games trilogy. I can’t pretend I was the slightest bit surprised when Hoffman signed on for the role. It’s not like he was asked to play the head of a new vampire clan in an upcoming Twilight Reboot (inevitably coming to theatres in the near-future) if you catch my drift. Hoffman spoke with Entertainment Weekly about his character and why he joined Catching Fire (Warning: Spoilers.)
Hoffman: “I liked the people involved. It’s a great group of actors. It’s a great environment. And the character was something I was attracted to. It was just an interesting role. He’s somebody who’s part of the revolution, but you don’t know it. The idea that somebody would be risking themselves in such an extreme way to join something that’s that dangerous because he thinks it’s the future…that’s interesting stuff, you know?”
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 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.
The film 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 36 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.