The Hunger Games (film) C. Reilly was in talks with Lionsgate to portray Haymitch Abernathy. The following month Lionsgate announced that the role had gone to Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson. The casting of Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, and Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith, soon followed. Both got the role at the time they were promoting "". Multiple-Golden Globe Award winner Donald Sutherland was cast as President Coriolanus Snow in late May 2011. Gary Ross, Sam Mendes, David Slade, Andrew Adamson, Susanna White, Rupert Sanders, and Francis Lawrence were listed as possible directing candidates, but in
The Hunger Games between Peeta and Gale and the series lacked the "erotic energy" seen in the "Twilight" series. J.C. Maçek III of "PopMatters" stated "While the film saga does capture the action of "The Hunger Games", the novels are most assuredly the heart of the story. They are nothing less than 'The Writer’s Cut' of the films themselves." The last book, "Mockingjay", was criticized by Dan Shade of "SF Site", who felt that Katniss is a weaker character than her comrades and less resolute in her journey to the Capitol, and that with respect to her vendetta against President Snow, her actions