Josh Hutcherson in 2010, and was a nominee for Best Picture at the 83rd Academy Awards. Gregory Ellwood of entertainment site HitFix stated: "Hutcherson's charismatic wit and natural instincts shine and it's arguably the first film where he proves he's more than just another sharp-looking teen actor." On April 4, 2011, Lionsgate announced that Hutcherson had been cast as Peeta Mellark in "The Hunger Games" series, opposite Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. He was eager to land the role, feeling that he related to the character extremely well. In preparation for filming, he had to bleach his hair and gain 15 pounds.
The Hanging Tree (The Hunger Games song) days" during the month of September 2013. Lawrence later contacted both Schultz and Fraites via text message that the melody was chosen for the film, saying, "It worked out great in the movie. We just shot the scene. Jen was really nervous but it went great." The lead protagonist Katniss Everdeen performs the song in the film, which is also heard over the closing credits. Jennifer Lawrence revealed on "Late Night with David Letterman" that she was anxious about singing the song in the film, citing her fear of "singing in front of other people" as her reason; she also