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.
Katniss Everdeen felt dizzy when she inhaled the smell of baking bread. Then, she had the idea of looking for something, anything, in the trashcans of the wealthier people in District 12. As she was checking the bakery's trash bins, Peeta's mother caught her and yelled at her. Peeta saw this, and purposely singed some bread in the bakery. His mother screamed at him and hit him on the cheek, bruising him. She told him to throw the burned bread to their pig, but he discreetly gave it to Katniss. From this point on, she regained hope and strength to keep her