Mia Wasikowska And Zoe Aggeliki Vie For Catching Fire

By Brent McKnight | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

Casting rumors are flying fast and furious when it comes to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the sequel to this year’s hit massive hit. Most of the talk revolves around who will play Finnick Odair, though we’ve also heard news concerning Philip Seymour Hoffman playing head games maker Plutarch Heavensbee.

Mia Wasikowska

The latest buzz has Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Zoe Aggeliki (R.I.P.D.) in contention to play Johanna Mason. Sources tell the Playlist that both actresses are “in the mix” for the part. This would include appearing not only in Catching Fire, the second book in Suzanne Collins’ young adult trilogy, but also Mockingjay, the third and final chapter of the series.

Zoe Aggeliki

Johanna, a previous victor of the Hunger Games, is cold, calculating, and just plain mean. In Catching Fire she forms an alliance with Katniss and Peeta, even though she has a combative relationship with them. She likes to fight with an axe, which should tell you something about her personality. You’re not sure what to make of her initially, though her true intentions and end game change, along with your view of her.

Johanna is a relatively small part, though director Frances Lawrence “is keen on finding the right actress to fit the part, and is looking at both big names and lesser known talents.” It is small, but important. Wasikowska’s waifish appearance would fit Johanna, who during her initial stint in the Games pretended to be weak so no one viewed her as a threat. Only when there were only a handful of tributes left did she reveal herself as a hardened killer. However, the Playlist also says that Aggeliki, who recently scored a role in the next Percy Jackson movie, could sign within the next few days.

Whoever wins the role, production starts later this year, and Catching Fire is scheduled for a release November 22, 2013.