Last week it was reported that Woody Harrelson was up for the role of Head Gamemaster Seneca Crane in the upcoming big screen adaptation of The Hunger Games. Today we learn that Harrelson did NOT get the Seneca Crane role because Deadline reports that actor Wes Bentley (American Beauty) has nabbed the role of Seneca. I understand that Woody Harrelson is still being considered for another, very important role in Games and it’s rumored that John C. Reilly is NOT LONGER being considered for the role of Haymitch Abernathy. So does that mean that Woody will play Haymitch? Lots of Hunger Games casting goss to chew on today.

Lionsgate and director Gary Ross have set Wes Bentley to play Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games, the film that stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. Crane is the head gamesmaker of the 74th Hunger Games, which pits teens from 12 districts in a televised battle to the death. This is the first of several adult roles that will be cast. Rumored participants include John C. Reilly, as District 12′s only living past winner and current drunk Haymitch, but Lionsgate labeled that absolutely false when it came up a couple weeks ago.

HMMM … not sure what to think here. I absolutely imagined that Seneca Crane would be a much older man. Wes Bentley seems too young for the role to me. When I first heard that Bentley nabbed a role in The Hunger Games, my immediate thought was that he won the role of Cinna. But … Seneca it is. As for Woody Harrelson, I understand that he is still very much in contention for a role in The Hunger Games … and it’s possible that he’ll end up playing Haymitch instead of John C. Reilly, who is reportedly NO longer up for the role of Haymitch:

Despite numerous reports saying the [John C. Reilly] was the top contender for the meaty and crusty middle-aged Haymitch role, a source close to the film tells us exclusively that the part is not going to Reilly. Good thing we like Lionsgate’s next idea for Haymitch even better! Our Hunger mole tells us the production’s currently smitten with Woody Harreslson, who we think could actually nail the bad-ass role.

While I loved the idea of Reilly playing Haymitch, I’d be OK with Harrelson playing the role. He’s old enough to play the role in a gross, sloppy and drunken way and yet still believable as a handsome former Hunger Games champion. Of course, none of this is actually news until it’s confirmed but … this is the way casting the role of Haymitch is starting to look.

So what do y’all think? Do you like Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane? Do you like the idea of Woody Harrelson as Haymtich Abernathy?

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