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"November 22, 2013 can&amp;#x27;t get here fast enough. That&amp;#x27;s the day Catching Fire--my favorite of the Hunger Games trilogy--opens in theaters and is sure to be two of the most heart-palpitating hours of our lives. I won&amp;#x27;t ruin it for those of you not caught up, but trust me, Catching Fire will leave you speechless. And as much as we love Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, there are a ton of new and important characters about to come into play. And well, it&amp;#x27;s simply our civic duty here at Obsessed to keep you up to date on whose been cast and who is thisclose to getting those coveted roles. Here are the latest updates on those about to head off to the world of Panem. Update One: We Have Our Plutarch Heavensbee That&amp;#x27;s right, Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman is our Game Maker for the Quarter Quell (75th) Hunger Games. I have to admit--I kinda pictured either Philip or John C. Reilly in my head for this part as they&amp;#x27;re both the right mix of creepy and powerful--so I am pleased that Philip snagged the role! Source: movieplayer.it via Lauren on Pinterest Update Two: We Have Our Wiress! Deeply damaged by her time in the arena--even though she came out a victor--Johanna Mason even goes so far as to give poor Wiress the nickname &amp;quot;Nuts.&amp;quot; However, she&amp;#x27;s underestimated to the extreme (huge spoiler that I know better than to spill). She&amp;#x27;s thin, a little older, slightly disheveled, a little (OK, a lot) nervous--just picture Amanda Plummer (aka &amp;quot;Honey Bunny&amp;quot; in Pulp Fiction)... Source: theplace2.ru via Lauren on Pinterest Good call, right? Hope you agree because Amanda has officially taken the role! Update Three: We&amp;#x27;re ThisClose to Our Johanna Mason! We already asked you who should play Johanna Mason (options included Zoe Aggeliki, Jena Malone and Mia Wasikowska). Your pick was Jena with a whopping 60% of the votes! You&amp;#x27;re a smart bunch! While it still hasn&amp;#x27;t been confirmed, Jena&amp;#x27;s name is the only one still floating around--and insiders seem to think the role is all hers. If I had to bet, I&amp;#x27;d say that in the next week we&amp;#x27;ll know for sure if Jena gets the honors of playing the sly District Seven victor. Source: stylebistro.com via Lauren on Pinterest Update Four: We&amp;#x27;re ThisClose to Our Finnick Katniss, Peeta, and Gale were the most important casting decisions of the Hunger Games. Without a doubt, Finnick is the most important casting decision of Catching Fire. So, who will play the trident wielding, District Four victor-turned-heartthrob that befriends Katniss in the Quarter Quell? It has to be someone who can pull off playing cocky on the outside, while actually really sensitive and caring on the inside. This is a hotly debated topic and names that have floated around for this all important role include Taylor Kitsch, Robert Pattinson (not happening, promise), Chris Zylka, Armie Hammer, Grant Gustin and Garrett Hedlund. But it&amp;#x27;s looking like all those actors are out of the running. Who&amp;#x27;s our frontrunner? Ladies, the role of Finnick is likely going to Sam Claflin! Before you say, &amp;quot;Sam, who?&amp;quot; just take a look... Source: google.com via Lauren on Pinterest Hot, like Finnick hot, right? So where have you seen Sam? This 26-year-old Brit is relatively new to Hollywood. He was Philip in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: Source: google.com via Lauren on Pinterest And most recently played Prince William (no, not that one!) in Snow White and the Huntsman. So, I think Sam can pull off Finnick. Do you? Now who to play his love Annie Cresta...? FYI, some other names floating around to join Catching Fire are Oscar winner Melissa Leo as Mags and Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub as Beetee. LOADS to talk about--what do you think of all these updates, especially on Finnick? Is Sam how you pictured him? May the odds be ever in your favor that you&amp;#x27;ll be happy when all this is officially confirmed! Tell me what you think! Tons more Hunger Games/Catching Fire news! * Mockingjay, The Third Hunger Games Movie, to Be Split in Two. Thoughts? * Robert Pattinson In Catching Fire? Here&amp;#x27;s Why If This Casting News Is True, It&amp;#x27;s the Worst Idea Ever! * Okay, Here Goes--I Didn&amp;#x27;t Like the Ending of The Hunger Games. Hear Me Out (And Hopefully We Can Still Be Friends!) P.S. Want more Obsessed? Sign up for our awesome daily newsletter that features the latest celebrity gossip, TV news, hilarious Internet sensations, and more! Photos: Lionsgate, Universal and Pinterest"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2012/07/major-catching-fire-casting-up>