Philip Seymour Hoffman was on the mind of a lot of Hunger Games fans when producers were looking for an actor to play the drunken but eventually endearing mentor Haymitch-- the part that eventually went to Woody Harrelson. But as it turns out, the crew behind the Hunger Games franchise weren't leaving out Hoffman-- they were just biding their time. According to Variety's Jeff Sneider, Hoffman has been offered the role of Plutarch Heavensbee in Catching Fire, the Hunger Games sequel that shoots this fall.
For the Hunger Games newbies, Plutarch Heavensbee has a small but crucial role in Catching Fire, playing the Head Gamemaker for the annual Hunger Games, and eventually returning once our heroine Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) gets further involved in the rebellion against the vicious Capitol. To say too much more would be spoiling it, and it's also hard to know how big Hoffman's role would be-- after all, Wes Bentley's character Seneca Crane was barely there in the Hunger Games book, and his part was nicely fleshed out for the movie. If Catching Fire adopts the same form as The Hunger Games, showing what's going on among the Gamemakers alongside the action in the arena, Hoffman could have a much bigger role in the second film.
That is, if he even accepts it. Hoffman doesn't exactly have a strong track record making big-budget studio movies-- Mission: Impossible 3 being a great exception-- and he just wrapped his stint as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman on Broadway, meaning he might want a bit longer of a break after playing one of the most challenging roles in contemporary theater. But we'd also love to see him show up in the Hunger Games universe, so maybe a part in a big studio movie is exactly the kind of change of pace he needs. We'll let you know if any more news on the offer emerges, and of course, if he accepts!
