Gossip Teen

Lionsgate Films, the studio behind turning The Hunger Games books into films, are taking a cue from Twilight and Harry Potter and splitting the final installment into an extra movie.

Just like Stephanie Meyers‘ Twilight series of three books becoming four movies, Suzanne Collins‘ three novels of THG will also add a fourth film.

Book one (The Hunger Games) and two (Catching Fire) will remain as one film each but the third and final book, Mockingjay, will be split for two blockbuster films.

Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have all had the fourth film built into their contracts to avoid the negotiations and issues that popped up when Twilight became so huge and the studio decided to add the extra film.

This is awesome news!

Actors Liam Hemsworth, best known as Miley Cyrus’ potential current boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, and Josh Hutcherson, who starred in “The Kids Are All Right”, have officially joined hottie Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games”.

Lionsgate announced in an official press released Josh and Liam will play the roles of Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne, respectively. So, Josh is the love interest and Liam is the best friend. Hot love triangle?

Jennifer will play the lead role of Katniss Everdeen, the heroin of the best selling young-adult trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. The movie is scheduled to be released in March 2012.

[images: Robert Wallace/FayesVision/wenn.com]

The Hunger Games casting is in full swing with director Gary Ross and author Suzanne Collins working on getting the right actor in the right role.

Jennifer Lawrence has been chosen as Katniss Everdeen but the next two big leads are still up in the air. Peeta Mellark is thought to be the role that is next on the casting list (with the role of Gale not far behind)

A few actors have confirmed they have tested for the part including Alex Pettyfer, Josh Hutcherson, Lucas Till, and Hunter Parrish are the more well known actors. Also said to be shortlisted for the role are Evan Peters from Kick Ass and Alexander Ludwig of Escape to Witch Mountain.

Now Pettyfer appears to have dropped off the list of final contenders so perhaps he is no longer in the running.

These are all really good choices but I have always like Hutcherson for the part.

Who do you think should be cast opposite Lawrence?

[image: Moviefone]

Josh Hutcherson has joined Avan Jogia in the Straight But Not Narrow campaign, aimed at heterosexual guys.

The social awareness group challenges conventional thinking and works to combat bullying by simply asking: Why does it matter?

From the Facebook page:

Dudes.
Talking to dudes.
About dudes.
Who like dudes.

To get all the young, straight people out there to say…. “Oh, you’re gay? That’s cool. Whatever.”

Watch Josh’s video and Avan’s below.  Read more »

Josh Hutcherson has landed in Havana, Cuba to film with acclaimed actor Benicio Del Toro.

Del Toro is making his directorial debut in 7 Days in Havana. The film is shot in 7 parts with different directors for each day of the week who provide their vision on life in the Cuban city.

Del Toro is helming the segement Monday, as a fictionalized documentary with Hutcherson playing Yuma, an American actor traveling to Havana for the first time and discovering the culture.

The 18 year-old actor told reporters it was easy to work with Del Toro “because of the way he directs.”

Hutcherson just finished filming Journey 2 with Vanessa Hudgens.

Josh Hutcherson hit The 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Santa Monica Beach, California on Saturday, February 26th.

The Kids Are All Right actor was supporting his film’s nominations for Best Original Screenplay (which it won) and actress Annette Bening for Best Actress (who lost to Natalie Portman in Black Swan.)

Both Bening and Portman are also up for Oscars at tonight’s 83rd Annual Academy Awards and the 17 year-old actor has his own favorite:

“Of course, I’m a little biased, but I’d have to say Annette,” he said. “I think both of them are amazing actresses. I’ve idolized Natalie my entire life because she’s a young actress who made the transition into an adult, so they’re both very deserving.”

Hutcherson just wrapped Journey 2 with Vanessa Hudgens and the long-awaited reboot of Red Dawn he stars in may finally get a release date later this year (see story here.)

Kids costar Mia Wasikowska photos are here.

Hutcherson’s  Bridge to Terabithia costar, AnnaSophia Robb photos are here.

Josh’s photos are below. Read more »

AnnaSophia Robb spent Saturday down by the water for The 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

The Soul Surfer actress grabs her denim jacket and throws it over her white dress for a perfect afternoon at Santa Monica Beach in California.

Also on hand for the event was Robb’s costar from the 2007 film Bridge to Terabithia, Josh Hutcherson. Who didn’t love those two in that movie!

The 17 year-old actress and the inspiration for the movie Soul Surfer, Bethanny Hamilton, are headed to Denver, Colorado for the Women + Film VOICES Film Festival on March 9th.

Soul Surfer hits theaters April 8th.

Check out more photos of AnnaSophia below. Read more »

The 2011 SAG Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday January 30th and Josh Hutcherson attended the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild ceremony.

Hutcherson and his costars from The Kids Are All Right were up for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble but the group lost out to The King’s Speech cast.

Hutcherson is currently finishing filming Journey 2: Mysterious Island, with Vanessa Hudgens in North Carolina.

More Josh photos are inside. Read more »

Josh Hutcherson and the cast of Red Dawn strike a pose in the first photo of the reboot to hit the internet (see the full cast shot inside.)

The film has been completed for a while, but has lingered without release because of the studio’s (MGM) financial problems. Now that MGM is in chapter 11 (which is bankruptcy, but allows the company to reform, restructure and pay off creditors slowly,) Dawn may see the light of day in theaters later this year.

The 80s original version of the movie (starring Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey and the late Patrick Swayze,) was about a band of teenagers who came together to fight the Russians invading America. The new reboot stars Hutcherson, Connor Cruise, Chris Hemsworth, Isabelle Lucas and Josh Peck who fight the fictional Chinese take over of the U.S.

The photo above is the logo – hit the link to see the test cast photo.

[image: The Daily Blam] Read more »

While on location in Hawaii, Josh Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens sat down with Sunrise Australia to talk about their movie Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

Josh and Vanessa sat down with the interviewer and discussed their various injuries (blood running down the back of Vanessa’s leg and Josh cracking his head pretty hard.)

Hutcherson reprises his role from the original film, Journey to the Center of the Earth, but instead of Brendan Frasier as his dad, this time Hutcherson’s Sean Anderson goes with his mom’s boyfriend (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) in search of his grandfather, played by Michael Caine. Hudgens is the daughter of a helicopter pilot who joins up to help in the quest. The movie is due in 2011 and will be in 3D