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Wide ScreenRobert Pattinson squashes ‘Hunger Games’ rumours
Edward Cullen competing in the Hunger Games? The Internet was abuzz last week with rumours that "Twilight Saga" star Robert Pattinson was up for a pretty hefty role in "The Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire." According to TMT, the folks at Lionsgate were apparently considering Pattinson for the part of Finnick Odair, a handsome former Hunger Games winner who is forced to compete in the Quarter Quell, a sort of "Hunger Games tournament of champions."
Given the respective enthusiasm of R-Pattz's fans and "Hunger Games" devotees, the casting rumour unsurprisingly went viral. Pattinson certainly looks the part of Odair and had worked with "Catching Fire" director Francis Lawrence previously on "Water for Elephants," so the rumour seemed plausible enough. The overlapping "Twilight" and "Hunger Games" fan bases did the rest.
The idea of Pattinson joining the live-action adaptation of "Catching Fire" was probably a dream come true for many, who tweeted and shared the story ad nauseam. The rumour soon reached the ears of Pattinson himself -- attending Cannes for the premiere of his latest film "Cosmopolis" -- who at first reacted with confusion.
"I woke up this morning and saw all these things about me being cast in "The Hunger Games," Pattinson said in an interview with USA Today.
Actors usually know if they're in the running for a part, and they usually have to be interested first to even be considered for a role. The fact that the casting tidbit was news to Pattinson quickly dashed fan hopes that the actor would appear in the "Hunger Games" follow-up.
"(My agent) was like, 'No one's going to offer you that part,'" Pattinson said, thanking his man for the reassurance.
Sorry, Twi-hards and Tributes, but Pattinson likely won't be Finnick Odair in "Catching Fire." (Hey, there's always Jesse Williams!)
Pattinson's career trajectory is simply heading in a different, more mature direction with films like "Bel Ami" and "Cosmopolis" (the latter film, a sexually-charged thriller directed by Canada's David Cronenberg, debuted to rave reviews at Cannes over the weekend). Having already been a part of the "Harry Potter" franchise and, of course, "The Twilight Saga," Pattinson probably isn't eager to add another high-profile young adult series to his acting CV.
With the end in sight for the "Twilight" Franchise, both Pattinson and co-star/rumoured girlfriend Kristen Stewart are attempting to distance themselves from the franchise. One sure-fire way to do that is by starring in more adult fare. Pattinson is well on his way by collaborating with Cronenberg, and Stewart seems to be following suit, creating a bit of a stir at Cannes with her first nude scene in Walter Salles' adaptation of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." There's no fear of being pigeonholed by a particular genre if your existing fans aren't even old enough to see the new movies you're in.
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