Cast Blast: ‘Catching Fire’ edition

Cast Blast is Wide Screen's weekly roundup of the notable casting bits from Hollywood and beyond.

With the sudden torrent of "Hunger Games" sequel casting news, this week's Cast Blast will appropriately be a special "Catching Fire" edition.

As pre-production ramps up on "Catching Fire," so too does the much talked about casting process. The first installment of the dystopian sci-fi franchise starred Jennifer Lawrence ("X-Men: First Class") and Josh Hutcherson ("Journey 2: The Mysterious Island") as a pair of teens plucked from obscurity to compete against other adolescents in a brutal battle to the death. The adaptation of the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name was directed by"Pleasantville's" Gary Ross and has made close to $700 million at the box office to date. The massive success of the first "Hunger Games" film combined with the seemingly inevitable success of "Catching Fire" has left practically every young actor in Hollywood clamouring for a part in the high profile follow-up.

See more: Racism looms over "Hunger Games" casting

One actress not in contention for a role in "Catching Fire" is "Alice in Wonderland's" Mia Wasikowska. Despite recent reports saying that she had been approached by Lionsgate for the role of Hunger Games tribute Johanna Mason - a cunning young tribute with a penchant for killing who is a key character in "Catching Fire" and final book "Mockingjay" - Wasikowska's current film commitments mean that she would be unable to participate in the films even if she wanted to. The Mason role would have reunited Wasikowska with her "The Kids Are All Right" co-star Josh Hutcherson.

Wasikowska's loss is apparently actress Jena Malone's gain however, if Entertainment Weekly is to be believed. According to EW, Malone currently leads the pack of potential Johanna Masons. The "Donnie Darko" star was most recently seen as Rocket in Zack Snyder's dubious school girl-sploitation flick "Sucker Punch" and on the History Channel's extremely popular Western miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys." Malone certainly has the requisite snarky attitude for the part, the only question that remains is how good is she with Mason's weapon of choice - an axe?

Model/actress Zoe Aggeliki's name has also been floated in connection with the Johanna Mason role.

However, Mason isn't the only role that the producers of "Catching Fire" still need to fill. The part of hunky District 4 tribute Finnick Odair has been the subject of a great deal of speculation, with everyone from Robert Pattinson to "Battleship" star Taylor Kitsch being associated with the role at some point recently. Both Pattinson and Kitsch quickly quashed those rumours, but many other actors have been quick to hype their potential involvement in the franchise.

See more: Robert Pattinson squashes 'Hunger Games' rumours

Lionsgate have allegedly held talks with Romeo Miller (formerly known as teenage hip-hopper Lil' Romeo) about a role in the sequel, a fact that he was only too happy to divulge to MTV. Miller said he'd recently met with Lionsgate to discuss a non-specific part in "Catching Fire," but the 22-year-old actor remained coy and offered no hints as to who he might play. "I can't really talk too much, or they'll kill me. You know how 'The Hunger Games' is."

At the red carpet premiere for "Magic Mike," former WWE wrestler and "Mike" co-star Kevin Nash told USA Today that he was also in talks for a part in "Catching Fire." Many have speculated that it's for the role of Brutus, a hulking former Hunger Games victor from District 2. Now an older mentor to younger tributes, Brutus is forced to compete in the 75th Hunger Games against other former champs, including the previous year's winners Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson).

And to cap it all off, although he has yet to officially sign on, multiple reports confirm that "Capote" actor Philip Seymour Hoffman is Lionsgate's top pick for Game Maker Plutarch Heavensbee in "Catching Fire." Hoffman would be a coup for the project and would add even more talent to an already talented pool of older supporting actors - like Donald Sutherland and Woody Harrelson - set to play in "Catching Fire."

See more: "Catching Fire" role offered to Philip Seymour Hoffman

Much like the fictional Hunger Games, Lionsgate has assembled an interesting and varied mix of talent for possible roles in "Catching Fire." Now all fans can do to find out who will win the "Catching Fire" casting games is wait for auditions to happen and contracts to be signed.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" will start filming this year and is due in theatres on November 22, 2013.