More than ten years after the release of the firstHunger Gamesmovie, it is very difficult to imagine anyone else playing Katniss Everdeen other thanJennifer Lawrence. The same might be happening forHarry Potterfans who have mixed feelings about the upcoming series adaptation, as it is hard for them to imagine Harry, Ron, and Hermione with some other faces that are not the ones of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.
Something similar will surely happen forTwilightfans as the story is also being adapted into a TV show soon, which means a new actress and a new actor occupying the places that once belonged to Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. But, would the history of those sagas really have changed that much with other interpreters in the main roles?
Long before landing the lead in the franchise created by Suzanne Collins, Jennifer Lawrence was trying to get her big break, and she thought she would find it in Stephenie Meyer’s story, so she auditioned for the adaptation ofTwilight. During her recent appearance onThe Rewatchables Podcast, the Oscar Winner recalled one of the biggest setbacks in her career before becoming the Girl on Fire:
“I didn’t even get a callback [laughs]. But my life would’ve been totally different. I got Hunger Games I think, like, a year later.”
There is no doubt that the impact that the role of Bella Swan would have had on the actress’s career would not be very different from the one Katniss Everdeen had in terms of popularity. However, both Stewart and Pattinson had to battle the prejudices that came behind their roles inTwilight, something Lawrence thankfully didn’t have to deal with.
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Jennifer Lawrence Wasn’t the Only Option for Katniss Everdeen
Just as there were several actresses behind the role of Bella, there were also many trying to become Katniss. There is no doubt that the opportunity to give life to one of the main heroines of young adult literature at that time was something more than attractive for a long list of actresses, some of whom later had their chance to star in other sagas.
Shailene Woodley, who was going to end up playing Tris Prior in the adaptation ofDivergent, was part of the candidates to play the role of the District 12 Tribute. Another who would later become the face of a great franchise is Kaya Scodelario, who wanted to become Katniss before playing Teresa inThe Maze Runner.
From the world of comics came another great candidate, Chloe Grace Moretz who had already amazed the world inKick-Ass. Hailee Steinfeld hadn’t yet taken her first steps into the superhero genre or demonstrated her abilities with the bow and arrow, but she was close to the role as well.
The list also included other names like Saoirse Ronan, Abigail Breslin, Troian Bellisario, Emma Roberts, and Emily Browning, so the competition for the part was truly fierce.
