Hunger Games: Peeta and Gale revealed!

It's been months since the casting was announced. In May, we got a glimpse of Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) in full costume. Now the new Entertainment Weekly has revealed the men of Hunger Games, Peeta and Gale.

Some fans had expressed concern that neither Josh Hutcherson (Peeta, right) nor Liam Hemsworth (Gale, left) could pull off their role, at least visually. What's the verdict now? Are you convinced?

Updates in Book into Movie News

Check out our Book into Movie News for updates, including a new Stephen King miniseries, a new musical from Anthony Burgess, and Fat Kid Rules the World.

Bridget Jones, No Dark Tower, and the Silver Gavel Award

Helen Fielding's bestseller Bridget Jones's Diary has already become a popular film. Now it's about to hit the stage. A musical version of the book is expected to open in London's West End some time in 2012. British singer/songwriter Lily Allen is reportedly penning a dozen songs for the venture.

Book World Updates

Lots of news in the book world this week...

*Check out our Book into Movie News for the latest on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, Sarah's Key, Invention of Hugo Cabret, The Paperboy, and Moby-Dick

*Fans waited for years and George R.R. Martin's A Dance with Dragons has finally released. The release was so huge that it now holds the record for Highest First Day Sales of a Fiction novel this year. In the first day of its release, Martin's book sold 298,000 titles. This includes 170,000 hardcover books, 110,000 e-books, and 18,000 audio books.

*Yet another beloved series is coming to an end. Charlaine Harris has announced that the yet-untitled Book 13 of her Southern Vampire (a.k.a. Sookie Stackhouse) series will be the last. Harris made the announcement and said, "I think it'll be total closure. I don't go back to things once I've finished with them." Dead Reckoning, the 11th book of the series, released earlier this year. Harris is still working on Book 12. The popular television series True Blood, based on the series, has just started a new season.

Update in Book into Film News

Check out the Book into Film page for an update on the newest Nicholas Sparks novel set to hit theaters.

Books into Film

Quick update: Check out our Books into Film page for an update on the casting of the film Mortal Instruments, based on the book by Cassandra Clare.

Updates on Books into Movies

Check out our Books into Movies page for release dates for Peter Jackson's Hobbit films.

Also, just announced this morning, Golden Globe winner Donald Sutherland will be playing President Snow in the film The Hunger Games.

Avox Girl revealed!

Lionsgate has announced another bit of casting news: the unnamed but unforgettable role of the Avox girl will be played by Amber Cheney.

Though relatively unknown, Chaney has appeared in Meet the Browns and Somebodies.

Mr. Popper's Penguins Trailer

Check out this family comedy coming out June 17, based on the children's classic Mr. Popper's Penguins.

New Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer

A new trailer has been released for the highly-anticipated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Film Adaptation News, James and the Giant Peach Anniversary

It seems many of our favorite books are quickly being adapted to TV and film. To keep you up-to-date on all the latest, we've added a new blog page titled Book Into Movie News. Check it out for the most current updates on all your favorite upcoming adaptations. Major news (will they ever cast Cinna in The Hunger Games?!) will still be posted on the main page of this blog as well.

In other news, Roald Dahl's classic James and the Giant Peach will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! In honor of the celebration, Puffin Books has launched Follow that Peach!, a website that allows fans to send Peach-grams either virtually or through snail mail. The goal is for each peach to reach 50 people, one for each year of the book. Currently there are 310 Peaches which have reached 364 people.

First Look at Katniss, plus possible casting of Portia and Octavia

Entertainment Weekly's new cover reveals a first look at Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, possibly putting to rest some fan concerns that Lawrence didn't fit the "look" of Katniss. What do you think?

In the newest possible casting (though this is unconfirmed), Portia and Octavia may have been cast. Rumor has it Peeta's stylist, Portia, will be played by Latarsha Rose. Octavia, a member of Katniss's prep team in the Capital, may be played by Brooke Bundy.

Great Gatsby Casting News

Another role has been cast for Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Joel Edgerton will be playing the role of Tom Buchanan. Deadline.com reports that the role was originally supposed to be played by Ben Affleck, who had to back out due to scheduling conflicts. Below is the confirmed cast for the Warner Bros. film:
Jay Gatsby: Leonardo DiCaprio
Nick Carraway: Tobey Maguire
Daisy Buchanan: Carey Mulligan
Myrtle: Ilsa Fisher
Jordan Baker: Elizabeth Debicki
Tom Buchanan: Joel Edgerton

The film, due out some time next year, will be released in 3D.

Adventures of Tintin Preview

A trailer was released yesterday for the upcoming Spielberg film Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. Based on the work of Herge. The 3D film, produced by Peter Jackson, releases in theaters December 23.

Hunger Games casting, Book into Film News

Lots to talk about today with film adaptations of several books.

*Jess Walter has adapted his bestselling book The Financial Lives of the Poets into a screenplay for a film. The film, currently titled Bailout, will be directed by Michael Winterbottom and Jack Black is set to star. Filming will begin this August.

*The 2011 Cannes Film Festival will feature several films based on movies, many of them featuring major Hollywood actors. Among the highlights:
-The Killer Elite (based on the novel by Ranulph Fiennes), starring Jason Statham and Robert DeNiro
-Drive (based on the novel by James Sallis), starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan
-The Skin I Live In (based on the novel by Thierry Jonquet), starring Antonio Banderas
-We Need to Talk About Kevin (based on the novel by Lionel Shriver), starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly

*Hunger Games news: Cato and Clove have been cast! The District 2 tributes will be played by Alexander Ludwig and Isabelle Fuhrman, respectively. With this news, all 24 tributes of the Hunger Games have been cast. The final remaining role to be announced is that of beloved stylist Cinna.

Reviews coming soon...plus Woody Harrelson is Haymitch Abernathy!

This week's review is a bit late, but stay tuned in the next few days for a review of a classic that's one of my favorites. Anyone care to venture a guess?
Also coming soon, a review of the highly-anticipated Robopocalypse. This book is now responsible for me finally deciding to see Terminator, as many I've spoken with have said the plot sounds similar. Stay tuned for the review to find out if they're right.

Now, for those of you eagerly awaiting the Hunger Games film, one of the biggest supporting roles has been cast! Haymitch Abernathy, the drunken former-winner-turned-trainer, will be played by Woody Harrelson. Rumors were circulating in recent weeks that the role was being offered to John C. Reilly (whose rep immediately denied the claim). Personally, I'd never thought of Harrelson for the role (I was one of many hoping for Robert Downey, Jr.), but I think Harrelson will not only pull it off but be absolutely wonderful. What do you think of the casting choices thus far?

Stanley Tucci is Caesar Flickman

Just announced within the last hour: the newest addition to The Hunger Games cast is Stanley Tucci! The Hollywood favorite will be playing talkshow host Caesar Flickman.

Let's see who they'll cast next!

Wes Bentley is Seneca Crane

Just announced within the last couple of hours--Wes Bentley has been cast as Seneca Crane, head gamesmaker for the 74th annual Hunger Games in the Hunger Games film. This comes after last week's rumor that the role was possibly to be filled by Woody Harrelson.
Only a few district tributes remain to be cast. We've yet to hear word on some of the film's major supporting roles, including stylist Cinna, President Snow, and trainer Haymitch Abernathy.
What do you think of the choice of Wes Bentley? Who should be cast next?

Hunger Games Movie Cast, The Host, and R.L. Stine Film

Lots of book-to-film news today:

*The cast of The Hunger Games continues to fill out with the additions of newcomers Samuel Tan and Mackenzie Lintz as the tributes of District 8. The Hunger Games will be the film debut of both actors.

*R.L. Stine's new It's the First Day of School...Forever has been optioned as a film by Gotham Group. The book releases July 5th.

*Stephenie Meyer's The Host is also set to be a film adapted by Andrew Niccols. Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Atonement) is set to star.

Hunger Games Casting Update

Two more districts have been cast:
The unnamed tributes of District 6 will be played by Ashton Moio and Kara Peterson.
The unnamed tributes of District 7 will be played by Sam Ly and Leigha Hancock.