John C. Reilly in Talks to Play Haymitch Abernathy in THE HUNGER GAMES

How many characters are there in The Hunger Games?  Answer: Too many.  There are too many characters.  It’s getting to the point where we can start reporting a new cast member every hour on the hour.  Earlier today we reported that Paula Malcomson (Deadwood) had been cast as Mrs. Everdeen.  Now Vulture is reporting that John C. Reilly is in talks to play Haymitch Abernathy, the only tribute from District 12 to ever win a Hunger Games competition.  Since his victory, Haymitch has descended into alcoholism but ends up becoming a mentor to new District 12 tributes Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).  Reilly had been in talks to co-star alongside James Franco in Sam Raimi’s Oz, The Great and Powerful, but those talks have stalled due to hisHunger Games negotiations.

Hit the jump for the official synopsis.  The film also stars Liam Hemsworth, Willow Shields, Amandla Stenberg, Dayo Okeniyi, Leven Rambin, Jack Quaid, and possibly Elizabeth Banks.  The Hunger Games opens March 23, 2012.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Hunger Games:

The Hunger Games is a worldwide fan phenomenon, the novel having been on the New York Times best seller list for over 130 consecutive weeks. The film chronicles Katniss Everdeen’s defiant struggle to survive in a future dystopia where The Capitol requires its twelve subjugated districts to atone for their onetime insurrection through the annual “Hunger Games,” a fight-to-the-death event held in a fantastical man made arena.  Although persevering through extreme hardship is commonplace for the audacious heroine, she is forced to make choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home to District 12.

THE HUNGER GAMES will be directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik.  Collins’ best-selling novel, which has over 3 million copies in print in the United States alone, is the first in a trilogy of science fiction/action novels which have developed a global following.

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