Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth the top choices for The Hunger Games

Those of you hoping  the perceived error in casting white chick Jennifer Lawrence(The Burning Plain) as Katniss Everdeen would be rectified with the other leads might as well get your online petitions up now. Then again we've known for a few weeks who the lead contenders are, and the direction Gary Ross is taking his adaptation of The Hunger Games.  Last week learned that the race for the role of Peeta Mellark had been reduced down to five contenders, while we also got our first glimpse of who was up for Gale Hawthorne.  Now Deadline is reporting ttjat there are  two very clear frontrunners: Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.

Hutcherson had expressed his enthusiasm for the Peeta role weeks ago, and has been sought after ever since. My thought was that his age, a couple of years younger than Lawrence, would be a deterrent. Apparently I was wrong. I'm just happy that Hutcherson is getting the push he deserves after missing out on the Spider-Man gig.  Hemsworth, who would play Gale, is closer to the character's stated age, but I'm less familiar with him as an actor. I only saw him in The Last Song, which I'll try not to hang over his head.

The Hunger Games is set to open on March 23, 2012!