'Hunger Games' Experts Weigh In: Who Should Play Peeta?

Josh Hutcherson, Alex Pettyfer and Hunter Parrish appear to be the front-runners, but nothing is confirmed yet.
By Christina Garibaldi

Alex Pettyfer
Photo: Getty Images

Last week, MTV News exclusively revealed that Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence landed the highly coveted role of Katniss Everdeen in the film adaptation of "The Hunger Games." Experts and fans were mixed on the thought of the tall, blond 20-year-old taking on the role of the 16-year-old, dark-haired heroine, but it seems like Jennifer can rest easy for now, since the debate has shifted to who will play fellow Hunger Games competitor Peeta.

"It's definitely going to be someone close to her age," Down With the Capitol administrator Theresa Morgan told MTV News. "I think it will make it easier to cast someone for Peeta."

Many names have already been thrown into the mix, including "The Kids Are All Right" star Josh Hutcherson, who confessed he has met with director Gary Ross. "I love Peeta," Hutcherson told Entertainment Weekly. "The character is so much who I am — self-deprecating, a people person. And he'd be such a great character to play!"

Hutcherson seems to be a front-runner for the District 12 male tribute, but he will have some stiff competition from Alex Pettyfer and fan favorite Hunter Parrish.

"We love Josh Hutcherson," the Hob administrator Megan Scott said. "There's Alex, who I really like, but Hunter is a huge fan favorite. When I think of these guys with Jennifer, they all go well together."

"Our whole site thinks Hunter will be perfect," Morgan said. "He looks the role and acts the role. A lot of people are thinking he sounds like Peeta."

Ross might agree, since Parrish recently told E! Online he has met with the movie's producers. "I'd be grateful to get the opportunity," he said. "Like, really grateful. It would be amazing."

Not everyone's convinced that these leading contenders are right for the coveted "Hunger Games" role.

"My favorite for Peeta is Callan McAuliffe," Mockingjay.net administrator Kimmy West said about the "I Am Number Four" newcomer. "I think he has the acting chops, he's relatively unknown, and he has that warm quality that Peeta has."

Who do you think should get the role of Peeta in "The Hunger Games"? Tell us in the comments below!

Check out everything we've got on "Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash Light Up Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show

Foursome is joined by special guests and tons of lights for smash-hit medley.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Black Eyed Peas perform during the Super Bowl XLV halftime show
Photo: Getty Images

The Black Eyed Peas promised a party at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday (February 6), and the pop supernovas definitely delivered, with a performance teeming with lights, dancers and surprise appearances from celebrity pals.

Following a Chatter.com commercial that showed animated versions of the Peas showing off their social-media skills, the group kicked things off with their 2009 smash "I Gotta Feeling," descending from the ceiling on illuminated platforms onto a stage surrounded by a cluster of dancers clad in white bodysuits. The foursome led the team of fist-pumping troops in "Tron"-like getups, with Taboo sporting an outfit covered in flashing lights, will.i.am rocking a shiny hairpiece, Apl.de.ap wearing huge bright studs and Fergie vamping it up in bling-laden shoulder pads.

When the speaker-busting bass of "Boom Boom Pow" dropped, the dancers dispersed across the field to create arrow-shaped formations as the glow-in-the-dark lights on their suits illuminated the stadium. Then rumored surprise guest Slash of Guns N' Roses rose from below the stage for a "Sweet Child O' Mine" duet with Fergie. The GNR great rocked a finger-searing solo in a studded version of his signature black top hat as more angular platforms and dancers moved across the gridiron. The platforms were bearing scores of marching-band musicians who blasted their horns and pounded away on their drums as the Peas went into "Pump It" and blue lights splashed across the production.

Quick streams of fog heralded the arrival of the Peas' second surprise guest, Usher, who swooped in on a long chain to bust out his will.i.am-assisted joint "OMG." Rocking a sparkly collar on an otherwise all-white ensemble, the R&B hitmaker cranked out several counts of energetic choreography, enlivening moves from his "OMG" video and at one point jumping over Will and landing in a split.

A spray of pyro ushered in the collective's breakout 2003 hit "Where Is the Love?" as the oddly shaped platforms spelled out the word "Love" in bright-red letters. The team of dancers, which appeared to have multiplied to over 100, formed hearts across the field as will updated the lyrics of the smash with lines like, "Obama, let's get these educated."

Then the group jumped ahead to their most recent single, 2010's "The Time (Dirty Bit)," as several back up hoofers rocking cubed helmets joined the Peas onstage and dancers lined up along the gridiron to simultaneously bust out the Running Man, a move which drew cheers from the crowd.

The platinum-selling Peas wrapped up the performance with a reprise of "I Gotta Feeling," as the quartet triumphantly signed off amid of blitz of fog, firepower and flashing lights.

Ripping the halftime show was clearly a touching moment for will, who tweeted beforehand, "Me and apl started the peas when we were 16 yesterday we were dreamin now were livin it. Wow. I'm not crying out of sadness or nervousness its joy and pride and memories and the journey."

And once the crew left the stage, the frontman was not only proud, but pumped. "That was so freakin sick," he wrote. "Wow...!!!"

What did you think of the Black Eyed Peas' Super Bowl performance? Let us know in the comments!

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Happy Birthday Justin Bieber!

On Tuesday (March 1), Justin Bieber enjoyed a loved-up outing withJustin Bieber in Beverly Hills for the romantic birthday excursion. The cute couple spent the 17th b-day at a local shopping center as they picked up purchases at Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton - where the two shared a few intimate hugs giving Justin a big birthday boy smile. Enjoy the pictures of Justin Bieber celebrating his 17th birthday with Selena Gomez. [gallery=753]

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Robert Pattinson's MTV Live Chat: Everything He Said About 'Twilight'

From 'Breaking Dawn' to leading lady Kristen Stewart, RPattz was an open book.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Robert Pattinson
Photo: MTV News

Robert Pattinson likes his leading ladies "hot," thinks his "Breaking Dawn" love scene with Kristen Stewart is "funny" and looks back at his first "Twilight" red carpet and thinks, "I looked like an old alcoholic."

Yes, we ranged far and wide across the "Twilight" universe on Friday night during "MTV First: Robert Pattinson," a 30-minute live chat with the 24-year-old star. In fact, we hit so many topics of interest to fans of the vampire franchise that we've gathered them all on one page. Consider this a Twi-cheat sheet of everything Pattinson had to say about the series:

On Kristen Stewart
While Rob drew a line of comparison between his "Twilight" co-star and other leading ladies with whom he's shared the screen — "I like being in movies with lots of hot girls," he laughed — he also pointed out how different he is from Stewart.

"I like the kind of cerebral aspect of things, and she has kind of an immediate emotional response to stuff every single time," he said about making various acting choices. "She's like, 'Why can't you understand? It's obvious. You don't know. You shouldn't be an actor!' "

Unsurprisingly, the duo's upcoming "Breaking Dawn" love scene — which we got a peek at in a photo earlier this year — also cropped up during the conversation. "You've got to really know what you're doing. If it's just a sort of arbitrary love scene, it'd be quite difficult," he explained. "The one on 'Breaking Dawn' is pretty funny."

On "Breaking Dawn"
Of all the new talent joining the franchise, 10-year-old Mackenzie Foy, who plays Edward and Bella's daughter, is the one everyone has an eye on. "She's a great actress. She's really sweet," Pattinson told us. "She has to do a hard part as well, because she's doing — I don't want to get into special-effects stuff — but she's playing a baby in some scenes. Oh, man, some of the stuff is so strange. I mean, we've done very strange things on the 'Breaking Dawn' shoot."

Rob also dished a bit about the musical aspects of the upcoming films, shooting down a rumor that he'll sing a lullaby but revealing he will show off some of his musical abilities. "I did play some piano. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be secret," he said. "I was very impressed. I hadn't played piano in years, and I learned it in about 10 seconds."

On Revisiting the Past
While we had Rob live and in studio, we couldn't help but flash back to our first-ever "Twilight" interview back in the spring of 2008. Though much time has passed, Pattinson said that now, much like then, he still can't quite grasp the full breadth of Twi-mania. What has changed, he added, is how he acts during interviews.

"I never got that I was supposed to be talking about 'Twilight.' I thought I had to be funny all the time and that's it," he said.

But he doesn't regret trying to be the always-on funnyman. Looking back on the last few years, Pattinson told us he really has just one regret. "I wouldn't have worn the suit I wore for the first 'Twilight' premiere. It was too small," he said. "I was also a little bit nervous, so I had a couple of drinks beforehand. I look like an old alcoholic."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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