And it's official!
Sam Claflin — who most recently starred opposite Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman — has been cast as Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate announced August 22.
The English actor, 26, was widely reported to be the frontrunner for the coveted role in mid-July. Other actors who were considered for the part included The Social Network's Armie Hammer, 25, Battleship's Taylor Kitsch, 31, and Country Strong's Garrett Hedlund, 27. Described in Suzanne Collins' bestselling novels as a womanizing Hunger Games victor from District 4, Finnick is required to compete to death for the second time in the Quarter Quell.
Claflin recently finished filming The Quiet Ones with Jarred Harris and Mary & Martha with Hilary Swank (who announced her May 2012 split with agent John Campisi on August 20). Claflin's other acting credits include Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Pillars of the Earth, White Heat and United.
Directed by Water for Elephants' Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will begin filming this fall. The movie will be released in theaters November 22, 2013.
Original stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth will reprise their central roles, while Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Meta Golding, Alan Ritchson, Amanda Plummer and Lynn Cohen join Claflin as new cast members.