Philip Seymour Hoffman explains why he wanted to play Plutarch Heavensbee in ‘Catching Fire’

Why did Philip Seymour Hoffman want to join the cast of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire? You mean besides the fact that it's sure to do at least as well as its predecessor? Well, according to Hoffman, it's the other actors and the character he's playing — Plutarch Heavensbee — that made him want to do it. Entertainment Weekly reported that Hoffman said [SPOILER ALERT]:

I liked the people involved. It's a great group of actors. It's a great environment. And the character was something I was attracted to. It was just an interesting role. He's somebody who's part of the revolution, but you don't know it. The idea that somebody would be risking themselves in such an extreme way to join something that's that dangerous because he thinks it's the future… that's interesting stuff, you know?

By the way, when I read that, I imagined his character from Along Came Polly reading it. You know, the guy from Crocodile Tears. The 45-year-old actor is preparing for the role by reading the second book in Suzanne Collin's series. He also watched the first movie, in which Heavensbee does not make an appearance. He also said, "I've read the script, which is true to the book — I kinda ruined it for myself. [Laughs] But I'm reading it anyway, because I really want to find out everything I need to know about this guy."

In my opinion, Philip Seymour Hoffman is the perfect casting choice for Plutarch Heavensbee. As a matter of fact, everyone that has been cast in the movie has been perfect. Yesterday, Lionsgate also announced they had cast actress Meta Golding (CSI, Criminal Minds) in the role of Enobaria, a former career tribute from Disctrict 2 who is known for the brutal, disturbing way in which she came to win The Hunger Games.

The big question on fans' minds is who's going to be playing Finnick?

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire releases on November 22, 2013.