Today’s potential Coin is…Alex Kingston! Kingston is a SAG Award winner and is best known for her roles on the TV series ER and Doctor Who.

Here’s what the fan sites had to say:

Hunger Games Fireside Chat
Savanna: I am a Doctor Who fanatic. And as such, I’d hate for my view of River Song to become tainted by seeing Alex Kingston play Alma Coin. However, setting my selfishness aside for a moment, I actually think that Kingston could potentially be a great choice. While her identity as a person is — unfortunately — closely linked to River for me and many others, Kingston is quite adept at slipping into her roles so well that you lose yourself in the character and the story. So with a different hairstyle and an American accent, I doubt Whovians would have trouble seeing Kingston as Coin and not River. I haven’t seen ER, so I can’t speak for her performance there, but Kingston was an absolutely phenomenal Mrs. Bennet in the miniseries Lost in Austen. While having nothing in common with Coin on the surface, if you’re familiar with Pride and Prejudice, then you know just how manipulative and scheming Mrs. Bennet can be. True, she’s simply a small-town meddler and not a political schemer, but after seeing Kingston so brilliantly portray this “ball-breaking” matriarch hell-bent on securing good marriages for her daughters, I would love to see her interpretation of Coin.

HG Girl on Fire
Colleen: In my mind, Alma Coin is cold and manipulative, but she had to have some quality to make everyone trust her. I can easily see Alex Kingston taking on that role. She’s just so versatile. Most people probably know her as a doctor on ER or as the charming (yet not completely trustworthy at times) River Song on Doctor Who. When I saw Kingston’s name on the list of possibilities for Coin, I thought of her role as Boudica in Warrior Queen. She rallies her people to rebel against the Roman Empire and goes down fighting. She’s believable as a leader, and it’s this role I first thought of that made me think she would be a good choice for Coin. But it’s her Doctor Who role that clinched it for me. She plays River Song with an air of authority, but with her own secrets and agenda. She’s all but mastered the “I can be your best friend or you worst enemy” look, and, to me, that is the essence of Alma Coin. And I think the British accent would totally work for Coin.

My Hunger Games
Kelsey: Being a massive “Whovian,” I will forever and always see Alex Kingston as the lovable, sassy and adventurous Professor River Song. So upon first seeing her name among the list of actresses “Campaigning for Coin,” my initial reaction was to object. However, since I am a huge fan of Alex’s, she was worth looking into a bit more. That’s when I realized how amazing of an actress Kingston really is. Looking at her as Dr. Corday in ER, Mrs. Bennet in Lost in Austen all the way to Boudica in Warrior Queen and Dinah in Arrow. Every one of her characters is so different, yet Alex is able to bring them to life so vividly. That alone it is a huge testament to her ability. At this point, Kingston isn’t a household name — and that could definitely work in her favor. The fact that she isn’t incredibly well known could make her an easier choice for Lionsgate, considering their budget. But the fact that she is a very well-rounded actress bodes well for the fans. I think she can easily bring Coin to life like she has with so many others!

Victor’s Village
Rebekah: I’ll be honest, I’m a longtime fan of Alex Kingston, starting with her work on the long-running, critically acclaimed, award-winning, and fan-loved NBC series ER. She’ll always be the fish out of water Doctor Elizabeth Corday to me, which I think is a good way to think of Alex. Elizabeth allowed Alex as an actress to explore a multitude of feelings and experiences to act out over the course of that character’s 12-year run. Aside from her work on ER though, Alex has played a gamut of other characters, most famously she’s Doctor River Song on Doctor Who, where she’s really kind of a source of comic relief seemingly the majority of the time. And then there’s her work on series like Upstairs Downstairs, and the CW’s Arrow. She’s definitely proven herself capable of embodying different kinds of women, therefore I say I wouldn’t kick up a fuss if she was cast as Coin. Her being cast might even bring in a whole slew of different kinds of audience members, because Alex is known from such a diverse collection of projects. She’d bring in the ER crowd, and the younger crowd from the Doctor Who side of things, and the PBS/BBC loving lot from being known for Upstairs Downstairs. Alex Kingston, I simply can’t find fault with this idea. Who’s next?

Welcome to District 12
Courtney/Tiffany: We LOVE Alex Kingston! We are both crazy huge Doctor Who fans, and if there’s a character we love almost as much as the Doctor, it’s River Song. Of course this isn’t the only reason that we are in love with the idea of Kingston as Coin. We’ve seen the duality of her acting solely through the show, and her résumé speaks for itself as well. We aren’t worried about her capabilities as an actor to handle Coin in the slightest. She would also be a perfect Coin candidate for the “lesser known actor” option.

Well, you’ve heard what we have to say! What do YOU think? Would Alex Kingston make a good Coin? Leave a comment and let us know!

And be sure to check out our entire Campaigning for Coin series:

Glenn Close
Tilda Swinton
Joan Allen
Sigourney Weaver
Anjelica Huston
Alex Kingston

Miss Episode 111 live last night? You can listen to the whole show recorded by clicking here OR simply using the embedded player below!

(The fantastic Boggs fan art used in this promo is by xxIgnisxx and inklou!)

Episode 111 of Hunger Games Fireside Chat will air live this Monday, June 17, at 10pm ET/7pm PT! This week, our panel of experts will include Kait from Victor’s Village, Bailey of Hunger Games Network, and Kelsey of My Hunger Games! What do we have planned?

- Since official announcements could start happening any day now, we’ll kick off our Mockingjay casting series by talking all about one of the most important figures in the final installment of the trilogy: Boggs! We discuss fan favorites, our favorites, your favorites, and the qualities that we think our future Boggs should exhibit. Please leave a comment below and tell us who YOUR “dream Boggs” is and why!

“I sneak a sidelong glance at him. He’s probably in his mid-forties, with close-cropped gray hair and blue eyes. Incredible posture. He’s spoken out twice today in ways that make me think he would rather be friends than enemies. Maybe I should give him a chance. But he just seems so in step with Coin…”

…

“I’m trying to think of a witty comeback, when Boggs says brusquely, ‘Well, don’t expect us to be too impressed. We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear.’ I decide to go ahead and like Boggs.”

– ‘Mockingjay’

- Additionally, we’ll play a round of What’s in the Backpack? and try to stump our panelists using YOUR submissions!

You can chat with other listeners throughout the live show by using our hashtag #HGFiresideChat on Twitter! We recommend TweetChat to easily follow along with the conversation.

(If you missed our last episode, click here to listen!)

And click here for an index of all of our archived episodes.

Follow this week’s participants on Twitter:
Adam (Host): @AdamSpunberg
Savanna (Co-Host/Producer): @MlleNouveau
Kait: @VictorsVillage
Bailey: @RosieHathaway / @hungergamesnet
Kelsey: @kelsey_jean / @MyHungerGames

The highlights:

Are We Pleased With Francis Lawrence So Far?

Was What Happened to Prim at the End of Mockingjay Necessary?

Remember, to hear the rest of our discussions, listen to the full episode!

Today’s potential Coin is…Anjelica Huston! This incredibly recognizable, Oscar-winning actress is perhaps best known for her roles in Prizzi’s Honor, The Witches, The Addams Family, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Ever After.

Here’s what the fan sites had to say:

Hunger Games Fireside Chat
Savanna: While I wouldn’t be disappointed if Anjelica Huston were cast as President Coin, she’s definitely not one of my top picks. Yes, she’s absolutely an acting legend, and her talent is indisputable. As a big Wes Anderson fan, I especially enjoyed her performances in The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic. And you only need to see her as the wicked stepmother in Ever After to believe her capable of portraying a manipulative, power-hungry figure like Coin. But for me, she just doesn’t have the right “look.” Obviously this is a completely subjective thing and a matter of personal preference. But I always envisioned Coin as someone whose physical appearance somewhat belied her true nature, and Huston has played so many “evil” roles in the past that audiences might immediately assume she’s up to something. And where’s the fun in that?

Down with the Capitol
Theresa: I have admittedly been a huge fan of Sigourney Weaver for the role of Coin for quite some time. That is until I saw the name Anjelica Huston in our Campaign for Coin. My most vivid memory of her on screen is admittedly 15 years old, as the wicked stepmother, Rodmilla de Ghent in Ever After. She was both regal and cunning, dead set on getting what she wanted at the expense of anyone, including her own daughters. Willing to do anything to gain power and respect in the kingdom. Someone who shows one face to the world, and another behind closed doors. Sound familiar? Yup, that’s our Coin, and Anjelica knows how to deliver her perfectly.

HG Girl on Fire
Amanda: Angelica Huston is my top pick for this role. To me she just has the right demeanor; she can be perfectly “wicked” and cold. I loved her in Ever After, and I think that particular movie showcases just how good she would be in this role. She didn’t care about anyone but herself, her character was all about doing everything and anything to get ahead and make herself look good while not caring what the consequences would be. All the while keeping Drew Barrymore’s character down and keeping her from getting ahead. Sound familiar? That is why I think she would have Coin down pat. To me she is also the best physical resemblance of President Coin; she is extremely good at looking cold and evil. I think she is also the right age as well. It will be very exciting to see who does end up playing President Coin and I really hope it is Angelica Huston.

The Hob
Lee: Anjelica Huston is an excellent candidate to portray President Coin. Physically striking and emotionally powerful in her previous performances, Ms. Huston could provide an emotional depth to Coin that many other actresses wouldn’t be able to approach. Since Coin embodies the rapacious need for power and control, Ms. Huston would no doubt deliver a performance that would enable the audience to see the resolve, calculation and power needed to make this character come alive.

Mockingjay.net
Crystal: While I love Anjelica Huston, having recently seen her in 50/50, I don’t think I’d be all that thrilled if she was picked as Coin. I’m old enough to remember her as Morticia Addams and it’s tough to let a role like that go. Then there’s Witches, which I used to watch over and over as a kid. It’s hard to put into words really, but it just seems “predictable” to have someone like her cast.

My Hunger Games
Jacqui: Anjelica Huston is one of the most recognized faces in Hollywood. She spent most of her life in front of the camera. She has had some fantastic parts including playing Lilly Dillon in The Grifters, Gretta Conroy in The Dead and her Oscar-winning performance as the vengeful girlfriend of hit man Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor. Many fans will also know her as Morticia in three Addams Family films. However, for me, I love her best as the awkward mistress in Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanours, as the mother in The Royal Tenenbaums and as Eileen Rand, the legendary Broadway producer, who will still throw a drink in someone’s face if need be, in Smash. She’s a real actress, with striking features. She’s statuesque and exudes a quiet confidence. She is a woman that knows how to portray a quiet strength and be menacing. While she might not be my first choice for the Mockingjay movies, I believe she would bring something special to the role of Alma Coin.

Victor’s Village
Kait: Anjelica Huston’s talent is undoubtable. Whenever she gives a performance, you can bet it’s going to be a memorable one. We have no doubt that she’d work in the role of Alma Coin, but might she be too predictable? It’s really important that Coin is not a transparently “evil” character who’s up to no good. Audiences must question whether or not she is to be trusted. Depsite some great performances in other genres, people expect Anjelica Huston to be a bit of a baddie, especially with Ever After and The Witches sticking out most to people in the film’s target audience. Anjelica has the air of authority about her and she looks like the type of woman who could firmly run District 13, but can she play the ambiguous side of the Coin and keep everyone guessing?

Welcome to District 12
Courtney/Tiffany: Great choice! I love these actresses that are out there doing great work, yet not extremely famous or well known. Anjelica Huston in the role of Coin scares the crap out of me, but in a good way. When put in a powerful role like that, Anjelica Huston would do very well. She’s an actress known for her severe look and authoritative presence. Though known for playing Morticia Adams, she’s been in the biz for years, playing all types of roles, and her most current stint on Smash just ended with the show’s demise, which frees her up. She’s got the look, she’s got the hair, and without a doubt The Supreme Leader from Captain EO has my vote!

Well, you’ve heard what we have to say! What do YOU think? Would Anjelica Huston make a good Coin? Leave a comment and let us know!

And be sure to check out our entire Campaigning for Coin series:

Glenn Close
Tilda Swinton
Joan Allen
Sigourney Weaver
Anjelica Huston

Today’s potential Coin is…Sigourney Weaver! Best known for playing Ellen Ripley in the Alien films, Weaver has been a fan favorite for the role of Coin for quite some time now because of her ability to portray strong, powerful female characters.

Here’s what the fan sites had to say:

Hunger Games Fireside Chat
Adam: There’s a reason Sigourney Weaver tops the mountain of many President Coin lists: She represents female empowerment better than perhaps any other actress out there. She has earned that reputation through dominant roles in Alien, or even Avatar, but there was a reason she was selected for those roles — she possesses a transformative acting talent. President Coin may be a villain in many eyes, but that doesn’t make her a weak character. Coin is ambitious and ruthless, and extremely cunning in her attempt to achieve supremacy over Panem. Weaver could seamlessly fit into that role, applying those badass heroine characteristics she’s so famous for to more sinister aims. For Coin, Weaver is as good as it gets.

Down with the Capitol
Ellie: Most famous for battling aliens and, more recently, battling with aliens, we know Weaver can play a strong, intense female character. She has that stern superiority about her that must be present in any President Coin. She could bring out Coin’s relentlessness beautifully, as well as her weaker, more fearful moments. Her height, alone, could give Coin an overpowering dimension that could cause fear in the viewers. She would be wonderful choice for Coin, who would bring even more talent to an extremely talented cast.

HG Girl on Fire
Amanda: I do think that Sigourney Weaver would make a fabulous President Coin. My only hesitation is that, given her record of mostly science fiction, especially Alien, I worry that I might spend the entire time picturing President Coin fighting off aliens, which is unfortunate because, as I said, I really do think she would be great in the role. She is an extremely talented actress, and I think she can definitely handle the meaner, colder persona needed for Coin, and she more closely physically resembles how I pictured Coin. I think she is closer age-wise too. Sigourney Weaver is in my top two picks for this role. I would not be unhappy at all if she were to play President Coin.

The Hob
Jessica: Sigourney Weaver is a versatile actress who could easily capture President Coin’s power hungry, unscrupulous nature. With a wide range of roles under her belt from Alien to Galaxy Quest to The Village, Weaver creates characters who are powerful and commanding even if they are not in an actual position of power. I can easily see her ordering torturings or using her troops like game pieces. She also has the depth to portray Coin’s conviction and mass appeal to the residents of District 13, who liked and respected her enough to make her President in the first place.

Mockingjay.net
Ciara: For cinema historians everywhere, Sigourney Weaver is the only choice for President Coin. Katniss has raised her bow at a time in film, particularly in 2012, when we saw more heroine-headlining blockbusters than any other year previous. Casting Weaver as Coin would be a nice thank you to the very first female action icon and to the makers of Alien who, in 1979, simply switched Ripley from a man to a woman. It would be a fitting passing of the torch to the most exciting heroine of cinema today. But this isn’t like casting her in just another cameo performance to reference her title as the queen of sci-fi and horror (Paul, Cabin in the Woods). President Coin is much more important than that. Sigourney Weaver is a truly wonderful actress. We know she can play cold and calculating extremely well but she can do it with much more subtlety and complexity than many other actresses of her generation from Gorillas in the Mist to more recently in Rampart. And that’s what is needed for Coin. She’s most certainly not an evil character. But she’s not a good one. She’s human. Mockingjay is all about the failings of humanity and the cost of war and Weaver would give the honest and credible performance that the character of Coin deserves. If that wasn’t enough she would be an incredible adversary to Donald Sutherland’s Snow, both characters being like different sides of the same *ahem* coin. And lastly, she should sign on to Mockingjay because the fact that Donald Sutherland and Sigourney Weaver haven’t been in the same movie together is a crime against celluloid!

My Hunger Games
Kristen: What is there to say about Sigourney Weaver, other than she is the face of an entire generation of cult classics? I’m not going to talk about her portrayal of the supercool scientist/ET killer Ellen Ripley of the ridiculously successful Alien franchise. I’m not even going to talk about Dana Barrette and the infamous “There is no Dana, only Zuul” line from Ghostbusters. I’d just like to call your attention to 1997′s awesome retelling of a classic fairytale — Snow White: A Tale of Terror. Sigourney Weaver rendered the single most bad-ass interpretation of the Evil Queen/poison-apple-toting old hag EVER. (That’s right, I said EVER, Charlize Theron…) More than portraying a seriously vain, jealously deranged, power-starved wicked step mother, Sigourney brought an almost sympathetic note to the role as a grieving mother who never could get past the death of her son. Her heart was kind of in the right place at least for a while. And that’s exactly why Sigourney has my vote for President Coin. She is fully capable of playing a dastardly and manipulative character, while at the same time maintaining a certain je ne sais quoi about her. In the books we’re lead to believe that — unlike President Snow — Coin is the Head Honcho of District 13 because the people chose her to be, which is to say, she must have been likable enough to get elected. If the writers/producers/directors want to portray a tough-as-nails, yet relatable President Coin, Sigourney Weaver would be the hands-down choice in my opinion.

Victor’s Village
Kait: Sigourney Weaver is one of the most classic ass-kickers in Hollywood. She’s battled aliens, injustice, armies invading Pandora, and Zuul! Yet I have no idea what she’d do with a cruelly ambiguous character like President Coin because I haven’t seen her taken on a role like that (though I’m told Political Animals is a great example.) Sigourney is usually the hero or the mockingly evil character, though in all the movies she displays a great sense of authority. But it’s possible that she’s also TOO much of a sci-fi favorite to really convince audiences she is Alma Coin, not just Sigourney Weaver playing Alma Coin. Overall, she’s not my top pick, but I wouldn’t be unhappy if she were cast in the film!

Welcome to District 12
Courtney/Tiffany: If a more popular actress was to be cast as Coin, we would jump for joy at the thought of Sigourney Weaver. She’s played roles in many popular films every decade in the past 30 years, been apart of classic franchises (Ghostbusters, Alien) and has been nominated for an Oscar three times. Like the other fine candidates, she often plays powerful women and a voice that emits authority and power. Whenever Sigourney Weaver is on screen, she commands attention, and that is something we very much need from whoever will play Coin. There would be no doubting her command as the President of District 13. Let’s not forget, she played a Hillary Clinton-esque figure in Political Animals. Aside from the fact that Sigourney Weaver is a fan favorite, she’s got the voice and the look to play Coin.

Well, you’ve heard what we have to say! What do YOU think? Would Sigourney Weaver make a good Coin? Leave a comment and let us know!

And be sure to check out our entire Campaigning for Coin series:

Glenn Close
Tilda Swinton
Joan Allen
Sigourney Weaver
Anjelica Huston

If you missed Episode 110 live, you can click here to listen to the recording OR use the embedded player below!

Episode 110 of Hunger Games Fireside Chat will air live this Monday, June 10, at 10pm ET/7pm PT! This week, our panel of experts will include Jessica from Down with the Capitol, Rebekah from Victor’s Village, Tiffany from Welcome to District 12, Natalie of Bookish, and Ariel of Nerdy, Wordy, and Over Thirty!

It’s time to go unscripted again! As with all our “Unscripted” episodes, we have no plan or agenda in place for Episode 110. We’ll spend the whole evening pulling all sorts of listener-submitted topics out of our grab bag. Who knows what we’ll end up talking about!

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have a topic you’d like to submit for us to add to our “topic cornucopia.” Discussion ideas, Crackpot Theories, What Ifs?, Would You Rathers?, Cave/Marry/Kills…we’re ready for anything and everything!

At the start of the show, we will chat with the incredibly talented Jessica from Down with the Capitol about the staged reading of the Hunger Games musical she’s been developing for the last year or so: From Nightmares to Nightlock.

Update: You’ll find a list the topics we pulled out of the grab bag below!
- From Marco: Are you pleased so far with Francis Lawrence’s directing (taking into consideration what we’ve seen so far)?
- From Matilda: Were there more Hunger Games with Paylor as president?
- Do you think, from the knowledge of survival you garnered from reading the trilogy, that you could survive for three nights in the forest?
- From Rachel: How long do you think the Catching Fire movie will be? How much time do you think will be devoted to each “segment” of the film?
- From Banan: Do you think Prim’s death was necessary? Or was it just to make the choice easier for Katniss?
- From Tess: Would you rather be able to reread and experience the trilogy again for the “first time,” or give that opportunity to others by telling your friends about the trilogy?
- From Jessica: Did Snow/the Gamemakers orchestrate Annie’s win after Finnick finally agreed to do something for them?

You can chat with other listeners throughout the live show by using our hashtag #HGFiresideChat on Twitter! We recommend TweetChat to easily follow along with the conversation.

(If you missed our last episode, click here to listen!)

And click here for an index of all of our archived episodes.

Follow this week’s participants on Twitter:
Adam (Host): @AdamSpunberg
Savanna (Co-Host/Producer): @MlleNouveau
Jessica: @Jalissie / @HungerGamesDWTC
Rebekah: @Rebekahdg / @VictorsVillage
Tiffany: @twiffidy / @WtoD12
Ariel: @Madam_Pince
Natalie: @nataliezutter / @BookishYA

The highlights:

Capitol Couture Relaunches, We Weigh In

Alexandra Patsavas, Catching Fire Music Supervisor

Remember, to hear the rest of our discussions, listen to the full episode!

Most of the pieces featured here were found on deviantART, so be sure to check out each artist’s deviantART page (you can click on their names or the images themselves).

President Alma Coin by RLB-SUGAR
This artist is only 14 years old. Woah.

President Coin and Boggs by theaven
From the artist: “I decided to do a piece of Hunger Games fan art that does not have Katniss in it and was surprised at how little fan art on this site has President Coin or Boggs from Mockingjay.” His Coin looks particularly evil!

Joan Allen as President Coin by attaturk5
We’re not completely sure if attaturk5 created the artwork on the left, but we had to include this since our latest Campaigning for Coin installment was about Joan Allen!

Hunger Games: Coin’s Campaign by arianaglori
Since we just featured Tilda Swinton in our Campaigning for Coin series, we couldn’t not share this campaign poster!

Coin and Heavensbee by 13foxywolf666
From the artist: “I honestly can’t recall most of Plutarch’s description in the book, but Philip Seymour Hoffman is the casting choice so I just made a Burtony caricature of him in a bad outfit.” Love it!

The President by Miranda Leiggi
We LOVE Miranda’s Hunger Games fan art, so make sure you visit her website and check it all out.

And lastly…what Coin fan art roundup would be complete without nikola-nickart’s interpretation? He appears to have used Helen Mirren as his base.

Today’s potential Coin is…Joan Allen!

Here’s what the fan sites had to say:

Hunger Games Fireside Chat
Savanna: While I’m definitely aware of Joan Allen’s talent and fame, I’ve only seen her in a couple of things, so I hardly feel qualified to make a personal statement about her abilities as an actor. Yes, believe it or not, I’ve never seen the Bourne films or The Mists of Avalon or Nixon or Pleasantville. Or any of her other notable performances for that matter. (What’s wrong with me?) All that being said, however, I’d be totally thrilled to see her play Coin. She’s the right age and definitely has a great look for the role. Unlike Glenn Close and Tilda Swinton, Allen has a much softer appearance that would believably mask Coin’s ruthlessness (and certainly fool movie viewers who have not read the books). And as a Tony winner and Academy Award nominee, she’d also lend even more acclaim to an already much-celebrated cast.

HG Girl on Fire
Lindsay: I’m thrilled Joan Allen is one of the actresses we are talking about here, because she is the exact person I was thinking of when reading the book. I think she’s an exceptional actress. I first took notice of her as the dysfunctional mother in The Ice Storm, but loved her role as an oppressed woman coming into her own in Pleasantville. It’s her role as Pamela Landy in the Bourne franchise, though, that really seals the deal for me on this one. She’s tough-as-nails when she needs to be. Ready to take on the man. She’s been nominated three times for an Oscar. To me, she looks perfectly the part. I think she’s been underestimated as an actress. She’s not so stunning it would throw you off to have her as your Coin, but also not unattractive. I’d love to see Allen, or someone of her caliber, take on the role.

The Hob
Lee: Joan Allen is an extremely versatile actress. Most recognizable as Pam Landy from the Bourne movies, Ms. Allen has already shown an affinity in genre work such as her portrayal of Morgause in The Mists of Avalon to voicing a Skyrim video game. President Coin has no moral compass, other than power — how to get it, how to keep it. She stops at nothing. Ms. Allen has shown she can play remote and commanding; appearing quiet and lethal as you would expect from a great performance of an actress playing President Coin.

Mockingjay.net
Carla: Joan Allen is a legend, and I would be over the moon if she were cast as President Coin. Every role I’ve seen her play, even those characters that were not in any sort of position of power, demand attention the way I expect Coin would. But my favorite thing about Allen is that she can play characters that are perfectly polite — with an edge. I’m thinking particularly of her roles in The Notebook and Mists of Avalon as I say this, but even in her other projects I’ve seen that she can come across as perfectly diplomatic and no-nonsense, and with just a single gesture (a tightening of the lips, a narrowing of the eyes, a deepening of her tone) she can convey that she’s really not that agreeable. And there’s a layer of brattiness to her, but not in a way that makes her seem childish, but in a way that makes her come across as controlling and manipulative. And Coin needs that, in my opinion. Coin needs to be someone who can seem like a leader who has everything under control at first glance, yet have a subtle bitchiness to her that only becomes obvious when she’s around Katniss. And I’ve hardly seen anyone better at conveying such a trait than Joan Allen. She would be a fantastic choice for the character if you ask me, definitely one of my favorites on this list.

My Hunger Games
Kelsey: Joan Allen is an actress with many different faces. From the innocent but persecuted Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, a picture-perfect housewife with a deep-seeded restlessness in Pleasantville, to the overbearing mother in The Notebook. But can she pull off the cold and calculating President Alma Coin in our beloved Mockingjay movies? To find out, we can take a look at her work as Pamela Landy in the Bourne franchise. Allen portrays a leader much like Coin, and what the two ladies share is a strong dedication to their perspective causes. On the outside they carry a strength and confidence that inspires people to follow them, and yet they both have their own agendas. I think Joan could pull off the role very well, and what gives her an edge is the wide range in her filmography. Allen’s kind of talent can give President Coin a well-rounded outer shell, in addition to bringing out her inner darkness.

Victor’s Village
Kait: Joan Allen has essentially made a career out of playing women who range from “intense” to “total witch with a capital B.” But there’s a reason for that: She’s great at it! She’s had great roles in popular movies like The Crucible, The Notebook, and Pleasantville that make her a noticeable candidate, but it’s her taking on Pam Landy in the Bourne series that convinces me she’d be a great Alma Coin. Both characters require equal strength and subtle deception, which Joan pulls off without a hitch. She can make Coin versatile enough that she doesn’t feel like the stereotypical bad guy (which she isn’t!) and keep audiences on their toes. We certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if she were cast in the role!

Well, you’ve heard what we have to say! What do YOU think? Would Joan Allen make a good Coin? Leave a comment and let us know!

And be sure to check out our entire Campaigning for Coin series:

Glenn Close
Tilda Swinton
Joan Allen
Sigourney Weaver
Anjelica Huston

Today’s potential Coin is…Tilda Swinton! Perhaps best known for her roles in Michael Clayton, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Swinton is an Oscar and BAFTA winner whose unique, intense look could be a perfect fit for District 13′s duplicitous leader.

Here’s what the fan sites had to say:

Hunger Games Fireside Chat
Adam: Tilda Swinton has always walked that tight rope between benevolent and menacing, whether it be in The Beach or — in what was a masterful performance — Michael Clayton. Coin embodies both of those characteristics, at first seeming to be the savior of Panem, but later, a ruthless commander with great ambition and chipped-away morals. Swinton possesses the acting chops, the look, and the complexity to deliver. She would be a mighty fine choice, capable of bringing a potent element to the Mockingjay films and, more specifically, to the ascetic stylizing of District 13.

Down with the Capitol
Emily: I believe Tilda Swinton would be a brilliant casting choice for our President Coin. I am a huge Narnia fan and she wowed me with her performance as the White Witch in the franchise. It’s obvious to me that she would be able to pull off cold-hearted and power-hungry Coin. I have also seen her in Constantine (which Francis Lawrence directed) and thought she was great. She really has a knack for twisted, calculating characters — which Coin definitely is. In my mind, she looks the part. She’s the right age, has very unique, fierce-looking features and definitely has those “eyes that could burn straight through you.” One of my biggest issues with this casting is that I want a seasoned actor, but not someone who would be too recognizable or would not be detachable from their previous roles. To me, Tilda Swinton fits the bill perfectly. My only concern is that she’s done the megahit book-to-movie franchise before and I don’t know if she’d want or need to do it again, but my fingers are crossed that Francis Lawrence is able to give her a call.

HG Girl on Fire
Amie: If you’ve seen The Chronicles of Narnia then you know that Tilda Swinton has the rare and perfect ability to be insatiably evil while you can’t take your eyes off her every move. She was oddly comforting to Lucy Pevensie as she welcomed her into her cold arms, while having plans that would only benefit herself while being the end of Lucy and her brothers. She was the driving force of the Narnia film, bringing the white witch to life like never before on screen. This is an important quality the actress who plays Coin must have, while she is not considered evil, she has lost the ability to have human compassion like many other victims of the Capitol Dictatorship, which causes her to have little boundaries to how she chooses to run her regime in District 13. Tilda had a calm yet unsettling demeanor, no matter how honest she is or how much she has your back, you know there is much more where it comes from and you are afraid of what you must do to earn such loyalty from her. I can see her every move as Coin already, and that makes me nervous, because Coin is eerily predictable, a replica of a certain Capitol leader Katniss thinks is her real enemy, and soon realizes she has been mistaken. As far as Tilda Swinton’s look, her interestingly plain face and minor facial expressions remind me perfectly of Katniss’s description of her as “slush that you wish would melt away”. Tilda is beyond talented as an actress, and very simple like Coin. She can hide her true intentions behind her cold eyes with perfect grace, and Tilda Swinton would be my pick for our Coin for Mockingjay P1 and P2.

The Hob
Lee: Tilda Swinton would make a very interesting President Coin. Her acting range is vast — playing an Archangel in Constantine, to the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia films, and contemporary fare such as her work in Michael Clayton — giving viewers confidence that any role she takes will be striking. Ms. Swinton becomes totally subsumed by the role she is portraying; cold, remote, and powerful. She always leverages the actors’ tools of physical and vocal attributes. Her President Coin would be frightening and riveting to watch.

Mockingjay.net
Carla: I don’t think there’s any doubt as to why Tilda Swinton is part of this list; most people would recognize her from playing characters that are in positions of power and demand attention — from Archangel Gabriel to the White Witch — and out of her impressive repertoire, her antagonist roles particularly stand out to me. Even her real life traits, her appearance, facial features and tone of voice inspire one to think of a serious, highly intelligent and sophisticated mind. I have no doubt she can pull off a great President Coin if she’s cast. My only doubt is: would it be too much of a good thing? Coin would do anything for power, certainly; she was a woman without scruples and we’ve seen Swinton play roles like that memorably. But I don’t want her to seem TOO calculating, TOO manipulative. To me, Coin has to have a certain appeal to the people as well; she wasn’t a good person, but she was a competent president, as far as the people of Thirteen were concerned. So in my head, Coin has to straddle the line between shady antagonist and straight-out villain, much like Donald Sutherland does as President Snow. And I think Tilda Swinton might come across as too unapproachable for that. I wouldn’t mind if she’s chosen, personally, because I do think she’s amazingly talented, but I think there are actresses out there who would portray this duality in a much more natural manner.

My Hunger Games
Jacqui: Tilda Swinton is mesmerizing. She’s fascinating. She’s avant-garde and I love her. I love her for her work on David Bowie’s video for “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” and I love her because she slept in a box at the MoMa as part of an art installation. Tilda is a gender bender and she plays luminous, ambiguous characters to perfection. In her career she has played the archangel Gabriel in the oddball comic book movie Constantine, the White Witch of Narnia, an Italian housewife, a woman who watches men age backward in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button while sipping tea with them, the mother of a teenage boy who commits a high school massacre and a Virginia Woolf character. She’s also the new face of Chanel, is about to star in the sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer, then follow up with a vampire romance called Only Lovers Left Alive. There’s nothinig this woman can’t do and she could certainly pull off a President Coin that looks like a legitimate face of the revolution, while harboring cruel intent. She would be perfect and a huge coup for the franchise.

Victor’s Village
Rebekah: When I read Mockingjay the first time it was in the throws of needing to know what happens next above anything else, sometimes that included water, so when I was picturing the characters, like Alma Coin — all I saw was a woman with sharp features, cutting eyes, silver bobbed hair, a slender build, and a presence that screamed intelligence, cunning, and fortitude. It wasn’t until the second time I read that book that I realized I was picturing Tilda Swinton, or a version of her, the whole time. So, now I can say it without any qualms, I think Tilda Swinton is ideal for the role of President Alma Coin. She’s a fine actress who’s made a name for herself as a character actress above the need for fame, in fact most of her work has been supporting roles, like her work in The Beach, The Deep End, Vanilla Sky, Adaptation, Young Adam (one of my favorites), Constantine, Broken Flowers, Michael Clayton, Burn After Reading, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the impacting independent film We Need to Talk About Kevin, and most recently the critically acclaimed Wes Anderson film, Moonrise Kingdom. She’s of course most famous for her work in the blockbuster Narnia series as the White Witch, so obviously she knows how to play a quietly menacing character, but she’s not the kind of actress that people will go see a film just to see her, she’s an ensemble actress, the kind who thrives off the work, and the people she’s collaborating with. And to me she’s a pleasant surprise to see when she shows up in films, even if sometimes her characters are not the most warm and fuzzy types. That’s another thing about Tilda, she never picks boring parts, and she never adheres to one genre, she’s open, and she always, and I mean always delivers. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s already worked with Francis Lawrence on Constantine, and her schedule, according to her IMDb page, is wide open. Debra Zane, casting director extraordinaire, please hear my shouts, call Tilda’s people ASAP!

Welcome to District 12
Courtney/Tiffany: Tilda Swinton is a top choice. Again, she often plays a position of power and her physical structure (specifically in her face) are straight edges. This goes very well with Coin’s description of her hair which is very precise. Those straight lines in her face says cold and calculating, making her a great choice for Coin. Let’s also not forget that she would go well with the other adult actors, being an Oscar winner. We have no doubts about her acting ability, and her physical looks seals the deal. The only possible downer we could see in Tilda is that you’re not supposed to suspect what kind of person Coin REALLY is. What will newcomer’s opinion be of Tilda Swinton in this role? Will the audience assume she is not what she seems because Tilda Swinton is playing her? Much like the book, Coin’s “alignment” should be ambiguous to the audience.

Well, you’ve heard what we have to say! What do YOU think? Would Tilda Swinton make a good Coin? Leave a comment and let us know!

And be sure to check out our entire Campaigning for Coin series:

Glenn Close
Tilda Swinton
Joan Allen
Sigourney Weaver
Anjelica Huston

Miss Episode 109 live last night? Never fear! You can click here to listen to the entire show recorded OR simply use the embedded player below!

Episode 109 of Hunger Games Fireside Chat will air live this Tuesday, June 4, at 10pm ET/7pm PT! This week, our panel of experts will include Arianna from Down with the Capitol, Crystal from Mockingjay.net and FictionalFood.net, Kait from Victor’s Village, and Tiffany from Welcome to District 12!

What do we have planned for our first episode of June 2013?

- We’ll start out by dishing (yes, dishing) on the brand new spring issue of Capitol Couture (the title of which is “Chroma Nouveau,” hence the name of this episode).

- We’ll also discuss a very important detail that was revealed on the bottom of the latest Catching Fire poster: the name of the new music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas! (Major thanks to The Hob for catching it).

- Lastly, we’ll weigh in on all the latest Mockingjay filming location rumors!

Thanks for putting up with our day switch! We’ll be back to Mondays as usual next week.

You can chat with other listeners throughout the live show by using our hashtag #HGFiresideChat on Twitter! We recommend TweetChat to easily follow along with the conversation.

(If you missed our last episode, click here to listen!)

And click here for an index of all of our archived episodes.

Follow this week’s participants on Twitter:
Adam (Host): @AdamSpunberg
Savanna (Co-Host/Producer): @MlleNouveau
Arianna: @AwesomeArianna / @HungerGamesDWTC
Crystal: @pikko / @mockingjaynet / @FictionalFood
Kait: @VictorsVillage
Tiffany: @twiffidy / @WtoD12

Be sure to click on the images to see the full-size versions and visit the artists’ deviantART pages!

We were blown away by SchatzIna’s mockingjay sculpture! From her description of the piece: “Every single feather was handmade by me.” Wow!

Next up is this airbrush drawing of a mockingjay by adsta.

Then we have a mockingjay in a totally different style! This one is by dragonflame95, who says in her description of the illustration, “I don’t know what should be the actual color of a mockingjay, so I mixed some features of the other fan art I saw and the ones of the jay on the book cover.”

This next mockingjay is by Kabrial.

Lastly, we have a much more “realistic” interpretation of a mockingjay from LG-Young. “Illustrator and UArts professor Tim O’Brien has already done a wonderful job depicting mockingjays on the various book covers in a fetching, stylized way, but I thought it would be an interesting to share how I personally imagined them.”

Which mockingjay looks the most like your personal mental image of a mockingjay?

The highlights:

The Capitol as a Marketing Tool

“Peeta Paranoia”…Do You Have It?

Remember, to hear the rest of our discussions, listen to the full episode!

Campaigning for Coin!

While we’re certain that many fans are excited about finding out who’s going to play Boggs, Tigris, and Fulvia Cardew, the casting of President Alma Coin will most definitely be one of the most important decisions made as the final two installments of the Hunger Games film franchise move into pre-production mode.

Starting today, we’re going to spend the next six weeks or so introducing you to 13 actresses who are either fan favorites for the role of Coin or favorites of the fan site admins. New Campaigning for Coin posts will go up at noon ET every Tuesday and Thursday, so keep an eye out for them! And do be sure to let us know what you think of each potential Coin.

This week’s topic of conversation is Glenn Close, a six-time Academy Award nominee often praised for her incredible versatility as an actress and best known for her roles in films like Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, 101 Dalmations, and Albert Nobbs.

Here’s what the fan sites had to say:

Hunger Games Fireside Chat
Savanna: I adore Glenn Close and think she’s immensely talented, though I haven’t seen much of her recent work. I loved her as Queen Gertrude in the 1990 film adaption of Hamlet, and her performance as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard is just…magnificent. To say the least. But for some reason, I’m not too into the idea of Close as Coin. Maybe it’s because she’s too big of a name and too recognizable. Honestly, I’d rather see a lesser-known actress have a chance to take on the character and have it become a career-defining role. That being said, Glenn Close can do absolutely anything, and if she were to be cast as Coin, there’s no doubt in my mind that she would be phenomenal. She does the cold, hard, calculating thing very well and would certainly be a believable leader. The best thing she has going for her, in my opinion, is her powerful, almost magnetic presence; whether she’s onscreen or onstage, it’s impossible to not be drawn to her.

Down with the Capitol
Arianna: Honestly I’m all in for Glenn Close as Coin. I never thought of her until her name was brought up for this project. She could most definitely play the part as Coin a.k.a an evil woman in power, especially after playing parts in movies such as Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians and her role as VP in Air Force One. She also has the perfect Coin look which is a bonus. Glenn would only add amazingness to the already stellar cast we have.

HG Girl on Fire
Amanda: This is actually a hard call for me. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Glenn Close could pull this role off. I think she could, and she would extremely well. I think she has proven her acting chops time and again especially with this type of role. One of the things I think is very important for the role of President Coin is that the actress not be too likable, and be able to pull off being the “bad guy.” I want to be happy when we get to the end, and (spoiler alert) Katniss murders Coin, which in this scenario I don’t think would be a problem, especially when I picture that scene in Fatal Attraction where she’s boiling the pet rabbit. My one and only problem is that Glenn Close does not fit the mental picture I have of Coin. I pictured her as being younger with darker hair, but with that being said I think with hair and makeup that would be and easy fix, and I’d rather see someone who could play the role very well, and not concentrate on looks so much.

The Hob
Angie: When I think of actresses that could portray our infamous President Coin, Glenn Close does seem to fit the generic Coin mold. Glenn is a little older than President Coin, but I still think she could pull off the character. She possesses the “look” that President Coin should have: shoulder length gray hair, eyes that could bore into any soul, and a serious stature. What sets Glenn apart from the rest in my opinion is her previous role as Cruella de Vil in the 101 & 102 Dalmations movies. Glenn shows that she can play the role of a ruthless, selfish villain that truly only has one main objective. The characters are alike considering in both films they are willing to do or kill whatever or whomever they need to get their way — whether its puppies or medics or children.

Mockingjay.net
Crystal: I’m not the biggest fan of Glenn Close. I know, I know, she’s got a stack of Oscar nominations, but that doesn’t mean I think she’s consistently a great actress. I’ve already seen her play an executive office role in Air Force One and for those of you that haven’t seen it, she was pretty awful while I thought Harrison Ford, Halle Berry, and Gary Oldman carried off their silly cliché action roles off rather well. I need someone who makes me feel like withering into the floor and an actress who has been in Mars Attacks! is just hard for me to take seriously. She’s got the hard look, but for some reason I’m just not confident she’d pull it off with the right amount of cold Coin swagger.

My Hunger Games
Kristen: Obviously, Glenn Close has had quite a bit of commercial success in family movies, including her hysterical take on Cruella de Vil in Disney’s live-action version of 101 Dalmatians — but let’s not forget the role that really made her a star: Alex Forrest in the 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction. If you haven’t seen this movie (and if you’re old enough to watch R-rated films) stop reading right now and go watch it. I guarantee you will never see a creepier interpretation of the sociopathic “woman scorned” character on film. In the interest of keeping spoilers to a minimum, let’s just say that Glenn Close plays a manipulative nut-job so well, she’ll make your skin crawl. That being said, I would absolutely LOVE to see Glen Close as the ruthless, power-hungry Alma Coin. I think she has amazing range, and is beyond capable of convincingly portraying the cunning, unscrupulous leader of District 13.

Victor’s Village
Rebekah: I’ll be blunt, Glenn Close is far from my favorite choice for Alma Coin, but is she the worst choice out there? Far from it. Glenn brings everything to the table that would be required of an actress in a role like Alma Coin, but to me it would be flat out type casting. See, Glenn is known for playing tough ladies (Damages), scary ladies (Cruella de Vil), and oh yeah — creepy and/or weird/crazy ladies (The World According to Garp, Fatal Attraction, Stepford Wives). I’d even say she’s made a career of it. Personally I think taking on a role like Alma Coin wouldn’t be challenging for her at all, and if I was Glenn, I’d want to play a character that’s not something I’ve technically done before. Aside from that, logistics get in the way as well, as she’s just signed on for another franchise just this week, Guardians of the Galaxy. So, I’d go so far as to say that adding The Hunger Games franchise on top of that would be incredibly taxing on a lady who’s over 15 years older than Alma Coin is supposed to be, and if you’re a regular reader of my work on Victor’s Village, you would know I’m not a proponent of casting an older actress in this role. Glenn Close? I’ll say it loud and clear, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Next!

Welcome to District 12
Courtney/Tiffany: Glenn Close for Alma Coin is something we never knew we wanted until it was first suggested. She quite often plays a woman in power, like the Vice President in Air Force One, and can play a great villain, like Cruella de Vil in the live action 101 Dalmations movies. Some may argue that Glenn Close is too old, but we think that’s silly since the casting in The Hunger Games has not limited actors for their age. For example, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland are WAY older than the characters they play, yet they are fabulous additions to the franchise. We’re more concerned with the actor themselves than the age, provided that they are not on the extremes of the age scale. More than anything, it would be nice to round out the Hunger Games cast with yet another critically acclaimed actor. While never having won an Oscar, she has been nominated several times and has won everything else under the sun. We think Glenn Close has the look as well as the range to play good, evil, and a woman in power: All necessary traits to play Alma Coin.

Well, you’ve heard what we have to say! What do YOU think? Do you think Glenn Close would make a good Coin? Leave a comment and let us know!

And be sure to check out our entire Campaigning for Coin series:

Glenn Close
Tilda Swinton
Joan Allen
Sigourney Weaver
Anjelica Huston

Miss Episode 108 live? You can click here to listen to the recording OR simply use the embedded player below!

Episode 108 of Hunger Games Fireside Chat will air live this Monday, May 27, at 10pm ET/7pm PT! This week, our panel of experts will include Ellie from Down with the Capitol, Rebekah from Victor’s Village, and Courtney from Welcome to District 12!

Here’s what we have planned for this week:

- We’ll kick off the show by weighing in on the news that COVERGIRL has partnered with Lionsgate to launch an advertising campaign and makeup collection inspired by the Capitol. In light of this announcement and the lavish Capitol-themed Catching Fire party at Cannes, many fans have begun to wonder if Lionsgate’s “glorification” of the Capitol has gone too far. What do you think? Do things like the COVERGIRL collection, Capitol Couture, and last year’s China Glaze nail polish line detract from the important messages contained within the Hunger Games trilogy? Or are they simply fun marketing strategies that we shouldn’t worry about?

- We’ll spend the latter portion of the show discussing the recent outbreak of “Peeta Paranoia” that has taken over large segments of the fandom. Peeta hasn’t been very visible in Catching Fire promotions thus far; is this a sign that his role is being significantly reduced for the movies? A lot of people seem to think so. We try to put this worry to rest.

You can chat with other listeners throughout the live show by using our hashtag #HGFiresideChat on Twitter! We recommend TweetChat to easily follow along with the conversation.

(If you missed our last episode, click here to listen!)

And click here for an index of all of our archived episodes.

Follow this week’s participants on Twitter:
Adam (Host): @AdamSpunberg
Savanna (Co-Host/Producer): @MlleNouveau
Ellie: @MuchMoreMacho / @HungerGamesDWTC
Rebekah: @Rebekahdg / @VictorsVillage
Courtney: @WtoD12