Some new casting assignments for you today and the Lion’s(gate) share comes from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is finalizing its supporting roles.  Here’s the news in brief:

• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has added E. Roger Mitchell (S.W.A.T.) and Meta Golding (Surrogates) to its ranks.  The sequel, starring Jennifer Lawrence, opens November 22nd, 2013.
• Garcelle Beauvais (Franklin & Bash) has joined the cast of Presidential thriller, White House Down, the Roland Emmerich-directed film starring Channing Tatum as a Secret Service agent tasked with protecting the President (Jamie Foxx) after a hostile takeover of the White House.

Hit the jump for more information.

Some macho Monday casting news for you today.  Here it is in brief:

• Joe Manganiello (True Blood) is in talks to join Arnold Schwarzenegger in Breacher, formerly titled Ten, an action thriller from director David Ayer (Street Kings).
• Patrick St. Esprit (Super 8) has joined director Francis Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: Catching FIre, which also stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
• Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) has been cast in Albert Hughes’ crime drama, Motor City, opposite Gerard Butler.

Hit the jump for more on each of these projects.

After today’s news that Lionsgate has cast Amanda Plummer (Pulp Fiction) in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the studio is now courting a trio of actors for roles in the upcoming sequel.  It’s being reported that Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsman) is nearing a deal for a role to play Finnick while Oscar-winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and three-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub (Monk) are frontrunners for Mags and Beetee respectively.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be directed by Francis Lawrence and star Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth when shooting begins this fall.  Hit the jump for more info on the recent casting. [Update: According to Variety's Jeff Sneider, Leo will not be playing Mags.]

Recently, Robert Pattinson (Twilight) put rumors to rest and confirmed he would not be jumping franchises to join The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire.  The role in question was that of Finnick Odair, a fellow contestant in the games of the second book from Suzanne Collins’ bestselling trilogy.  It’s now looking like the frontrunners for the role may be Taylor Kitsch (Battleship), Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy) and Armie Hammer (Mirror Mirror).  While the casting might seem a bit premature at the moment, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is on a bit of a short schedule owing to star Jennifer Lawrence’s prior commitments and a screen debut of November 22nd, 2013.  Presumably returning for the sequel to Lionsgate’s newest moneymaker are Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland with director Francis Lawrence.  Hit the jump for more on the casting of Catching Fire.

Michael Arndt is Catching Fire.  The Oscar-winning writer behind emotional roller coasters Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine is now in talks to do a re-write on Simon Beaufoy’s (Slumdog Millionaire) treatment of Catching Fire, the second installment of The Hunger Games series.  Lionsgate has yet to land the writer, but if they do, he’ll have to work fast.  Catching Fire is scheduled to shoot sometime this fall so that star Jennifer Lawrence can fulfill her commitments to Fox’s sequel to X-Men: First Class. Director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) is now officially on board, taking over the franchise from Gary Ross, who steered the first movie to a box office north of $600 million.

Catching Fire stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Toby Jones, and Woody Harrelson and begins filming this fall before opening November 22, 2013.  Hit the jump for more.

With Gary Ross’ non-return to direct the follow up of his blockbuster film, The Hunger Games, Lionsgate turned to a wish-list of directors that included David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.  While those names were merely placeholders for a director with an arrow’s chance in Panem at getting the job (something we waxed poetic about in our recent podcast), two more names have cropped up that seem to have a bit more validity to them.  Reportedly, some conversations have already taken place with directors Bennett Miller (Moneyball) and Francis Lawrence (Constantine) to helm the sequel, Catching Fire.  Hit the jump for more on these potential candidates.