How many characters are there in The Hunger Games?  Answer: Too many.  There are too many characters.  It’s getting to the point where we can start reporting a new cast member every hour on the hour.  Earlier today we reported that Paula Malcomson (Deadwood) had been cast as Mrs. Everdeen.  Now Vulture is reporting that John C. Reilly is in talks to play Haymitch Abernathy, the only tribute from District 12 to ever win a Hunger Games competition.  Since his victory, Haymitch has descended into alcoholism but ends up becoming a mentor to new District 12 tributes Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).  Reilly had been in talks to co-star alongside James Franco in Sam Raimi’s Oz, The Great and Powerful, but those talks have stalled due to his Hunger Games negotiations.

Hit the jump for the official synopsis.  The film also stars Liam Hemsworth, Willow Shields, Amandla Stenberg, Dayo Okeniyi, Leven Rambin, Jack Quaid, and possibly Elizabeth Banks.  The Hunger Games opens March 23, 2012.

It’s a slow news day so here’s some minor casting news: Paula Malcomson (Deadwood) has been cast as the mother of protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields) in The Hunger Games.  According to Heat Vision, Mrs. Everdeen “is grieving after her husband’s death, living in fear that her daughters will participate in the deadly Hunger Games.”  I haven’t read the books so I don’t know how major the role is, but Malcomson was tremendous on Deadwood so I’m glad to see her nab a role in a major flick like this.

Casting for the movie has been chugging along the past several weeks with Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Amandla Stenberg, Dayo Okeniyi, Leven Rambin, and Jack Quaid having joined the project thus far.  Elizabeth Banks is currently in talks to play the role of Effie.  Hit the jump for the official synopsis.  The Hunger Games opens March 23, 2012.

“What went wrong with Caprica?” is a popular refrain among sci-fi circles this holiday season. Syfy cancelled the would-be successor to Battlestar Galactica’s legacy after just one season, engaging in a hasty retooling over the hiatus before dropping the whole thing in a very ugly mess. The second half of–well, of the entire series–has been released on DVD, with five as-yet unaired episodes constituting the set’s major draw. Watching it reminds one that, while the show ultimately couldn’t measure up to BSG, it still has a number of things to recommend it. Hit the jump for my full review.

In case you’re still holding out and haven’t seen Syfy’s excellent Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica, you’re missing out on one of the absolute best shows on TV.  You don’t have to have seen any Battlestar to enjoy it, so don’t let its fantastic nerd pedigree scare you off.  This recap of the first half of season 1 is a good primer for what’s happened so far: basically, a teenage girl (Alessandra Torressani) dies in a terrorist bombing but her avatar is still alive in a steampunk-meets-Grand Theft Auto virtual world, and her father (Eric Stoltz) creates the Cylons while monotheistic fringe groups and James Marsters create chaos.  Caprica returns on Syfy on October 5^th at 10pm.  Watch the 5 minute recap after the jump:

After The Shield ended at FX, executive producer/writer/director Kurt Sutter decided to continue his relationship with the network, when he created the hit drama Sons of Anarchy. Exploring a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, Calif. stays just the way it is, they have spent the last two seasons confronting threats from drug dealers, corporate developers, overzealous law officers and even a very dangerous white supremacist.

Last season’s finale saw Abel, the infant son of the club’s Vice President, Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) kidnapped, leaving him feeling powerless and sending him into deeper turmoil over his future with the club. In the highly anticipated Season 3, his search will send the club as far as Ireland, where Jax faces not only the Irish Republican Army, but his own personal history as well.

During a recent interview, show creator Kurt Sutter talked about the dual storylines in Charming and Belfast, gave hints about what fans can expect from this season’s even more personal struggle and journey, revealed some of the great guest stars and that he has a definite idea for what the last 10 or 11 episodes of the series will look like, whenever that time comes. Check out what he had to say after the jump: