Recent reports had model and actress Zoe Aggeliki taking the role of Johanna Mason, but it looks like those reports jumped the gun.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Malone is director Francis Lawrence's choice for the part.  It's not a sure thing just yet, as Malone is currently in negotiations, but it's looking like the role is hers for the taking.

The 27-year old actress has been doing consistently strong work for the last 16 years.  As a youngster, she played a young Jodie Foster in Contact and appeared in Stepmom.  She starred in Donnie Darko, as well as Saved! and The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.  More recently, she appeared in Into the Wild, The Ruins, and The Messenger.  Last year, she played Rocket in Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, and she's currently appearing on the History Channel's Hatfields & McCoys.

Johanna Mason is a former Hunger Games victor from lumber-producing District 7.  Skilled with dual axes, Mason is a cunning player comfortable with brutality.  She has an abrasive personality and sense of humor that results in many a quippy one-liner.  In this next film, she becomes allies with Katniss and Peeta when they're forced to return to the games for an all-star survival tournament, and in the third movie, Mockingjay, Mason will continue to play a significant part.

Malone joins returning castmembers Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, along with the likes of Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, and Donald Sutherland.

Production is scheduled to being this September in order to wrap up Lawrence's work before she moves on to film her role as Mystique in the as-yet untitled X-Men: First Class sequel.  Lionsgate selected I Am Legend and Water For Elephants helmer Francis Lawrence to direct the sequel after The Hunger Games director Gary Ross chose not to stay on for the duration of the series, partially because of the schedule necessary to have the film ready for its long-announced November 22, 2013 release date.

Slumdog Millionaire scribe Simon Beaufoy and Toy Story 3's Michael Arndt contributed to the Catching Fire screenplay, both working closely with author Suzanne Collins.