The Hunger Games fandom has been in a buzz since the Thursday announcement that Jennifer Lawrence had, indeed, signed on to portray Katniss in the upcoming movie adaptation.

“I couldn’t be happier about being a part of ‘Hunger Games’ and to play Katniss,” Lawrence said in a statement to The Hob. “I have a huge responsibility to the fans of this incredible book and I don’t take it lightly. I will give everything I have to these movies and to this role to make it worthy of Suzanne Collins’ masterpiece.”

And though fan reaction has been mixed (see these opinions over at Reelz Channel), Collins herself has already thrown her support behind Lawrence. In an interview with EW, director Gary Ross said Collins saw every audition for Katniss. “To Suzanne, Jen is the perfect realization of the character who is in her head,” Ross said.

via Jennifer Lawrence speaks out about playing Katniss in ’The Hunger Games’ movie – National The Hunger Games | Examiner.com.

Rumors about Jennifer Lawrence nabbing the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games movie has been swirling for about a week or so now, but the news was only officially confirmed by Lionsgate on Thursday.

Since then (and even leading up to the official announcement), fans have been hitting up their photo editing programs and getting creative to show what Lawrence might look like as Katniss.

The fan art ranges from a clever “screen shot” of a breaking news-style update about Katniss’s status in the arena, to a mocked-up movie poster for The Hunger Games, feauturing Lawrence front and center.

Browse some of the best images in the slideshow to your left and share your favorites in the comments below.

Did we miss one of your favorite Jennifer-as-Katniss fan pieces? Share the link below, as well!

via Creative fan art shows Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in ’The Hunger Games’ – National The Hunger Games | Examiner.com.

A Hunger Games question: We’ve got that girl from Winter’s Bone playing Katniss. But will she actually be starring in a decent movie? I got burned by New Moon and don’t ever want to be in that position again.

—HearstMom4, via the inbox

Understandable. The good news about The Hunger Games is that we won’t get a “heroine” who sits in a chair staring out a window for months when someone makes her sad. (Hi, Bella.)

But will this movie give you enough reasons to clear your schedule for March 23, 2012? Let’s decide right now:

RELATED: Is Jennifer Lawrence right to play Katniss Everdeen?

Probably.

How do I know?

I’ve taken a long look at all the elements, from the screenwriters to the producers to that Jennifer Lawrence, and I have no other choice. Observe:

The source material. Writer Suzanne Collins may have written a rip-off of Battle Royale, but it’s a flaming Hades of a rip-off. The pacing is excellent, and the world, while not exactly the most buyable concept on Earth, is certainly compelling.

We’re talking about children fighting to the death in giant outdoor cage matches, while simultaneously struggling with love triangles and genetically engineered predators. Really. What’s not to love?

via Will The Hunger Games Be Awesome? Or Really Not? – E! Online.

The recently Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence has been cast in the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen, the teenage heroine of hugely popular Hunger Games trilogy. The book series’ fans have debated (and debated) who would be right for this plum role ever since it was first announced that it would become a movie. And while “act your age” has never been a motto in Hollywood, the land where Botox flows like wine and telling people your age is 30-murmurmurmur is considered acceptable, when it comes to Katniss, age has understandably become a bone of contention with fans.

There’s no doubt that Lawrence proved in last year’s Winter’s Bone not only that she’s a phenomenal new talent, but that she also dirties up nice. Still, the fact remains that she is a fully-grown 20-year-old who will probably be 24 by the time Mockingjay wraps, and some fans think that’s simply too old. Those fans were likely pulling for someone closer to Katniss’ 16 years, like Hailee Steinfeld (aiming under at 14) or  Saoirse Ronan.

On the plus side, Lawrence would hardly be the first person in their twenties to play a teen: Half the high-school students on Friday Night Lights looked about a decade older than the other half, and the average age of The Breakfast Club was around 21. Heck, Gabrielle Carteris was practically in menopause when she finally stopped playing Andrea Zuckerman on Beverly Hills, 90210. And the Hunger Games protagonist probably should look a bit older than her years because, as we all know, oppressive dystopias tend to be pretty harsh on the skin. Another plus, at least for the producers, is that because Lawrence is over 18, they don’t have to worry about child labor laws. In California, minors are required to obey daily caps on work-hours, as well as attend mandated schooling, both of which can eat up potential shooting time. Since production on the film hasn’t even begun, and it’s scheduled to release in a year, I’m sure that must have been a factor.

via ‘Hunger Games’: Is Jennifer Lawrence the Katniss of your dreams? | PopWatch | EW.com.