"Game of Thrones" is taking over the "The Hunger Games" franchise. First, Natalie Dormer signed on board, and now Gwendoline Christie has joined the cast and will be playing Commander Lyme in Liongate's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2," the film franchise's final installment.
Due to scheduling conflicts, specifically Lily Rabe's prior confirmation to be a part of the summer production of "Much Ado about Nothing" in New York, Rabe had to bow out of the production and Christie has been cast to bring Lyme's character to life, reports Entertainment Weekly.
Christie, an English native that stands at a height of 6'3, plays Brienne of Tarth, a spiffy warrior from "Game of Thrones." Her "GoT" experience as a fighter will hopefully be a help as she channels Lyme's persona.
Lyme's character is a past victor from District 2 from an undisclosed game year and a critical member of the rebellion being headed by leaders in District 13.
The official synopsis of part 1 has been released by Lionsgate Publicity:
The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
According to Variety, the franchise's first two installments has been widely successful and has grossed a total topping $1.6 billion in worldwide sales. The studio decided to split the final novel adaptation into two parts to be released a year apart. The first installment "Mockingjay - Part 1" will hit theaters November 21 while "Mockingjay - Part 2" is due out November 15 of the following year.
Oscar-award winner Jennifer Lawrence leads "The Hunger Games" films as Katniss Everdeen supported by other Hollywood heaviy-hitters like Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Natalie Dormer has been cast as Cressida, a resident of the Capitol who takes up arms against the oppressive leaders and joins the rebellion.