Martha Kent gets cast in Superman movie, and Variety reports on frontrunners for Katniss

Diane Lane is Martha!

Finally, we get some official casting news from Warner Bros. about the new Superman film!

Today, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced that Oscar®-nominated actress Diane Lane will play Martha Kent, the only mother Clark Kent has ever known, in the new Superman movie to be directed by Zack Snyder.

Snyder stated, "This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman. We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination."

Lane will star with Henry Cavill, who was recently announced as the new Clark Kent/Superman.

Surprising they would announce Martha's casting before Lois Lane or the villain, but I'm perfectly OK with this. It reminds me of Annette O'Toole being cast as Martha in "Smallville," which turned out to be a stroke of genius. And I have been a fan of Ms. Lane's since "The Outsiders," one of my all-time favorite films. This is great, folks. Now, can we just hear who's going to play Lois, already?!

Jennifer Lawrence is now the frontrunner for Katniss in "The Hunger Games"

I was actually pretty shocked to hear today that Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone") seems to be the favorite to play Katniss in "The Hunger Games" film. At first I was highly skeptical, but now that Variety is reporting it, I have to assume there's some truth to it.

With the Oscars over, two of this year's up-and-coming nominees are being considered for the hottest female role available at the moment: the lead in "Hunger Games."

Sources tell Variety that 2010 Academy Award nominees Jennifer Lawrence and Hailee Steinfeld -- as well as Abigail Breslin, nominated for "Little Miss Sunshine" -- are all vying for the Liongate tentpole, due next March 23.

While no offer has been made, insiders say that Lawrence has generated the most interest.

I'm on the fence about this news. I've seen both "Winter's Bone" and "True Grit" and thought both actresses did fantastic jobs in those movies. I still prefer Steinfield as Katniss for two reasons -- her looks and her age. The impact of "The Hunger Games" comes from the simple idea that kids are being forced into this terrible situation. Casting a 20-year-old like Lawrence, who looks like a 20-year-old, will lessen that impact and weaken the story, in my opinion. Not to mention, there are three books in this series, which will hopefully lead to three films. By the time "Mockingjay" finishes production, Lawrence could well be in her mid-20s playing Katniss as a 17-year-old. Lord knows stranger things have happened, but I'd hate such a silly thing to diminish the power of this story.

However, if Lawrence gets the part, I just hope she dyes her hair and makes an effort to look younger.