While Jena Malone’s status is still pending, the first newcomer out of the gate to join The Hunger Games franchise in the upcoming sequel Catching Fire was said to be Philip Seymour Hoffman. The Oscar winner was offered a crucial role in the upcoming film, and over weeks it was said that he was in negotiations. Though there are still plenty of new characters to be cast in the coming weeks, it seems that we won’t have to worry about Hoffman falling off at the wayside any longer as a new report claims he is locked down to join Panem.

Via press release:

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN CAST AS PLUTARCH HEAVENSBEE IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

Santa Monica, CA, July 9, 2012- Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that Philip Seymour Hoffman has been cast in the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, Head Gamemaker for The Hunger Games, in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire.

The actor and filmmaker just wrapped a Broadway run as Willy Loman in the revival of “Death of a Salesman” for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. He will next be seen in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” and the indie film “A Late Quartet” alongside Catherine Keener and Christopher Walken. More recent films include “Moneyball,” “The Ides of March” and “Jack Goes Boating” which marked Hoffman’s feature directorial debut.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has over 36 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.

Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.

Replacing Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley in the film), Plutarch Heavensbee is the gamemaker of the 75th Annual Hunger Games in the sequel. Due to a twist thanks to the next Hunger Games being a part of “a quarter quell”, the next fight has the misfortune of casting previous victors of the games into the annual bloodbath. Heavensbee is at first infamous in the books for being the character that is so surprised by Katniss’ arrow act of rebellion within the training room, the characters falls back into a punch bowl. However, Heavensbee soon becomes a major factor in the overarching story of the Districts’ rebellion at the end of Catching Fire, and his role only increases in prominence as the series goes on.