Lionsgate Films has just announced the casting of Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne in their adaptation of “The Hunger Games”.

“Last Song” actor Liam Hemsworth as been cast as ‘Gale Hawthorne’ who is the best friend of lead heroine ‘Katniss Everdeen’, while “The Kids Are All Right” actor Josh Hutcherson will be playing Katniss’ love interest Peeta Mellark.

It was announced earlier that “Winter’s Bone” actress Jennifer Lawrence will play the role of “Katniss Everdeen”.

“The Hunger Games” is slated for release in May 2012 and is based off the best selling novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins.