Hutcherson 'wants to play Peeta in Games'

Josh Hutcherson has revealed that he would like to play Peeta Mellark in the upcoming film adaptation of The Hunger Games.

Hutcherson, who most recently starred in The Kids Are All Right, said at the SXSW Film Festival that he identifies with the male lead in the Suzanne Collins young-adult novel, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"I love Peeta," said Hutcherson. "The character is so much who I am - self-deprecating, a people person. And he'd be such a great character to play!"

In the novel, Peeta and protagonist Katniss Everdeen are selected to be among the participants in The Hunger Games, a televised competition in which children compete to the death.

Hutcherson also revealed that he had met with Hunger Games director Gary Ross, but went on to admit that he is only one among many candidates for the role of Peeta.

"They're meeting a lot of people right now," Hutcherson said. "One can only dream."