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How Jennifer Lawrence beat a slew of rivals to Hunger Games role including Shailene Woodley, Emma Roberts and Chloe Grace Moretz... as early reviews give final film a cautious thumbs up

Published: 17:29 EST, 19 November 2015 | Updated: 09:28 EST, 20 November 2015

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These days, it's hard to imagine anyone but Jennifer Lawrence as heroic Katniss Everdeen.

But a who's who of Hollywood's finest young actresses auditioned for the plum role, including Shailene Woodley, Hailee Steinfeld, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Roberts, Chloe Grace Moretz, Abigail Breslin, Elizabeth Olsen and Emily Browning, before missing out to a then relatively-unknown Jennifer.

But Jennifer blew the competition out of the water in her amazing audition, producers have said, with director Gary Ross even admitting he teared up.

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Final revolt: Jennifer Lawrence, seen with Natalie Domer in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2, landed the role of Katniss after a moving audition

Katniss: The Oscar-winning actress stunnedo n the red carpet at the premiere of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 in New York City on Thursday

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We wouldn't necessarily say that Jennifer's breaking the law but she's redefining it everyday. Which is why we're sad to see this promotional tour for Mockingjay 2 come to a close.

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The sheer plunging neck came to a refined finish with a soft chiffon pleated skirt that cascaded to the floor with ease. We love the statement cuffs and for modesty, Jennifer wore a bralet up top.

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The final installment of the dsytopian series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, has received largely positive reviews ahead of its US release on Friday, with Jennifer again winning praise for her performance.

When casting the film back in 2010 and 2011, the producers embarked on an extensive search to find their Katniss, including many young actresses who missed out on the role but went on to impressive careers.

Kick-Ass star Chloe Grace Moretz, then just 13, was one of the young actors who was keen to land the part.

See more news on Jennifer Lawrence beating Shailene Woodley to her Hunger Games role

Hunger Games auditions: Chloe Grace Moretz, left, and Shailene Woodley are some of the famous actresses who were up against Jennifer for the part

'I'd die to play Katniss. It's such a cool role. I've read all of the books,' Chloe said.

Divergent star Shailene Woodley also went out for the part, but admitted her audition 'wasn't great.'

'I definitely auditioned,' she told MTV after attending the first film's premiere in 2011.

'It wasn't like a great audition. But I think that Jennifer Lawrence is perfect for that role.'

Later, Shailene reached out to Jennifer for advice when she was offered the role of Tris in the Divergent films. Jennifer urged her to sign on to the blockbuster, saying it would change her life.

Actress Hailee Steinfeld, fresh off her Oscar-nominated performance in True Grit, also met with director Gary Ross about the part.

Talented: Oscar-nominated actresses Hailee Steinfeld, left, and Saoirse Ronan also auditioned for Katniss

Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who impressed Hollywood with her Oscar-nominated performance in Atonement, also was in the running for the plum role, a rare action movie for a young female lead.

Emma Roberts, who loved the books, also tried out for Katniss, but it was not to be.

'I was definitely interested in it, but it was just one of those things that didn't end up happening,' Emma told MTV back in 2011. 'But I'm really excited to see the movie.'

And Little Miss Sunshine actress Abigail Breslin, who went on to star in Ender's Game and then costar with Emma in Fox show Scream Queens, also had her eye on Katniss.

Missed out: Future Scream Queens costars Emma Roberts, left, and Abigail Breslin also auditioned

MOCKINGJAY - PART 2: WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING

'The final film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s dystopian Hunger Games YA novels, Mockingjay, is a potent antiwar saga: bleak, savage, and very modern in the depiction of an unholy union between political manipulation and showbiz. It’s impressive - but then, is made of finer stuff than the standard fanboy-bait studio ‘franchises.’ - David Edelstein,New York Magazine.

'The pop pleasures of the early installments are gone in the gray-and-gloomy part two of Mockingjay. All the color and vibrancy of the series has been drained away… Instead, the film is, well, dull. If Donald Sutherland is the most bubbly thing in your teenage sci-fi dystopia (and he is, by a mile), you may have stretched the seriousness too far. - Jake Coyle, Associated Press

'What makes the material still feel personal... is the combination of Katniss and Ms. Lawrence, who have become a perfect fit. Ms. Lawrence now inhabits the role as effortlessly as breathing, partly because, like all great stars, she seems to be playing a version of her 'real' self.' - Mahnola Dargis, The New York Times.

'Though domestic B.O. dipped some 20% for the previous feature, this ultra-dark, deliberately paced climax should recover somewhat even as it ventures down bleaker channels still, paying off the gamble of having stayed true to its source,- Peter Debruge, Variety

'This cash cow is done. What started off onscreen as a lush, outdoorsy, futuristic gladiatorial adventure has, to close things out, become a dark, often stifling tale of rebel insurrection that takes place largely underground or in dangerous urban ruins.' - Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

'This might be the most downbeat blockbuster in memory, a film that starts out pitiless and goes downhill from there, save for a fleeting glimmer of hope in the final moments. It’s a bold statement about the unforgiving nature of war, unashamedly political in its motives and quietly devastating in its emotional effect.- - Tom Huddleston, Time Out London

'Mockingjay, though, strays too far into darkness: With its political power struggles and prodigious body count, all rendered in a thousand shades of wintry greige, the movie feels less like teen entertainment than a sort of Hunger Games of Thrones' - Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

'The characters in it are very strong and very cool. It’s an amazing series,' Abigail told as casting rumors swirled.

Elizabeth Olsen also auditioned for the part of Katniss, as did Australian actress Emily Browning, who admitted that she had never read the bestselling young adult novels.

The casting notice for Katniss said they were looking for a Caucasian actress between the ages of 15 and 20, who could play someone 'underfed but strong,' and was 'naturally pretty underneath her tomboyishness,' according the Wall Street Journal.

Famous faces: Elizabeth Olsen, left, and Australian actress Emily Browning also were considered for the part

Other actresses who auditioned included Scandal actress Mary Mouser and British Skins actress Kaya Scodelario, who was an early fan favorite for the role.

Hunger Games fans even started an petition for Kaya to get the part, and she tweeted that she was 'gutted' after missing out.

Isabelle Fuhrman, who landed the part of Clove in the films, originally auditioned for Katniss too.

Also auditioned: British actress Kaya Scodelario, left, Isabelle Fuhrman, center, and Lyndsy Fonseca, right, all were in the running for The Hunger Games

Nikita and Agent Carter actress Lyndsy Fonseca also tried to land the part, as did Jodelle Ferland, who went on to play Bree Tanner in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Step Up actress and dancer Alyson Stoner also auditioned, as did Pretty Little Liars' Lucy Hale and Troian Bellisario and The Flash actress Malese Jow.

Danielle Chuchran, who created a video of herself as Katniss which went viral, also was in the running.

Made the list: Actresses Alyson Stoner, left, Jodelle Ferland, center, and Danielle Chuchran also had their heart set on the part

Despite as many as 50 actresses vying for the part, producer Nina Jacobson previously admitted that once Jennifer read for the part, everyone else was forgotten.

‘I teared up,' she told Variety in 2013 after the release of second Hunger Games film Catching Fire. 'We had a lot of wonderful actresses at the audition, but it was game over at that point.’

Hunger Games director Gary Ross admitted the actress moved him to tears.

There's only one: Jennifer moved director Gary Ross to tears in her powerful audition, and went on to become a global superstar and Oscar winner

Mockingjay rising: Katniss vows to hunt down evil President Snow in the final Hunger Games film, out on Friday

‘I got choked up,' he said. 'You only see that kind of talent once in a generation - that kind of intensity and emotional power.

‘If you don’t find the right performer, you don’t have the movie. So I felt like, “Now I can make the movie.'

Reviews for the fourth and final Hunger Games film, Mockingjay - Part 2, have been largely positive, with some critics praising it's deeper anti-war message in the era of the mindless Hollywood blockbusters.

However, while Jennifer's performance earned raves across the board, some reviewers have called the film 'too dark' and even dull.