Lionsgate has announced today that Broadway veteran Lynn Cohen has joined the cast of ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,’ the sequel to the box office blockbuster ‘The Hunger Games.’

Although she is known to New York theater audiences for her work on the Great White Way, many may recognize Cohen more for her role as Magda, the overly conservative Ukrainian housekeeper and nanny for Miranda Hobbs in HBO’s ‘Sex in the City’ and in both movie adaptations. She also appeared on NBC’s  ‘Law and Order’ and has appeared in the films ‘Munich’ and ‘Synecdoche, New York.’ She can next be seen in ‘They Come Together’ with Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler.

In ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,’ Cohen will be playing the role of Mags, former mentor to District 4 champion Finnick Odair.

(SPOILER ALERT!)

If you recall in the novel, Mags is the 80 year old victor from District 4 who volunteers to take the place of Annie Cresta to spare her in the Quarter Quell, a special edition of the Hunger Games where victors from previous Games compete against each other.  Normally silent, Mags proves to be vital during the Quarter Quell inspiring Finnick during the Games.

(END SPOILERS)

And speaking of Finnick, Deadline is reporting that Sam Claflin (‘Snow White and the Huntsman,’ ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’) has pretty much gotten the role as his schedule has now freed him up to film. A prior frontrunner,  Claflin originally had to pass due to an option owed to another studio but that now seems to have worked out for him to be available for this movie. Hopefully an official release announcing him as Finnick will come soon.

Filming for ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ is set to begin within the next couple months and will bring the return of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta.  Joining them will be Philip Seymour Hoffman (as Plutarch Heavensbee), Amanda Plummer (as Wiress), Jena Malone (as Johanna Mason) and Kevin Nash.

Here’s the official synopsis for the film:

‘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 released in theaters on November 22, 2013.