New movie 'The Beekeeper' lets Josh Hutcherson tap into his dark side, play greedy cyber-villain

HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- There's a new thriller in theaters that shows "Hunger Games" star Josh Hutcherson in a very different light. He's used to playing the good guy. But in "The Beekeeper"... oh no, stay away!

"The Beekeeper" has Hutcherson playing a pretty dark and dirty character. He's a corporate criminal running a multi-million dollar phishing scheme that takes the life savings of unknowing senior citizens.

And while many of us think of Josh as playing the sweet, loving Peeta in the top grossing franchise "The Hunger Games" this role allowed him to exercise some different acting muscles.

"This a big change. I haven't had the chance to play somebody this scummy and gross and not a good dude," laughed Hutcherson. "But it was so much fun! To do something so different and against type... it was a lot of fun. You might be seeing more of me being that kind of guy because I enjoyed it a lot."

Action star Jason Statham plays the title role in "The Beekeeper." It's a code name for an underground operative who works around the rule of law to exact vengeance on the bad guys. Hutcherson says he learned a lot from just watching his co-star.

"Jason is the consummate professional," said Hutcherson. "He just knows it so well. He knows exactly how to move, how to be the movie star, do all the fight sequences. His memory for the choreography is incredible, the guy just doesn't miss. And he makes it look easy and it's extremely impressive to watch."

"The Beekeeper" is rated R and is in theaters now.