The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is re-casting another fan-favorite character for the prequel timeline — Effie Trinket, the stylist for tributes from District 12 and their escort while they are in the Capitol of Panem. Effie was played by Elizabeth Banks in the main series, but she was not featured in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which takes place before her time. Now, the story is jumping ahead by 40 years, when Effie is brand new to her role. According to a report by The Wrap, the role has been offered to Elle Fanning, but the deal is not official yet.
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The Hunger Games timeline is getting a little scattered in these prequels, but keep in mind that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place 64 years before the events of the first movie. This upcoming movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, takes place 24 years before The Hunger Games, meaning there will be many more opportunities for familiar characters to get involved. That includes Effie, the bubbly and smiling handler for tributes from District 12.
Author Suzanne Collins just published her novel Sunrise on the Reaping last month. It is about the 50th Hunger Games in Panem, which was won by Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch was played by Woody Harrelson in the original movies, but he will only be 16 years old here as he competes in Panem’s second “Quarter Quell.” The nature of this competition means that none of the other competitors can survive, but there are other characters to look out for, including previous Hunger Games winners Wiress, Mags Flanagan, and Beetee Latier, all of whom appeared in the main series,and Coriolanus Snow himself, now the President of Panem.
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It’s unclear if Snow will be recast, or if the movie will attempt to age up Tom Blyth for the 40 years that pass between these two prequels. We do know that Sunrise on the Reaping has a script written by Billy Ray and will be directed by Francis Lawrence. Collins is on board once again as a producer.
Fanning has had an incredible career already for a 27-year-old, and she has some exciting projects on the horizon as well. She recently finished filming Predator: Badlands, which is due to hit theaters on November 7th of this year. The plot of the movie has not been revealed yet, but Fanning is the only cast member who has been publicly announced, so it looks like she is probably the star.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is currently scheduled to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. The novel is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.
