Fans of The Hunger Games were delighted as a popular character was recast for the Sunrise on the Reaping.
The upcoming film, based on Suzanne Collins’s prequel novel from this year, is set 24 years before the events of the first story in the original trilogy, with the narrative depicting Haymitch Abernathy’s (Joseph Zada) battle in the 50th edition of the games.
Ahead of its release next year, several castings have been announced in recent weeks, and another was unveiled today by the series’ official social media channels as Maleficent and A Complete Unknown star Elle Fanning was confirmed to be playing Effie Trinket.
Effie, who is one of Haymitch’s stylists in the prequel, was originally played by Elizabeth Banks in the quadrilogy of films, with the character being the chaperone to District 12’s Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) during the games.
Fanning’s casting was widely praised by fans of the series in the comment section to the announcement video, with one user commenting on Instagram: “The casting department needs to win awards I swear this is so good.”
Anna Webber//Getty Images
Related: Don’t miss out on The Hunger Games tickets – get them now
“BEST ONE SO FAR IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!!!!!!🤩” remarked one excited fan, while another proclaimed that the casting department were “cooking” following Fanning’s addition to the roster.
“@balladofsongbirds they understood their assignment frr😭😭 the casting is so on point” added one enthused fan, while another shared that they would “scream” if Fanning’s sister Dakota was cast as Effie’s sibling, Proserpina.
One fan referenced the series’ famous line as they quipped that the “odds were in [the fans’] favour” following the casting, with several others sharing that they had “won” with the cast list.
Related: Best film and TV tours for 2025
Fanning and Zada are part of a stacked cast for Sunrise on the Reaping, which is the second prequel novel in the series following The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The big names include Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes and Maya Hawke, with the trio set to play Plutarch Heavensbee, Coriolanus Snow and Wiress respectively.
Mckenna Grace, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Whitney Peak, Lili Taylor and Ben Wang have also been cast, with Molly McCann and Iona Bell being added in supporting roles. Francis Lawrence will return to direct, with Billy Ray penning the screenplay.
Sunrise on the Reaping, a new Hunger Games prequel movie, will open in cinemas on November 20, 2026. The book of the same name is available to buy now.
Read more Hunger Games news on our dedicated homepage
Digital Spy’s first print magazine is here! Buy British Comedy Legends in newsagents or online, now priced at just £3.99.
Deals that might interest you
Shop Sky TV, broadband and mobile deals
Stranger Things Hellfire Club Dice Dangle CharmCredit: Pandora
Shop Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors looksCredit: BBC / Studio Lambert
Richard Osman: We Solve MurdersCredit: Viking
Shop PS5 consolesCredit: PlayStation
Shop Alison Hammond’s outfitsCredit: Mark Bourdillon
Apple TV+ 7-day free trialCredit: Apple TV+
Sign up for Disney+Credit: Chuck Zlotnick
The Street of Lies: An Official Coronation Street Interactive NovelCredit: Octopus Books
Death in Paradise: The Puzzle BookCredit: BBC Books
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.