Highlights
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping now has the younger counterpart for one of the franchise’s most popular characters. Elle Fanning will play Effie Trinket.
- Fanning had been rumored to play Haymitch Abernathy’s stylist and escort for the 50th Hunger Games.
- Her casting is hot on the heels of the Lionsgate adaptation finding its President Snow and Louella.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Chins up, smiles on — Effie Trinket has entered the arena. The cast for Lionsgate’s film adaptation of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping continues to grow, with Elle Fanning as the latest addition. Fanning’s casting as Effie Trinket has churned through the rumor mill for weeks, but now we have confirmation.
In Suzanne Collins’ bestselling prequel novel, Trinket is Haymitch Abernathy’s stylist and escort leading up to the 50th Hunger Games.
RELATED: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Has Its Wiress and Beetee
This news comes hot on the heels of a slew of casting announcements over the past week, including Ralph Fiennes boarding as iconic villain President Snow, Molly McCann as Louella and Iona Bell as her “Capitol-assigned lookalike Lou Lou.”
The Cast So Far
In addition to Fanning, McCann, Bell and Fiennes, here’s the roster for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping thus far: Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags and Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow.
Franchise veteran Francis Lawrence will return to helm the film, directing from a script by Billy Ray. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce under their Color Force banner.
RELATED: Book Review: Sunrise on the Reaping
Here’s a synopsis per Deadline:
“Published March 18, the latest installment in Collins’ dystopian YA book series revisits the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The story centers on 16-year-old Haymitch, a clever and resourceful boy from District 12, who’s unexpectedly chosen for this edition of the games, which will feature a deadly twist: twice the number of tributes, with 48 children sent into the arena to battle for their lives.”
Fanning’s most recent credits include last year’s eight-time Oscar-nominated film A Complete Unknown as Sylvia Russo and the title role as Catherine in Hulu’s The Great. She can next be seen in the comedy-drama Sentimental Value, poised for release on August 20, and the sci-fi-horror flick Predator: Badlands, debuting on November 7.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on November 20, 2026.
THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING Enlists Jesse Plemons
[email protected]
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
