Elle Fanning Receives Blessing from Elizabeth Banks as She Steps into ‘Hunger Games’ Role
Elle Fanning is taking on the role ofโ Effie Trinket โฃin the upcoming Hunger Games prequel, Sunriseโค on the Reaping, and has received the enthusiastic support of the original Effie, elizabeth Banks. Banks reportedly โคsent Fanningโ flowers withโ a message of encouragement: “May theโฃ odds be โฃever inโฃ your favor.”
The new film, based on Suzanne Collins’ novel, is set 24 years before the eventsโฃ of the first Hunger Games โ movie, depicting the 50th Hunger Games. Fanning’sโ Effie will serve as the stylist for a young Haymitch Abernathy (playedโค by Joseph Zada). Banks portrayed the older version of Effie inโ the original four Hunger Games films, beginning in โฃ2012. This casting marks a continuation of the โbeloved character’s story and โคa passing โof the torchโ between two โacclaimed actresses.
Fanning shared withโ The Hollywood Reporter at the Academy Museum โGala on Saturday that filming is nearing completion for herโ portion of the movie, stating, “Effie is on the screen now.” She expressed her admiration for Banks’ iconic portrayal, adding, “She made that role iconic andโค so lovable andโ so I hope I can live up to what she did for the fans.”
Directed byโ Francis Lawrence, Sunrise onโ the Reaping โalso โstars โWhitney Peak, McKenna Grace, Jesse plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, ben Wang, andโข Ralph Fiennes as President Snow. The โขfilm is scheduled for release on November 20, โค2026.
Fanning previously revealed that fan support played a role in her being cast, with the studio noting thay were “getting kind of hounded online”โ with requests to see her โtake on the role.