Elle Fanning Said Fan Commentary Influenced Her Hunger Games Casting
Sunrise on the Reaping is the second prequel book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games novel series, and is set 24 years before the events of the first book in the original trilogy. The book — which hit shelves in March 2025 — and its accompanying movie adaptation were announced back in June 2024, and fans had already locked in their ideal castings for the prequel's younger versions of beloved characters like Haymitch Abernathy, Plutarch Heavensbee, Caesar Flickerman, and, of course, Effie Trinket.
For context, Effie features heavily in the original Hunger Games trilogy as the escort and advisor to the District 12 tributes. And in Sunrise on the Reaping, a younger Effie is a stylist for Haymitch, who is preparing to participate in the 50th Hunger Games as the District 12 tribute.
If you're familiar with the Hunger Games, you'll know that Effie — who was portrayed in the OG movies by Elizabeth Banks — is quite the fashionista. So, when it came to casting a younger Effie for Sunrise on the Reaping, minds went straight to Elle, who fans think has always been 'giving Effie Trinket energy.'
'y'all have any idea that this fandom has been making young effie edits with elle fanning for YEARS??? and until months ago this was an impossible dream???' one X post in response to the announcement read.'Casting director deserves an Oscar alone for what he's done here,' added another fan, while someone else wrote: 'OH MY GOD ITS HAPPENING THE PROPHECY WE MADE IT GUYSSZBDJCJFNDJDJFN.''Elle fanning as Effie Trinket was the most accurate and universally accepted casting that has ever happened in recent years,' echoed someone else.
And now, Elle has weighed in on the discourse surrounding her casting, revealing that the online campaigning from fans definitely influenced her landing the job.
During a new interview with Josh Horowitz for MTV, Elle was asked about her 'perfect casting' in the upcoming project, to which she said: 'It was funny, because I think fans made this happen in a way. The studio said they were getting kind of hounded online, like, 'Elle needs to play Effie'...So they called.'
And it's not just the fans who are pleased with Elle's casting; Elizabeth Banks is very much on board too. When Elle was announced as Effie, Elizabeth contacted her directly with celebratory flowers and told People: 'I'm super excited. I texted the producers as well, and I think she's perfect.'
Speaking with MTV, Elle expressed how thrilled she is to be following in Elizabeth's footsteps. 'I'm a huge fan, and Effie has always been my favorite character,' she said. 'I think Elizabeth Banks is— she brought so much, even beyond the books, like, layers to that character. I love her, and I have [gotten] to talk to Elizabeth. We've texted, and she sent me flowers and said, 'May the odds be ever in your favor.''
The movie is due to begin shooting this summer and is currently set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. Giving some behind-the-scenes insight, Elle said: 'I haven't started filming yet, but we're thinking [about it] and hopefully making the fans happy.'
As you may have seen, Elle's participation in Sunrise on the Reaping isn't the only fan-casting for the movie that became a reality. You can read a breakdown of who's playing who in the upcoming movie adaptation here.
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