Hunger Games Prequels Younger Actors Vs Original Actors

Buzz Feed

22-05-2025

With the The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping casting announcements rolling out, many fans of the franchise have been excited to see who's playing the younger version of their favorite characters. Honestly, these casting directors deserve a raise, because their decisions are *chef's kiss.*
Here are 9 side-by-sides of the Hunger Games prequel characters vs. the original actors:
In the original movies, Effie Trinket — the District 12 tributes' escort to the Hunger Games — was portrayed by Elizabeth Banks. She told Behind the Lens, "It's really fun to watch yourself disappear in the movie every day, and watch Effie appear. It required a full transformation. I never knew how old she was, in reading the book. She could be 30, or she could be 100. I imagine, in the future, life expectancy is long, and they use crazy plastic surgery. Who the hell knows what's going on? So, I really wanted her to be ageless. Gary's [Ross] one real note was, 'I imagine Joel Grey in Cabaret for her face.' That was our jumping off point and why we ended up with the rough skin and the gnarliness of that."
In Sunrise on the Reaping, fan favorite casting choice Elle Fanning will play the younger Effie. Elizabeth told People, "I'm super excited. I texted the producers as well, and I think she's perfect."
Here's a side by side:
The role of Haymitch Abernathy, District 12 victor and Katniss and Peeta's mentor, was originated by Woody Harrelson in the first four movies. He told HuffPost, "That was kind of a discussion between Gary [Ross, the director] and I, because I always wanted to make Haymitch more drunk and debauched, but Gary wanted to keep a rein on it so that it wasn't too much like that. In other words there are times when he had to get down to business so, yes, that had to be properly pitched. Me, I am always in general ready to go over the top with it, so it is helpful to have a director like Gary bringing me back."
Joseph Zada is set to star as the younger Haymitch in Sunrise on the Reaping. In a statement, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman said, "The Hunger Games franchise has long been a launching pad for remarkable young actors, and Jo and Whitney [Peak, who will play Lenore] carry that legacy forward with incredible heart, depth, and fire. After auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out — not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles."
Here they are side by side:
In the original four movies, Caesar Flickerman — the host of the Hunger Games — was played by Stanley Tucci. He was very involved with developing the character's iconic look. Stanley told The Hollywood Reporter, "I was in London making a movie, and we knew what we wanted the fellow to look like. Then we experimented with stuff. I said, 'I'd like to try teeth. I'd like to try some noses. I want him to have a tan. We have to really make it look like he has plastic surgery.'"
In Sunrise on the Reaping, recent Oscar winner Kieran Culkin will play a younger Caesar. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman told People, "Kieran's scene-stealing presence and undeniable charm are perfect for Caesar Flickerman, the sickeningly watchable host of Panem's darkest spectacle. Stanley Tucci made Caesar unforgettable — and now Kieran will make the role entirely his own."
Here they are side by side:
President Snow was portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the four original Hunger Games films. He told GQ, "Nobody asked me to do it. I wasn't offered it. I like to read scripts, and it captured my passion. I wrote them a letter. The role of the president had maybe a line in the script. Maybe two. Didn't make any difference. I thought it was an incredibly important film, and I wanted to be a part of it. I thought it could wake up an electorate that had been dormant since the '70s. I hadn't read the books. To be truthful, I was unaware of them. But they showed my letter to the director, Gary Ross, and he thought it'd be a good idea if I did it. He wrote those wonderfully poetic scenes in the rose garden, and they formed the mind and wit of Coriolanus Snow."
In The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Tom Blyth starred as the younger Coriolanus Snow. He told Variety, "I don't think I anticipated how emotionally taxing the role was going to be. I was like, 'I'm part of a big blockbuster franchise. This is gonna be fun!'"
In the same film, Dexter Sol Ansell played the character as a child. He told Young Entertainment Mag, "When I first started acting, I never thought I would be on the red carpet, it was such a big pleasure, and in The Hunger Games, it was so amazing."
Ralph Fiennes is set to play President Snow in Sunrise on the Reaping. Donald Sutherland died in 2024. In a press release, producer Nina Jacobson said, "We wanted to honor Donald Sutherland by having one of this generation's greatest actors play President Snow."
Here they are side by side:
Tigris Snow, a Capitol stylist and cousin to Coriolanus, was played by Eugenie Bondurant in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2. She told the Tampa Bay Times that, when she first stepped onto the set of Tigris's shop, "I started crying. It was beautiful. Everything was pulled together, and the set designer said, 'Do you know how long we've been waiting for this? For you to be here?' She said this is the only bright moment in the entire movie."
Here's Eugenie out of costume.
In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Hunter Schafer played the younger version of Tigris. She told Entertainment Tonight, "Tigris kind of feels like the first character piece I've really done that's not like a teenage girl who is kind of like one step away from who I am. It was like a challenge for me."
In the same movie, Rosa Gotzler portrayed Tigris as a child.
Here's a side by side of Eugenie and Hunter:
And here's Rosa with Hunter:
District 3 victor Wiress was played by Amanda Plummer in Catching Fire.
Maya Hawke will play a younger Wiress in Sunrise on the Reaping.
Here they are side by side:
In the original series, Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee was played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. He'd filmed most of his scenes for Mockingjay Part 2 before his death in 2014, but he wasn't able to film what was meant to be an emotional scene opposite Katniss. So, Heavensbee's final words were read to her in a letter. Director Francis Lawrence told the Guardian, "I regret to have that…label of it being his last film. Because obviously, there's not quite enough of him in it. I would have liked his role to be larger."
In Sunrise on the Reaping, Jesse Plemons — who actually played Philip's onscreen son in The Master — will play the younger version of Heavensbee. Erin Westerman told Variety, "Jesse is one of the most talented actors of his generation, with a proven record of picking his roles selectively. We are honored that he has chosen to bring his own take to one of the most fascinating figures in Panem, and feel that his previous collaboration with Philip Seymour Hoffman makes it all the more special. His Plutarch will be both a tribute to the character fans have already come to know and a portrayal he makes his own. We can't wait for audiences to see it."
Here's a side-by-side:
In the first four movies, District 3 victor Beetee Latier was portrayed by Jeffrey Wright. He told Slashfilm, "I liked that his primary weapon was his capacity to think, and that he was less a fighter than a tinkerer. I thought that was interesting in the first movie, in Catching Fire, that among all these warriors there's an inventor. It just seemed contradictory and curious to me. And then I think I was attracted to his sense of responsibility to his fellow citizenry, to the cause, and his loyalty to the ideals behind this rebellion."
Kelvin Harrison Jr. will play the younger Beetee in Sunrise on the Reaping.
Here's a side by side:
And finally, Mags Flanagan, District 4 victor and Haymitch's mentor, was played by Lynn Cohen in Catching Fire. She told the Detroit Free Press, "First of all, I had the joy of working with three of the most beautiful young people. All my scenes were with Jennifer [Lawrence] and two gorgeous males. I was carried on the back of one of them [Sam Claflin, who played Finnick], up and down mountains. When I auditioned, I auditioned on Skype. The first thing they asked was, 'How much do I weigh?' I said, 'I don't know, 90 pounds?' I didn't realize I had to be on someone's back all the time. Then they asked, 'How strong are you?' I said, 'Oh, me? I'm strong like a bull.'"
Lili Taylor is set to play the younger version of Mags in Sunrise on the Reaping.
Here's a side by side:
What do you think of these casting decisions? Do you agree, or would you have chosen someone else for one of these roles? Share your thoughts in the comments!