At San Diego Comic-Con, Elle Fanning opens up about how fan campaigns helped her get cast in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Beginning in 2012, the Hunger Games series has produced five movie adaptations to date, including the four mainline franchise films and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Next up is the Haymitch backstory movie Sunrise on the Reaping.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be directed by Francis Lawrence and features Joseph Zada in the lead role of young Haymitch. Fanning has been cast as a young Effie Trinket, while other cast members include Mckenna Grace, Ralph Fiennes, Maya Hawke, Jesse Plemons, Kieran Culkin, Ben Wang, and Glenn Close.

Speaking with MTV at SDCC, Fanning addressed the role fans played in her casting process. According to the actor, the studio told her that “they were getting kind of hounded online” by fans who demanded “Elle needs to play Effie!” As such, she thinks “fans kind of made this happen.”

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This was all positive for Fanning, however, who has admired the character for years. Since her casting, she has been able to correspond with the original Effie actor, Elizabeth Banks. Check out the full quote from Fanning below:

It was funny because I think fans kind of made this happen in a way because they, the studio said they were getting kind of hounded online being like, ‘Elle needs to play Effie!’ And they were like, ‘Okay.’ So they called. But I’m a huge fan and Effie has always been my favorite character. I think Elizabeth Banks, she brought so much, even beyond those books, layers to that character. And I have gotten to talk to Elizabeth. We texted and she sent me flowers, and said, ‘May the odds be in your favor.’ So, very special. And I haven’t started filming yet, but we’re thinking and hopefully making the fans happy.

What This Means For The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping

Fanning Has An Iconic Act To Follow

Sunrise on the Reaping has the challenge of not only bringing book characters to life on the big screen, but also portraying many characters that audiences already know from previous movies. As such, fans will have particular visions of what these characters should look, sound, and act like, and thus will have strong opinions about who should play them.

It sounds like Effie’s character was no exception when it came to casting. It is true that Fanning was one of the many fan-approved cast members of Sunrise on the Reaping, but by her description, the pᴀssion sounds pretty intense. What resulted was a rare case of the studio actually listening and responding well to what audiences wanted.

Fanning’s quote also implies that she has the support of Banks in taking on the new role. This kind of actor-to-actor endorsement is also key, as it creates a good atmosphere going into the prequel film.

Our Take On The Sunrise On The Reaping Casting

Fanning Is A Great Choice

Fanning is a great choice for Effie Trinket. While, in some ways, Banks’ performance cannot be replicated, Fanning is a performer who has had to take on both highly dramatic work and character roles. This kind of dynamism is essential for playing the role of Effie.

Fanning is not the only extremely thoughtful casting put forth by the Sunrise on the Reaping casting team. Another great choice is Plemons as Plutarch, a role originated by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Many people already think that Plemons looks like a younger version of Hoffman, making him another great casting choice for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

Source: MTV