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Jesse Plemons cast as Plutarch Heavensbee in 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' prequel

By Sophia Soto | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 5:25 PM ET

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping has found its younger Plutarch Heavensbee and it's Jesse Plemons! This comes after the recent casting announcements of Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, and McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner.

The older version of the character was previously played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and both installments of Mockingjay. The actor passed away in 2014 after completing most of his scenes for Parts 1 and 2 of the Mockingjay movies.

However, director Francis Lawrence, who is also attached to Sunrise on the Reaping, refused to use computer-generated imagery to finish the actor's remaining moments. "He had two scenes with dialogue that were left and we decided we didn't want to try any digital trickery with him, so we rewrote his scenes and gave the dialogue to other actors," he told HuffPost Live. "I just think to try to fake a Philip Seymour Hoffman performance would have been catastrophic and I would never want to do that."

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Regarding Plemons' casting, Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, shared, "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."

THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING will revisit 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.

Producer Nina Jacobson expressed, "Jesse has been one of my favorite actors since I first saw him in Friday Night Lights. We knew from the start that only an actor’s actor could play a young version of Plutarch. Jesse was the dream from the start and we couldn’t be prouder to have him join the Hunger Games family."

Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on November 20, 2026.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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