The upcoming “Hunger Games” movie installment, “Sunrise on the Reaping”, has slowly been announcing cast members. Jesse Plemons, best known for his roles in “Breaking Bad”, “Fargo”, and Oscar-nominated “The Power of the Dog”, is the next star to be added to the list. Plemons will be taking on the role of young Plutarch Heavensbee, a role his The Master co-star Phillip Seymour Hoffman previously played in the series before he passed away in 2014. The new film will follow the background of Haymitch Abernathy, and is an adaptation of the novel released in 2025 by the same name.
Jesse Plemons Joins Strong Cast In Panem
“Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaper”, like the rest of the movie series, is based on Suzanne Collins’ novel series. This story is set 24 years before the events of Katniss Everdeen in the original “Hunger Games”, and acts as the second series prequel. Francis Lawrence is directing the new film as he has every entry since “Catching Fire”, and so far has announced castmates Joseph Zada as lead protagonist Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, and McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner.
Plutarch is one of the most intriguing characters in the series, as he manages to have one of the view dynamic personalities in The Capital, one that reflects both good and evil. In this entry, Plutarch, as played by Jesse Plemons, begins as a videographer who is in charge of filming the District 12 reaping, where Haymitch is from. Plemons will be tasked with balancing the complex personality that develops in the young Plutarch, which is no easy undertaking.
If anyone is up to the task, though, it is Jesse Plemons. Aside from his aforementioned casting roles, he has also been featured in Netflix’s “Black Mirror”, “Friday Night Lights,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Kinds of Kindness,” and “Zero Day.” In his decades of acting, Plemons has been known to cover a wide variety of acting roles, suiting him perfectly for the role of Plutarch Heavensbee.
Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, responded to the casting of Jesse Plemons:
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.
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.
Overall, the cast thus far has been well-received. McKenna Grace, playing the role of Maysilee, was lauded because she seemed perfectly aligned with fans’ visualization of the character. Joseph Zada, as the lead character Haymitch, had a bit more of a mixed reaction. He is not as well-known or popular an actor, which surprised some, while others welcome a fresh new face to match Haymitch’s personality. Jesse Plemons, though, may be the most celebrated yet, thanks to his versatile background built for complex character roles.
Final Thoughts
The novel version of “Sunrise on the Reaping” has already become one of the most successful “Hunger Games” novels in recent memory. In the U.S. alone, the book sold 1.2 million copies, which is double the number sold for the first week of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and three times the number sold for the first week of “Mockingjay.” With this track record, the film should be released to high viewership and critical acclaim, and Jesse Plemons joining the cast will only help that even more. “Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is set to begin filming in July, with a set date to release in theaters on November 20, 2026.
