It's absolutely impossible to forget the mark Philip Seymour Hoffman left on The Hunger Games movies when he played Plutarch Heavensbee. He brought so much to the role of Head Gamemaker for the 75th Hunger Games when Jennifer Lawrence starred as Katniss Everdeen. As fans of the series know, Plutarch is back for the latest of upcoming book adaptations from the franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping. But we've been curious about who could follow Hoffman's performance. Well, the new Plutarch actor has just been announced, and it just might be perfect.
This week, it's been announced that newcomer Joseph Zada will play a young Haymitch, Gossip Girl's Whitney Peak will play his girl Lenore Dove Baird, and Ghostbusters' McKenna Grace will play one of the other District 12 tributes. Now, Jesse Plemons of Breaking Bad, Fargo and Black Mirror fame has officially been cast. Check out the official Instagram announcement below:
The next Hunger Games movie, titled Sunrise on the Reaping, takes place 24 years before the events of the first film, when Plutarch is a younger man and not yet Head Gamemaker or leader of the rebellion. Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, commented on the exciting casting announcement (per Deadline) with these words:
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.
Plemons actually worked with Philip Seymour Hoffman back in 2012 for The Master, where he played the son of Hoffman's cult leader character. How special of a connection is that as he gets ready to portray a character that became Hoffman's last film role?
When we meet Plutarch during the second Quarter Quell, he's a cameraman who is part of the crew who records the reaping of District 12, where a young Haymitch Abernathy (previously played by Woody Harrelson) is chosen as one of four tributes, and has a significant role throughout the prequel.
The new Hunger Games movie will once again be helmed by Francis Lawrence, who also worked with Philip Seymour Hoffman when he made Catching Fire and the Mockingjay movies. Lawrence previously said Sunrise on the Reaping is his "favorite" of the Hunger Games books, and this movie will be a "return to form" from the original films. Lawrence was also behind 2023's prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which took place during the 10th Hunger Games.
We can look forward to seeing Jesse Plemons in the prequel when it hits theaters on November 20, 2026.
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