Elle Fanning credits Hunger Games fans hounding Lionsgate for her prequel role

Fanning is certainly right that the online chatter to see her cast got loud, though the Hunger Games co-casting directors Debra Zane and Dylan Jury downplayed the influence of social media in a recent interview with Teen Vogue. Jury noted that “sometimes we think they’re wrong [with dream castings]. But in this case, we happened to really line up coincidentally, and that’s great, because they were right and we were right, and now we have a perfect cast.” Zane added, “In this case, I think it really speaks to Suzanne Collins’ work. The characters she’s created are phenomenal. We do this as a job, but the fans also go to work figuring out not just who they want, but who they think should play these roles. Years ago, you only saw actors in movies, TV, or maybe on a talk show. Now, with social media, they’re everywhere: restaurants, supermarkets, airplanes. Fans have so much more access, and that makes them feel more invested and part of the process, which is probably a really good thing.”

Both Zane and Jury expressed feeling flattered at the online praise for their casting prowess. Elle Fanning seems flattered, too, telling MTV that Effie Trinket was always her favorite character in the franchise. In turn, she heaped praise on her predecessor Elizabeth Banks (“She brought so much… even beyond the book, layers to that character”), who reached out after Fanning was cast. “She sent me flowers that were beautiful, saying, ‘May the odds be in your favor,'” Fanning gushed. “I haven’t started filming yet, but we’re thinking and hopefully making the fans happy.”