Jesse Plemons tapped to fill Philip Seymour Hoffman's shoes in Hunger Games franchise

Sunrise On The Reaping follows the 50th Hunger Games (a.k.a. the Second Quarter Quell), in which twice as many tributes are chosen from each district. That includes the eventual District 12 victor Haymitch Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson in the original series and the recently cast Joseph Zada in the new film. During the Quarter Quell, Plutarch Heavensbee is a mere cameraman, but still a secret rebel who tries to help Haymitch navigate the games and possibly destroy them from the inside. The adaptation will be directed by Hunger Games mainstay Francis Lawrence from a script by Billy Ray.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1 and 2 featured the final film appearances of Philip Seymour Hoffman before his death. Jesse Plemons is a pretty good pick to follow in his footsteps; both actors share a capability for comedy and drama, as comfortable with unsettling villainy as friendly eccentricity. In addition to Plemons and Zada, Whitney Peak has been cast as Haymitch’s love interest Lenore Dove Baird and Mckenna Grace as his fellow tribute Maysilee Donner. Still to come are a number of other tributes, as well as younger versions of Beetee (first played by Jeffrey Wright), Wiress (Amanda Plummer), Mags (Lynn Cohen), and fan-favorite Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks). There’s also the ultimate baddie President Snow, who has so far been played by Tom Blyth and Donald Sutherland. Time will tell who gets to play Panem’s evil dictator in middle age.