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The Hunger Games movies were wildly popular, and is of the best book to screen adaptations of all time. Panem returned to theaters with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and fans are hyped for the forthcoming movie version of Sunrise on the Sunset. The cast is coming together, and it was recently revealed that Elle Fanning will play the role of Effie Trinket in the prequel. And now OG Effie Elizabeth Banks has reacted to that casting.

What we know about the Sunrise on the Reaping movie is limited, but director Francis Lawrence is bringing together a truly stacked cast. Fans were thrilled when Fanning was cast as Effie, but what does Banks think about it? While speaking with People at the premiere of her new TV show, the Pitch Perfect star shared her reaction. In her words:

I’m super excited. I texted the producers as well, and I think she’s perfect.

It looks like the odds are in Elle Fanning’s favor, as her predecessor totally approves of her casting. Those of us who read Sunrise on the Reaping were thrilled when the beloved character popped back up, and the Maleficent alum seems like a great choice to bring Effie back to life on the big screen.

As previously mentioned, casting for the Hunger Games prequel have been pretty fire. That includes Jesse Plemons playing Plutarch, and (more recently) Oscar-winning actor Kieran Culkin landing the role of Caesar Flickerman. In the same interview, Banks shared her excitement about Sunrise on the Reaping.

I think everyone’s really happy. And I’m really happy about that. I’m excited for the next generation to have their Effie.

While Sunrise on the Reaping is a story from Haymitch’s POV, it also offered origins for a number of other beloved Hunger Games characters. That includes Effie, Beetee, Wiress, and Mags. But we’ll have to keep spoilers away from Elizabeth Banks, as the director/writer admitted she hasn’t actually read the new book. As she shared:

So please don’t ask me any more about the book. I feel terrible, but I have yet to read

While Sunrise on the Reaping is a quick read, we can’t blame Banks for not flying through Suzanne Collins’ latest addition to the Hunger Games franchise. She’s in the midst of promoting her new TV series The Better Sister (which will be available with an Amazon Prime subscription), in addition to whatever other projects she has going on. We’ll just have to wait and see her reaction to Effie’s role in the prequel.

Despite fan excitement, we’re going to have to wait to see the next Hunger Games. Because rather than being on the 2025 movie release list, Sunrise on the Reaping is currently expected to hit theaters on November 20th, 2026.