Jesse Plemons has officially joined the cast of “The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping,” taking on the role of the future Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee. Francis Lawrence returns to the Hunger Games franchise to helm this highly-anticipated prequel. This is something that takes us back 24 years before the events of the original series. Plemons’ casting announcement was made via The Hunger Games’ official Instagram account, adding to the buzz surrounding the highly anticipated release.
Plemons, an Oscar nominee himself with a chameleon-like ability to inhabit very different roles, will join the cast as a young Plutarch Heavensbee. In this role, he will play the role of a cameraman charged with filming District 12’s reaping. That character turns out to be the key to the story. Throughout the story, he digs into the roots of his rebellious spirit against the Capitol and eventually helps defeat the dreaded President Snow and the Hunger Games for good.
The film is launching a rapidly rising, star-packed ensemble of its own with McKenna Grace, Joseph Zada, and Whitney Peak. Plemons’ inclusion increases the intrigue around “Sunrise On The Reaping,” especially considering his previous relationship with the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. In Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 film “The Master,” Plemons, who was then a teen, played the son of Hoffman’s character. This experience made his new character, Heavensbee, all the more poignant.
With no spoilers, Plemons’ character becomes integral to the story. He illuminates the murky reality of fighting against authoritarian governments, a key theme in “The Hunger Games” series. Plutarch Heavensbee takes us behind the scenes to witness the grim realities of the reaping and the deadly landscape of Panem. Overall audiences can look forward to a powerful and intimate investigation of his artistry, ambition, downfalls and triumphs.
Plemons gives an exceptional performance in every sense, taking command of this crucial role. As a franchise, fans are anxious to see how his newfound performance will add to the project’s story and dimension.