The Hunger Games Mistake That Made Elizabeth Banks Angry With Jennifer Lawrence

When you’re in any respect conversant in Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence’s public persona, you in all probability will not be shocked to be taught that she instructed her fellow Academy Award winner and “Do not Look Up” co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, a couple of bizarre and embarrassing expertise she had on the set of the “Starvation Video games” motion pictures. Particularly, Lawrence, who not often (if ever) minces her phrases, instructed DiCaprio that she took a sleeping capsule very first thing within the morning by mistake whereas she was engaged on the second movie within the four-part collection, “The Starvation Video games: Catching Fireplace,” and her colleague Elizabeth Banks wasn’t significantly blissful about the whole scenario.

Talking throughout Variety’s Actors on Actors series in December 2025, Lawrence and DiCaprio bonded over making an attempt to get sufficient sleep earlier than lengthy shoots, one thing they each apparently wrestle with. As Lawrence famous to DiCaprio, “You and I are each obsessive about sleep after we’re working, like counting the hours. Once I did ‘Pink Sparrow,’ I took an Adderall as a substitute of a sleeping capsule, after which I did not sleep all night time.” Sadly, she did the precise reverse whereas filming “Catching Fireplace” (in which Lawrence plays protagonist and Hunger Games tribute Katniss Everdeen):

“I additionally as soon as took an Ambien within the morning, considering it was one thing else. It was a dance scene with Philip Seymour Hoffman on the second ‘Starvation Video games’ film. I used to be hallucinating. Elizabeth Banks acquired actually irritated with me.” 

Banks, as you would possibly recall, performs Katniss’ stylist Effie Trinket. “However, I saved asking [director Francis Lawrence], ‘And wait, what does this imply? Wait, and what does this imply? What does that imply?'” Lawrence recalled, noting that Banks acquired actually irritated. “She simply threw her sides and was like, ‘Fantastic, let’s simply hold speaking about it.'” Nonetheless, as Lawrence famous, Banks in all probability did not know concerning the Ambien.

In case you do not bear in mind what Jennifer Lawrence and Elizabeth Banks even did within the unique “Starvation Video games” movies, here is a helpful refresher: After we first meet Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen, she’s an adolescent within the impoverished District 12 of Panem, a dystopian and totalitarian model of North America that is been break up into 12 distinct elements, and she or he’s making ready for the annual Reaping, which is able to select one boy and one lady from every district to combat to the dying within the titular Video games. Regardless of her absolute best efforts, Primrose Everdeen, performed within the movies by Willow Shields, is chosen as the feminine tribute for District 12, so Katniss, her older sister, instantly volunteers as tribute on Prim’s behalf.

That is additionally, by the way, when Katniss first crosses paths with Effie Trinket, the character made well-known on-screen by Banks. An over-the-top lady who’s seemingly enthusiastic concerning the Video games *which, once more, entails a gaggle of kids being compelled to brutally homicide one another, with the only real survivor rising from the battle area as victor), Effie is in control of going to District 12 and selecting the names of the tributes. After Katniss and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are confirmed because the district’s tributes, she then travels with them to the Capitol and exhibits them the ropes. Nonetheless, Effie’s preening exterior hides a deeper individual; within the two-part closing movie, “Mockingjay,” we see Effie within the insurgent base of District 13, stripped of her garish make-up and outfits and combating for her survival together with all people else. Now, with a brand new “Starvation Video games” prequel film on the horizon, one other actor is taking on the position of Effie. So, what does Banks suppose?

In 2025, unique “Starvation Video games” creator Suzanne Collins launched the long-awaited prequel novel “Dawn on the Reaping,” which tells the story of a youthful Haymitch Abernathy and his slender victory through the fiftieth Starvation Video games, often known as the Second Quarter Quell. Haymitch, who’s usually paired with Effie within the unique “Starvation Video games” motion pictures, is performed by Woody Harrelson by the point he serves as Katniss and Peeta’s official Video games mentor (in his capability as the only surviving and known Hunger Games victor from District 12), however he’ll be portrayed by Joseph Zada within the “Dawn on the Reaping” movie adaptation set to launch in fall 2026.

The producers of “Sunrise on the Reaping” have assembled a star-studded cast to take over the roles originated by different luminaries, together with Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland within the unique movies and Tom Blyth within the first “Starvation Video games” prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”), Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee (the position originated by Philip Seymour Hoffman), and Kieran Culkin as Video games host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci within the first 4 movies). So, what of Effie Trinket? I am genuinely excited to say she’ll be performed by Elle Fanning, whose latest credit embrace every little thing from “A Full Unknown” to “Sentimental Worth” to “Predator: Badlands.”

Not less than Banks appears psyched about this. “I am tremendous excited,” Banks completely instructed People Magazine. “I texted the producers as nicely, and I feel she’s excellent. I feel everybody’s actually blissful. And I am actually blissful about that. I am excited for the following era to have their Effie.” A number of us are too … and we’ll get to see Fanning’s tackle this character in “Dawn on the Reaping” on November 20, 2026.