The Hunger Games is one of those stories that’s disturbing precisely because it seems so plausible. Though set in a future in which teenagers are forced to participate in a brutal televised hunt to the death, it has a lot to say about the ways in which contemporary American culture operates. The films were excellent adaptations of the novels, in large part because Jennifer Lawrence is such a formidable acting talent.
Though the films were made a relatively short time ago, it’s still fun to think about how the films might like and feel different with a cast updated for today.
Katniss - Chloe Grace Moretz
For being so young, Moretz has certainly had an incredibly varied acting career, with roles in a wide variety of television and film projects throughout the years. Katniss is, naturally, the most important character in the films, and any actor taking over the role would have to contend with Jennifer Lawrence’s shadow. However, if anyone could do it, it would be Moretz, who would probably make Katniss a bit softer and more sensitive than in the existing films.
Peeta - Tom Holland
Tom Holland has, of course, made quite the splash in recent years portraying Spider-Man in a variety of MCU films, which is what would make him a perfect choice to play Peeta. The thing about Tom Holland is that he somehow manages to be both charming and subtle in his characterizations, and both of these would certainly come in handy while portraying Peeta, one of the most contradictory and complex of the many characters that appear in this saga. Hopefully, he would also have good chemistry with Moretz.
Gale Hawthorn - Dylan Sprayberry
Like several of the other cast members on this list, Dylan Sprayberry has also shown that he has quite a lot of talent, having been in at least two noteworthy film and television franchises. This would make him an ideal person to play the character of Gayle (one of Katniss' love interests), memorably portrayed by Liam Hemsworth in the existing films. Sprayberry would probably bring a little bit of freshness to the role, and he might even be a bit more emotive than Hemsworth is generally capable of being.
Haymitch - Ethan Embry
Like so many other characters that appear in Hunger Games, Haymitch is a bundle of contradictions, a mentor haunted by his own demons. Woody Harrelson does a fine job in the role (mostly because he’s Woody Harrelson, and he’s a strangely versatile sort of actor), but Ethan Embry would also be a good fit.
He’s played supporting roles in quite a few things, including the very vulnerable Coyote in Grace and Frankie), so he would definitely be able to explore the various complexities of the character.
Effie Trinket - Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway is without a doubt one of the best actors of her generation. Whether in comedy or drama, she somehow always manages to excel, finding various complexities and nuances in every character she plays. That makes her an ideal fit for the character of Effie, who is similarly complicated (certainly more in the films than in the books). Given that it’s Anne Hathaway, she’d also make Effie into a character the audience can admire, even as they find some aspects of her morally questionable.
Caesar Flickerman - Jonathan Van Ness
In the original films, the charismatic yet vacuous Caesar Flickerman is played fantastically by Stanly Tucci. Of course, Jonathan Van Ness is a very different actor--and persona--than Tucci, and that’s precisely what would make him such a good fit for this role. He could definitely lean into the more fantastic and hammy elements of the character, and it would be a bit of a change of pace for him; it would be interesting to see just how much he could do with the role.
President Snow - Ben Kingsley
Now, it has to be said that Donald Sutherland did an absolutely superb job as President Coriolanus Snow, managing to combine both grace and cunning (and more than a hint of cruelty) in his characterization. If anyone could step into the role and bring out a different side of the character, it would be the master Ben Kingsley.
In his hands, one can well imagine a President Snow with a certain sort of brooding menace, one determined to crush anyone foolish enough to oppose him.
Prim - McKenna Grace
Prim is, of course, Katniss’s younger sister and is, in many ways, the catalyst for all of the events that happen during the series. Willow Shields did a fine job in the role, and watching her it’s easy to see why Katniss felt such profound love for her sister. McKenna Grace is still a relative newcomer to the world of film and television, but her role as the young Theo Crain in The Haunting of Hill House showed that she has quite a lot of range and talent for a young actress.
Cinna - Daveed Diggs
Daveed Diggs, most famous for his roles as Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette in the hit musical Hamilton, has also made a number of screen appearances. In this case, he would be taking over a role originated in the films by the one and only Lenny Kravitz. Diggs is a great actor, and he has a signature style all of his own--one might even go so far as to say that it’s flamboyant--that would really work well with the character of Cinna.
Plutarch Heavensbee - Chiwetel Ejiofor
In the novels and films, Plutarch is a very important character, since he is a key part of the resistance. In the films, of course, he is played by the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman (who actually passed away before the final film was released). Ciwetel Ejiofor has racked up quite a few acting accolades over his career, and he has shown time and again that, like the greatest actors, he can reach down deep to pull up all of the complexities of a character. Plutarch would be no exception.