One of the most exciting things about The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping movie is that the book-to-screen adaptation will feature a bunch of fan-favorite characters from the original trilogy. The movie follows a young Haymitch Abernathy during his own Hunger Games, which means there are a ton of other returning characters in the mix. Kieran Culkin, for example, portrays Caesar Flickerman. However, the Oscar winner just recalled his fears about taking over a role made iconic by Stanley Tucci.
Ever since Culkin was announced to be playing the Capitol’s Hunger Games host, fans like me have been stoked to see his take. Here’s what was going on in the actor’s mind when he was called about the role:
Honestly, I thought I was terrible casting for this thing when it came to me. People were telling me, ‘Nah it’s going to be [great],’ and I’m like, ‘I feel like I’m such a different vibe than Stanley Tucci.’ And, there was this debate I was having with myself [about] not wanting to be bound by what another actor chose to do years ago. So, I don’t want to do what Stanley Tucci was doing because it would feel a bit like I’m mimicking him, I’m doing an impression, which is not nice. I want to create my own thing. But, I also don’t want to completely ignore it because it feels like I’m not doing justice to the story, and to fans of the movies and stuff.
I can totally see where Culkin was coming from here. He didn’t want to simply come into work and try to replicate what Tucci did in the original Hunger Games movies, which left him unsure about what to do. Here’s what happened next:
I remember talking to my wife about it, and going ‘I kind of want to do this thing, but I feel like I should do that. I’m not quite sure, ’cause I want to feel freedom to do my own thing’. She goes, ‘Why don’t you do that, but pick one thing that Stanley did. She’s not an actor, she’s not in the business. That was the best advice.
Culkin then told Deadline that when he went in to meet Sunrise on the Reaping director, Francis Lawrence, he wanted to talk this plan out with him. However, before he even got to it, the filmmaker told him that he didn’t want him to “do anything Stanley did”. Here’s why, per the Succession star:
He goes, ‘I want you to feel free to do your own thing because Caesar Flickerman is in a different place in his life now than when Stanley played it. By the time Stanley has been playing it, he’s been the Capitol’s go-to TV host for 24 years, and at this point he’s like this ambitious guy trying to become that. So, he’s like the stakes are high. He’s anxious. He thinks this is it. This is sink or swim. So, I went, ‘Oh, ok. That’s fun to play with. And, he’s in a different phase of his life without the freakin’ teeth.
I love this. Of course, Caesar Flickerman isn’t going to be the same kind of guy when he started at the Capitol as he was when we first met him in the original Hunger Games movie. This eased Kieran Culkin’s fears about playing the role and allowed him to bring something new to the character rather than doing an impression of Stanley Tucci’s version of Caesar.
I know this story has me even more excited to see what Culkin does with Caesar, because I imagine his performance will surprise me in some way. In addition to the return of Caesar at a younger age, Joseph Zada is playing Haymitch, Elle Fanning is playing Effie Trinket, Ralph Fiennes is President Snow, Jesse Plemons is Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. is Beetee and Maya Hawke is Wiress. Plus, Jennifer Lawrence confirmed that her Katniss, Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta and Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch are in the movie as well.
We’ll have to wait and see how Kieran Culkin does as Caesar Flickerman when the new Hunger Games comes out next month. It’s on the 2026 movie schedule for November 20.
