Jesse Plemons has admitted that he had conflicting feelings about taking on his late co-star Philip Seymour Hoffman's role in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel. The Civil War actor is gearing up to star in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Plutarch Heavensbee, a role previously portrayed by his The Master co-star in three of the four original films. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Plemons admitted his connection to Hoffman initially made him hesitant about taking on the part. When asked if knowing and working with Hoffman influenced his decision, he replied, "I don't know if this makes sense, but it was actually one of the things that made me question if I wanted to do it. No offence, because I could just flash forward to the press and all of that, which I don't mind. It's fine." The Breaking Bad actor added that he has "such respect and admiration" for The Talented Mr. Ripley star, who died in 2014. Despite his initial hesitation, he ultimately decided to take on the role due to other overriding factors. "I think I just decided, you know what? I want to do it. I like the part, and I like the script, and I like the director and the cast. So, yeah, here we go," he explained, before confirming that he's filming that project next. Sunrise on the Reaping, which is set 24 years before the events of the first film, depicts the 50th annual Hunger Games tournament through the eyes of Haymitch Abernathy, who was previously played by Woody Harrelson. Plemons will star alongside Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning and Kieran Culkin as the younger versions of President Snow, Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman, respectively. The film also stars Joseph Zada, Glenn Close, Maya Hawke and Billy Porter. Sunrise on the Reaping, which will once again be directed by Hunger Games mainstay Francis Lawrence, will be released in cinemas on 20 November 2026.