If you are excited for a new instalment in “The Hunger Games” world, know you are not alone. Sam Claflin, who played Finnick Odair in the original film series, says he is “a huge lover and fan of the world Rafa Sales Ross Suzanne Collins created” and “can’t help but feel attached to it.”
Speaking with Variety at Canneseries, where he is promoting Bille August’s epic series “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the actor says he loved 2023’s “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” “I thought it was a fresh take with a fresh generation. They did a wonderful job. I understand the ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ book is even better.”
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is currently in the works and is predicted to arrive in cinemas in November 2026. Jesse Plemmons and Mckenna Grace recently joined leads Joseph Zada and Whitney Peak, who will play Haymitch Abernathy and Lenore Dove Baird in the Lionsgate film taking place 24 years before the original trilogy. Francis Lawrence, who has directed every instalment since “Catching Fire,” is back to direct from a screenplay adaptation by Billy Ray. Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce. Cameron MacConomy will executive produce.
Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair in ‘The Hunger Games’ – courtesy of Lionsgate
“I recently sat down in L.A. with Francis, who is the man who cast me,” recalls Claflin. “Being able to reminisce with him and hear about the producing side of it, as they are in Berlin preparing for the film, was so exciting. I was picking his brain. I’d heard who they had in mind for casting and thought, ‘Oh my god, this is so exciting!’ So I am right there with you and everyone looking forward to it.”
The actor also highlighted another great reason to see the world of “The Hunger Games” find new fans: his nine-year-old son. “What’s amazing is that my little boy is at an age where he is aware of ‘Hunger Games,’” he says giddily. “He’s nearly old enough to watch it. Experiencing it through his eyes soon will be really, really rewarding. I have friends’ kids who have watched it, and they question me every single time I see them. It’s so nice being able to connect with the younger generation on that, especially being a father myself now. It’s a joy.”
“It’s been over 10 years since we shot the last film, and it’s absurd to think about what has happened in my life since then,” he concludes. “It’s a huge part of my life.”
Another literary adaptation, “The Count of Monte Cristo” sees the British actor in a very different role, playing Edmond Dantes, a sailor falsely accused of treason and unjustly imprisoned on an island fortress. Escaping after years of captivity, Dantes assumes the new titular identity to take revenge on those who have wrongly accused him. The epic show is directed by two-time Palme d’Or winner Bille August (“The Best Intentions”) and is the first international series of that caliber fully produced as well as distributed by Mediawan, and financed with Entourage.
Commenting on the physical and emotional transformation of his character, Claflin says he found the beginning of shooting “energetically very draining,” as the episodes were shot in reverse chronological order due to the scruffy look required in the early chapters. “What I struggled the most with was not getting emotional, because Sam, if he hadn’t seen the love of his life for two years, would cry. I had to switch that off, and that brought a lot of challenges with it, because my instinct is to feel.”
‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ courtesy of Jean-Claude Lowther
This instinct also led the actor to play main roles in several beloved romances, including “Me Before You” and “Love, Rosie.” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” despite its often dark nature, also features a great romance at its core. Asked what draws him to such roles, Claflin says he’s “a romantic at heart.”
“I’m useless at it, but I love love, and love falling in love and feeling love,” he continues. “I don’t know how to feel loved, but I’m learning. I grew up watching and loving romantic movies, and I think it’s important that I feel passionate about the projects that I do, and love is what makes us and motivates us, in whatever capacity it comes, even if it’s just self-love. It’s one of the greatest wonders of the world, and I hope to continue to explore it.”
To Claflin, another great memory of the series is having the opportunity to share the screen with veteran Jeremy Irons, whom he has been a fan of since watching him on “The Lion King” as a child. “He is such an icon. I’ll never forget the first day he arrived on set. He was dressed in this cool boiler suit, combat boots, and wearing a beaning in the middle of Malta, just smoking a cigarette. The coolest guy in the world, you know?”
And, although a tiring and long journey from prepping, to shooting, and promoting the series over the last few years, Claflin is glad to still be traveling to discuss the show and introduce it to new audiences. “Normally, when you promote something, it is all crammed in two crazy weeks, but this has felt so nice, to have a little drip of seeing each other every month for just a day or two. It’s been lovely and I’m excited for more people to experience the series, knowing the hard work that everyone put into it.”
