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Sunrise on the Reaping star fought to have her character resemble Maysilee from beloved 2011 Hunger Games fan film
Mckenna Grace says she actively drew on a 2011 fan-made Hunger Games film while preparing to play Maysilee Donner in the upcoming prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Her efforts to match the earlier portrayal reflect how fan interpretations can shape expectations for a character before an official adaptation reaches cinemas.
Grace repeatedly watched the 12-minute short, The Second Quarter Quell, and arrived at pre-production with a braid and hairstyle details inspired by Stefania Barr, who played Maysilee. The film is set 24 years before the original story and follows 16-year-old Haymitch in the 50th Hunger Games, where twice the usual number of tributes are sent in; it is due in cinemas on 20 November.
In short
- Grace took inspiration from a 2011 fan film for Maysilee.
- Stefania Barr’s portrayal shaped Grace’s interpretation.
- Sunrise on the Reaping is due in cinemas on 20 November.
Explained simply
The Hunger Games is a series set in Panem, a country where the Capitol forces young people from its districts to compete in a deadly televised contest. Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel, set 24 years before the original story, and centres on Haymitch’s experience in the 50th Hunger Games, in which twice the usual number of tributes are chosen.
Maysilee Donner is one of the characters in that earlier contest. Before the official film, fans made The Second Quarter Quell, a 12-minute film released in 2011 in which Stefania Barr played Maysilee. Fan-made versions can give audiences a picture of characters before they appear in a studio adaptation, shaping expectations for the actors and filmmakers.
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