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Catching Firesaw the introduction of several new characters toThe Hunger Gamesnarrative, many of whom are ultimately integral to District 13’s uprising and defeat of the Capitol inMockingjay. President Snow’s decision to reap past victors for the Games' 75th annual Quarter Quell threw a slew of new faces into the mix, including the charming Finnick Odair, the bold Johanna Mason, and the elderly Mags, among many others. The spectacle of this special edition of the Hunger Games also required a new Head Gamemaker.
Seneca Crane, Head Gamemaker inThe Hunger Games,met his untimely end after President Snow blamed him for Katniss and Peeta’s heartwarming ploy that saved both their lives in their first Games. The presence of nightlock, a poisonous berry, initially accomplished Seneca’s intentions in the arena. Tributes mistook them for food and ate them, dying instantly. Katniss, however, recognized them for what they were, and when she and Peeta were the last left standing in the Games, the two used them to make a suicide pact rather than attack each other. President Snow, who, after the events ofThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, knows better than anyone theimportance of hope in retaining his audience, abruptly ended the games and allowed an unprecedented victory of two tributes. However, when Seneca himself was locked in a room with the berries, it was clear that Snow was unhappy with this outcome and blamed it on the presence of nightlock in the arena.Catching Fireintroduces the mysterious Plutarch Heavensbee as the successor to this high-stakes position.
Who is Plutarch inThe Hunger Games?
After Katniss is inevitably reaped asDistrict 12’s only female victor, and Peeta volunteers in Haymitch’s place, the couple is lavishly transported to the Capitol where they socialize with city elites- including new Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee. Plutarch is surprisingly charming, dancing with Katniss, and offering subtle hints of his intentions of rebellion, but she doesn’t yet pick up on them. He wears a watch featuring the image of the mockingjay, which Katniss notices but doesn’t grasp its meaning.
Regardless of any plans of uprising, Plutarch dutifully fulfills his role as Gamemaker. The arena inCatching Fireis thorough and brutal, taking the form of a clock in which a different section of the jungle faces a certain horror every hour. When the tributes come to understand the layout, Plutarch casually demands that the map be spun, sending the land itself flying in a circle as Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, Johanna, and others cling for their lives. Before the Games even began, Plutarch displayed his cold prowess for societal control.
Shut down the black markets, take away what little they have, then double the amount of floggings and executions. Put them on TV, broadcast them live, sow fear, more fear… She’s engaged. Make everything about that. What kind of dress is she gonna wear? Floggings. What’s the cake gonna look like? Executions. Who’s gonna be there? Fear. Blanket coverage. Shove it in their faces. Show them that she’s one of us now. They’re gonna hate her so much they might just kill her for ya.
Nonetheless, when the force field over the arena is broken and several tributes are inexplicablyairlifted out of the arena, Plutarch’s role as a double agent becomes clear. He, along with Haymitch, is waiting for Katniss to regain consciousness so they can explain the situation. Katniss, still not understanding Plutarch’s role in the rescue, balks at the sight of him until he explains the plan that has been in place long before the Games began: to get her out and make her the face of the rebellion, the mockingjay.
Throughout the uprising that takes place inMockingjay,Plutarch serves as a leader in the war. He spearheads the propaganda element of District 13’s approach, orchestrating the filming of propos and attempting to keep Katniss from any real battle, knowing that the loss of the symbol of the rebellion would be devastating to integral morale.
Who Played Plutarch inThe Hunger GamesMovies?
InCatching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1,andMockingjay Part 2, Plutarch was played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. With credits ranging fromTwistertoMoneyball,Mission: ImpossibletoThe Big Lebowski, Hoffman was a highly regarded, critically acclaimed performer. Hoffman passed away from a drug overdose at the age of 46 while still filmingMockingjay Part 2. It was his final film. Hoffman had completed all but two of his scenes for the final installment ofThe Hunger Games,yet he was the only actor to portray the character.
Final Appearance Release Date
June 25, 2025
The rest of Plutarch’s appearances inMockingjay Part 2were rewritten to justify Hoffman’s absence. Director Francis Lawrence refused to use any kind of CGI to attempt to digitally recreate Hoffman, a choice that heexplained to Huffpostwas not difficult at all.
I just think to attempt to fake a Philip Seymour Hoffman performance would have been catastrophic, and I would never want to do that.
What Happens to Plutarch?
Despite many casualties in the District rebellion, Plutarch survives the war. Still reeling from the betrayal and rapid defeat, President Snow considers Plutarch a mastermind of the uprising, and thus at least partially responsible forPresident Coin’s unethical war tactics. However, while Katniss publicly kills Coin, Plutarch is left untouched. He even comes to Katniss’s aid by saving Effie Trinket from execution, a Capitol elite who had come to be a close friend of Katniss, and speaking in Katniss’s defense at her trial for Coin’s murder. In life after the rebellion, Plutarch works as Panem’s Secretary of Communication.
The Hunger Games
In a Dystopian future, food has become the world’s most valuable resource, and children must fight to the death in a televised event in order to win resources for their home districts. When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister’s place, she sets in motion an uprising to change the world. Based on the hit YA novels by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games quickly became a phenomenon with four star-studded movies based on the original series and a prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, released in 2023. The series has featured performances by Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Peter Dinklage, and Rachel Zegler.
