Elle Fanning wore a spinning ballerina on her head to kick off the Hunger Games press tour. At the London fan screening of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping on Wednesday, Oct. 28, the 28-year-old turned up in pale pink Robert Wun couture with a music-box fascinator, a look Vogue called method dressing for her role as a young Effie Trinket. Clips from the carpet spread on X overnight, including one where she says original Effie Elizabeth Banks gave her “her blessing” (Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, PopCrave on X).
Watch: Elle Fanning on getting Elizabeth Banks’ blessing
In the clip, Fanning talks about playing Effie and says Banks sent her flowers. “I got her blessing. That was nice,” she says, as PopCrave quoted it. The post had nearly 50,000 views on X by Thursday morning, Bangkok time.
It isn’t the first time she has told the story. Back in October 2025, while she was still filming, Fanning told The Hollywood Reporter: “She sent me these beautiful flowers and said, ‘May the odds be ever in your favor.’ We texted a little bit. She made that role iconic and so lovable and so I hope I can live up to what she did for the fans.” She also told MTV News that fans had campaigned for her online: “I think fans made this happen in a way” (Film-News.co.uk).
The look: a music box on her head
Fanning and stylist Samantha McMillen picked look 19 from Robert Wun’s fall 2026 haute couture collection (Vogue). It’s a bubblegum-pink strapless corset dress with a tea-length tulle tutu skirt and a second, molded bodice that peels away from the body. W Magazine says the tutu used more than 390 feet of layered tulle and nearly 200 feet of silk organza.
The headpiece is the part everyone posted: a pink pillbox fascinator with a ballerina figurine and a mirror behind it, like the inside of a jewelry box. Harper’s Bazaar reports the ballerina actually spun. She finished it with pink tulle pumps, a diamond choker and a Cartier bracelet. The screening was held at Westfield London, WWD reports.
CelebMafia also has her London press portraits in an embellished floral Vivienne Westwood suit with a red bow hat. In September she did a Hunger Games press day in a plunging, silver-embellished Rabanne vest over pastel lace.
Photos: Elle Fanning’s Effie press tour
Why fans wanted her as Effie
Asked by Deadline at the London event why fans fan-cast her as Effie, Fanning said: “I think I smile really big and I laugh a lot” (Deadline on X). In the prequel, Effie is the stylist for a young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) at the 50th Hunger Games, 24 years before the events of the first film. Mckenna Grace plays fellow District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner, and Francis Lawrence directs again. The film opens on Nov. 20, 2026 (WWD).
Elle Fanning’s sex scenes in The Great
Before Effie, Fanning played Catherine in Hulu’s The Great (2020–2023), opposite Nicholas Hoult as Peter. These are the scenes from her Scandal Planet hub:
See every Elle Fanning clip and photo on her hub →
What’s confirmed and what isn’t
The outfit details come from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W, WWD and Marie Claire. Outlets disagree on the shoes: Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Claire say Aquazzura, Vogue says Jimmy Choo. The Banks quotes come from The Hollywood Reporter (2025) and the PopCrave clip from this week’s London event. The clips on this page were filmed by other outlets and are shown for news reporting.
FAQ
Who does Elle Fanning play in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping?
She plays a young Effie Trinket, the Capitol escort played by Elizabeth Banks in the original four films. In the prequel, Effie is the stylist for a young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) at the 50th Hunger Games, 24 years before Katniss volunteers.
What did Elle Fanning wear to the Sunrise on the Reaping London screening?
Look 19 from Robert Wun’s fall 2026 haute couture collection: a pale pink corset dress with a tulle tutu skirt, a sculpted second bodice and a pillbox fascinator topped by a ballerina figurine and a mirror, like a music box. Stylist Samantha McMillen chose it, according to Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Did Elizabeth Banks approve of Elle Fanning as Effie?
Yes. Fanning has said Banks sent her flowers with the note “May the odds be ever in your favor” after she was cast, and that they texted. At the London screening she told PopCrave: “I got her blessing. That was nice.”
When does The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping come out?
The film opens in theaters on November 20, 2026. Francis Lawrence directs again.
Has Elle Fanning done nude or sex scenes?
Her best-known sex scenes are in Hulu’s The Great, where she plays Catherine. Scandal Planet’s Elle Fanning hub collects those clips.
Videos: carpet clips as posted on X by PopCrave and FilmUpdates. Photos via CelebMafia (Robert Wun London screening, Vivienne Westwood London press, Rabanne press day, Academy Museum Gala). Scene clips: The Great (Hulu). Used for news reporting and commentary.
