Franchise marketing has long blurred lines between story and spectacle in Panem. Lionsgate just pushed that further with three new in-universe propaganda videos on the relaunched Capitol.tv site.
ELEGANCE, TRUST and BELIEVE dropped recently and put Glenn Close front and center as Drusilla Sickle. The clips build anticipation for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Francis Lawrence directs the film, set for theaters on November 20, 2026. It follows young Haymitch Abernathy in the 50th Games, also known as the second Quarter Quell.
Close plays the ruthless District 12 escort, a role filled with Capitol excess and disdain. Fans have zeroed in on her elaborate styling. Think orange bob, military yellow accents, gloves and a commanding sash that tracks the novel's details. The look echoes her earlier turn as Cruella de Vil and amplifies the character's threat.
Prosthetics and wardrobe helped craft the effect. Close worked with a team of makeup artists, a wig maker and costumer Bina Daigeler to lock in five distinct outfits. She stretched her features in the mirror first, then refined the mouth, teeth and nose. The result left co-stars stunned.
Elle Fanning, who plays a young Effie Trinket, barely recognized her. "The first day on set with her, I was like, ‘Glenn, is this you? Are you in there?’" Fanning told Entertainment Weekly. Mckenna Grace called the performance incredible and terrifying. Whitney Peak found Close scary and intimidating in the reaping scenes.
Close herself linked the role to her past villain. "She’s kind of like Cruella," she said. "You don’t see the character until you get into the full makeup and drag of it all." She added that Drusilla has little patience for District 12. "She doesn’t give a s---. She’s pretty fed up with them because they’re the worst and they’re dirty and they smell and they’ve never won."
The interactive Capitol.tv site lets viewers explore the broadcasts as if tuning into Panem's official channel. It revives a promotional tool used for earlier films and leans into the story's focus on narrative control. Suzanne Collins has noted the book digs into propaganda and who shapes the message.
Joseph Zada stars as the teenage Haymitch. The ensemble also includes Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Jesse Plemons, Kieran Culkin and Billy Porter as Magno Stift. Close finished her scenes months ago. These videos keep the character alive in the lead-up to release.
They also give fans fresh stills and movement to dissect. Social chatter praises the book-accurate menace and how fully Close vanishes into the part. The spots arrive as the franchise continues expanding its universe after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Expect more from the campaign as the date nears. Close's Drusilla already feels like a standout addition, ready to unsettle audiences the way the Capitol intends.
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