There still might be one film left of the Hunger Games franchise, but true fans of the series are already worrying about what life post-Hunger Games is going to be like. The series has introduced audiences to incredibly intricate characters that some fans aren't ready to leave in the books or on the screen in 2015 when Mockingjay — Part 2 is set to premiere. Well, the filmmakers behind the series are aware of this, and they might feel the same way. It was announced that they are considering staying in the Panem world and creating a spin-off of the Hunger Games series, according to Mockingjay director Francis Lawrence. Go ahead and rejoice now as you read what Lawrence had to say to MTV:
Everybody is thinking about [expanding the franchise], and talking about it... You need to make sure that you have something new to say. New characters need to be created that are just as compelling as Katniss. It's a tricky thing, but I'm definitely open to talking about it, and I think everybody's thinking about it. Everybody loves the word, and the ideas.
Since the beginning of the Hunger Games fandom, I've always been really interested in Effie Trinket. Her character, while seemingly shallow in Hunger Games, became more and more complicated as the story played out, and layers of shimmery make-up were peeled away. Effie's character is much more complex than she initially seemed when I first started to gain interest in the series, and, truthfully, I think there is a lot more to be told of her. This expansion could be just the place to do so.
For those that don't read the books and instead rely on the films for character development, Effie's character seems secondary. She was a shallow and surface character in the first film, someone who was so under the Capitol's influence that she didn't realize the horror her presence at The Reaping caused. She, like all of her other Capitol residents, loved the games and looked forward to the grandeur that they brought to Panem. In Catching Fire, it was obvious that Peeta and Katniss caused Effie to start to reevaluate her priorities; this was especially evident when she has to pull names for The Reaping, knowing that it's going to be Katniss' name that comes out.
Effie's character continued to grow in Mockingjay: Part 1, since she was given a pivotal piece of dialogue to deliver in place of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character, Plutarch. Effie continues to get more and more complex as she finds herself on the other side of the rebellion, against the Capitol — a place Effie circa Hunger Games would have never dreamed of being.
If a spin-off happens, Effie is first in my book to receive some attention from the franchise. Backstory on Effie is much needed, as she is arguably a character that goes through the most transformation in the series. Where did she come from, and how did the games, pre-Peeta and Katniss, affect her before? During the 3rd Quarter Quell, and even during the 74th Hunger Games, what is going on in Effie's head after she has met two people that so drastically change her life?
Also, where does Effie's character go after the novels and the movies stop? She sides with the rebellion early on, but how does that change the course of her life? There are many questions that are left to be answered regarding Effie Trinket, and, if an expansion happens, I hope she is the first one to get those answers. Plus, it wouldn't be so bad if we got more of that Effie humor.
Images: Lionsgate; Giphy (2)
