Jesse Plemons doubted playing Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Hunger Games character

Jesse Plemons has said he doubted taking on the Hunger Games role made famous by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Plemons, 38, plays a young Plutarch Heavensbee, a secret rebel-insider, in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the sixth film of the dystopian franchise.

Hoffman portrayed the role in the original trilogy where he first appeared as the head game-maker of the violent televised games set up by an authoritarian regime to maintain control of the fictional country of Panem.

Speaking to the Press Association, Plemons said he was intimidated to step into Hoffman’s shoes and play the part.

He said: “The idea at the beginning was pretty intimidating and actually made me really think about whether or not I wanted to do it because I have so much respect and admiration for him.”

Plemons said after speaking with director Francis Lawrence, he changed his mind and accepted the role.

He added: “In talking with Francis and reading the book and the script, and considering the fact that this is 25 years previous to when we meet those characters in the other films.

“I think I just really wanted to explore this character and hopefully did it justice.”

The film follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada, who is selected to fight in the 50th Hunger Games, with Heavensbee appearing as a media official responsible with managing the coverage of the games where he manipulates footage to ensure the regime looks good.

(Left to right) Francis Lawrence, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Whitney Peak, Joseph Zada, Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes and Nina Jacobson attend a fan screening of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, at Westfield in west London (James Manning/PA)

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Despite this, he helps Abernathy in his quest to rebel and take down the arena from the inside.

Plemons said he hopes audiences are “moved” by the film and “look at the world in a new light and have a lot of conversations”.

“I think at this moment in time, the truth is up for debate, which is scary.

“So, it was really interesting playing a character like that, who was fully immersing himself with the dark side for a greater good that might not come to fruition for generations.

“It was really interesting.”

Directed by Francis Lawrence, the film is based on the hit dystopian series written by Suzanne Collins.

Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping will be out in cinemas from November 20.