10 Ways The Hunger Games Films Were Almost Completely Different

2. Effie's Role Was Originally Smaller

The flamboyant escort Effie Trinket is largely absent from the Mockingjay book. She is arrested at the end of Catching Fire and has a couple of brief appearances but is by no means a main character. And originally, the filmmakers were considering leaving her out of the Mockingjay films entirely. However, after seeing Elizabeth Banks' incredible performance in Catching Fire, Collins herself called the producers and demanded that Effie appear in both Mockingjay films. She was used as a stand-in for the book character Fulvia Cardew and played a huge ongoing role in Katniss' development. She also took on one of Hoffman's scenes following his untimely death.