What’s with McKenna Grace and all the Hunger Games cosplay?

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McKenna Grace pays tribute to The Hunger Games.

If you’ve been wondering why McKenna Grace keeps turning up to red carpets dressed like she’s about to be reaped, there’s actually a method to all the madness.

The actor, who plays Maysilee Donner in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, has been using the film’s press tour to revisit some of the franchise’s most recognisable fashion moments.

And it’s pretty much everything a HG fan would want it to be.

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For those who aren’t familiar with Grace,  acting is only part of what she does. She’s also a musician who writes and performs her own pop-rock and alternative material, has released a couple of killer EP’s and contributes music to film soundtracks.

She’s even co-written, starred in and executive produced the 2022 film The Bad Seed Returns. So, she’s no stranger to having a hand in the creative process.

Working with stylist Molly Dickson, Grace has turned each appearance into a little game of spot the reference, pulling from the original films, their characters and even the actors who helped make Panem what it is.

From Katniss Everdeen’s iconic wedding dress, Effie Trinket’s butterfly obsession and the Girl on Fire look from Catching Fire.

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At the Berlin premiere, she wore a custom Cong Tri gown in fiery reds, oranges and yellows, with a dramatic pleated skirt that recalled Katniss’ flaming chariot outfit.

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In Paris, she went for a recreation of Katniss’ elaborate wedding dress, originally designed by Tex Saverio for Catching Fire.

Elsewhere, archival Alexander McQueen butterflies nodded to Effie, while a cream-and-grey ensemble referenced Jena Malone’s promotional looks as Johanna Mason.

There’s even a nod to Jennifer Lawrence outside the fictional world of Panem. At the Academy Museum Gala, Grace wore a custom red Mônot gown inspired by the Calvin Klein dress Lawrence wore to the 2011 Oscars, just before she became the face of the franchise.

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Don’t think for a second that this is just a case of an actor wearing themed outfits to get people talking about a new film.

Grace has been a self-confessed Hunger Games superfan for years. and these looks are a way of paying homage to everyone who was part of the franchise before her.

That includes the characters, the actors and the original films that helped build the world she’s now stepping into.

And her casting makes the references particularly fitting. Maysilee Donner is a District 12 tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, decades before Katniss enters the arena.

She’s also connected to one of the franchise’s most recognisable objects: the mockingjay pin that eventually becomes Katniss’ symbol.

So, while Grace might look like she’s having a very committed Hunger Games dress-up session, there’s a bigger idea behind it.

She’s playing a character from the franchise’s past while using fashion to acknowledge the stories and performances that came before her.

Not a bad way to promote a prequel, especially one with a fanbase that knows its Panem history.

And judging by how closely people are examining every new outfit, the Capitol would probably approve.