‘The Hunger Games’ Star Mckenna Grace Plays Both Sides of the ‘Catching Fire’ Sugar Cube Scene

Few actors have embraced a press tour quite like Mckenna Grace. Ever since she was cast in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping‘, every red carpet appearance has doubled as a puzzle for fans, packed with references to the franchise’s most recognizable costumes.

The 20-year-old actress has worn nods to Katniss Everdeen’s wedding gown, a Rue-inspired blue dress and the black feathered interview dress from ‘Catching Fire’. Fans have come to expect a hidden Easter egg every time she steps in front of the cameras, and the cosplay campaign has become a story of its own.

Mckenna Grace recreates the sugarcube scene between Katniss and Finnick from ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ in new Tik Tok. https://t.co/yTPZAQRWam

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 4, 2026

Now the actress has taken the fandom love from the red carpet to her phone. Grace posted a new TikTok recreating the sugar cube scene between Katniss and Finnick Odair from ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’, and the clip runs 32 seconds.

In the video, she appears to play both parts, with Katniss and Finnick trading lines in the exchange fans know by heart. Reports on the clip say she dressed up as each character and took turns delivering the dialogue, which makes the piece a one-woman remake of a fan-favorite moment.

The scene is one of the most memorable beats in ‘Catching Fire’, with Sam Claflin’s Finnick offering Katniss a sugar cube. It remains a favorite on social media, and official accounts such as Peacock and Prime Video have shared it on TikTok.

Fans have spent years debating what the moment really means. Some see it as flirtation, while others read it as Finnick testing whether Katniss’s feelings for Peeta were real or just part of the story the Capitol was watching.

That mix of charm and calculation is part of why the scene keeps getting remade. Few lines in the franchise are as easy to quote, and few props are as easy to recreate as a small cube of sugar.

Fans were quick to show their appreciation for the video. Commenters called her a nerd in the most affectionate way, and others praised her as a hardcore fan of the series.

That reaction fits the pattern of her press tour. Grace has leaned hard into the idea that she grew up loving these stories, and she has said that her character work is meant to honor the original actors and the original versions of their roles.

The playful nods land differently because of the part she plays. Grace stars as Maysilee Donner, a District 12 tribute and the original owner of the Mockingjay pin that Katniss later wears, and she also plays Maysilee’s twin sister, Merrilee.

When the casting was announced in April 2025, Deadline described the role as the closest thing to the Katniss part that made Jennifer Lawrence a star. That description helps explain why her Katniss homages feel like a natural fit rather than simple fan service.

Witness the beginning of the revolution. #TheHungerGames: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters & IMAX November 20. https://t.co/fKCrWXIk3T

— The Hunger Games (@TheHungerGames) September 16, 2026

The latest wave of looks arrived in Berlin, where Grace wore a custom Cong Tri gown inspired by the ‘Girl on Fire’ chariot dress at the Zoo Palast on November 2. She lifted the skirt with both hands as the pleats fanned out in red and orange, and her curled and braided hair echoed Katniss’s styling in the parade.

Earlier in the tour, she wore a vintage Monique Lhuillier gown at a Panem costume exhibition in Paris that recalled Katniss’s wedding dress. She has also said that she worked smaller details into the looks, such as Maysilee’s braid and the butterflies Haymitch encounters in the arena.

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ follows Haymitch Abernathy into the 50th Hunger Games, 24 years before Katniss volunteers for her sister. The film premiered in London on October 28 and is scheduled to arrive in the United States on November 20, with Joseph Zada as Haymitch and Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket.

Grace also appears on the film’s companion album, which features 28 other artists across 29 tracks. Her sugar cube TikTok is a small, playful moment, but it adds to the nostalgia building around the franchise’s return to theaters.

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