Hunger Games fans shocked after realising who unrecognisable actress in new trailer is

The long-awaited trailer for the new Hunger Games prequel dropped yesterday, but one section of it has absolutely stumped sci-fi fans.

For those in need of a reminder, the upcoming flick 'revisits the world of Panem and follows young Haymitch Abernathy' - a character originally made famous by Woody Harrelson in 2012 - twenty-four years before the events of the first four films.

It sees Joseph Zara taking on a younger version of the troubled victor, 'starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell'.

Titled Sunrise on the Reaping, the trailer of the incoming film stars the likes of Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak and Kelvin Harrison Jr.

As we say, however, amongst the hordes of huge-name stars set to star in the upcoming blockbuster is one that many fans failed to recognise.

In the clip, a woman dressed in a yellow hazmat-esque suit, sporting a burnt orange bob and rocking a set of unnervingly straight and clinically white teeth.

According to movie bosses, the lady in question is Drusilla Sickle, a sinister games official responsible for announcing the latest round of tributes destined for doom in the arena.

As mentioned, the reason that the A-list star playing Sickle didn't immediately hit headlines following the release of the trailer, is because a number of fans failed to clock onto the actress behind the character.

And would you believe it? It's only three-time Primetime Emmy Award, three-time Tony Award, and three-time Golden Globe Award winner Glenn Close!

Close appears almost recognisable (Lionsgate)

Yep, that's right. They've just given the 78-year-old a flame red bob, a batch of prosthetics and a shiny new set of nashers to disguise her identity.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their shock, one dystopian fan questioned: "THAT'S GLENN CLOSE??????????"

Another noted: "Nkeup team was locked in cause I thought it was Glenn close and then they zoomed in to her face and I was oh that’s not her wtf and then I find out it actually is?? Makeup goes insane!"

"I gaslit myself cos when she came out I was like that is Glenn Close and then I was like wait that is not her face," a third agreed.

Another also wrote: "The hair and makeup team needs to win an award for this alone because there is not one trace of Glenn Close on that face."

"Give the make up team every award possible already cause I didn't even have the slightest clue that was glenn close," a fifth demanded.

The film stars a number of huge-name actors (Lionsgate)

Discussing her upcoming project with Entertainment Tonight recently, Close admitted: "I just think of character stuff as really fun. I’m doing The Hunger Games now and that’s another amazing collaboration I’m having fun with."

The Hollywood veteran also described the film as 'huge', adding: "There’s all these extras and helicopters and chariots and horses."