Stakes raised for Catching Fire

Elizabeth Banks has teased that the "stakes are raised" in The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire.

The actress, who is set to reprise her role as tribute chaperone Effie Trinket, revealed that the second instalment will be better than the first.

"The stakes are definitely raised, in this one. The emotional stakes are raised. My costumes are all bigger and better and more over-the-top. Everybody is pulling out all the stops," she told Collider.

Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth will return as Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne respectively in Catching Fire, along with newcomers Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright and Jena Malone.

"We have so many amazing new actors coming to work with us. I just met Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and that was like, 'Wow, we've got some really amazing actors joining us! That's crazy!' It's great. I'm super excited," Elizabeth said.

Francis Lawrence will sit in the director's chair this time around, taking over from Gary Ross, who directed the first film.

Elizabeth, who next stars in musical comedy Pitch Perfect, also revealed that Effie begins to question the Hunger Games, a televised battle featuring youngsters fighting to their deaths.

"In Catching Fire, Effie really starts to feel the injustice of what's happening. We plan to explore that, in the movie," she explained.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be released in November 2013.