Lionsgate has officially confirmed the next cinematic installment in The Hunger Games franchise. Titled Sunrise on the Reaping, the forthcoming film is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s upcoming 2025 novel of the same name and will explore the origins of Haymitch Abernathy—District 12’s famously embittered victor and longtime mentor to Katniss Everdeen.
Set for theatrical release on November 20, 2026, Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy and 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lionsgate’s 2023 adaptation of Collins’s previous prequel novel.
Plot Overview
The prequel centers on a 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy as he is reaped to participate in the Second Quarter Quell—a harrowing edition of the Hunger Games that doubled the number of tributes from each district. With increased stakes, higher casualties, and more political undertones, the story is expected to delve deeper into the psychological and social ramifications of Panem’s annual spectacle. Haymitch not only faces the brutality of the Games but also navigates emotional ties and personal sacrifice back home.
Cast and Characters
Joseph Zada, a rising talent known for roles in Invisible Boys and Total Control, will lead the cast as Haymitch Abernathy. Zada is also set to appear in the forthcoming adaptation of We Were Liars on Prime Video this June.
Joining him is Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl, Hocus Pocus 2) as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend, and Mckenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale, I, Tonya) as fellow District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner.
Elle Fanning has been cast as a young Effie Trinket, who, in this era, takes on the role of Haymitch’s stylist—signifying an earlier chapter in the character’s Capitol trajectory. Elizabeth Banks previously portrayed Effie in the original franchise.
Rounding out the ensemble cast are:
- Ralph Fiennes as President Snow
- Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
- Maya Hawke as Wiress (District 3 victor)
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee (District 3 victor)
- Lili Taylor as Mags (District 4 victor)
- Ben Wang as Wyatt
- Molly McCann as Louella
Recent casting announcements also include Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, District 12’s escort, and Billy Porter as Magno Stift, her estranged husband.
Whitney Peak will portray Lenore Dove Baird.
Elle Fanning will also make her debut into the Hunger Games universe
Behind the Camera
Francis Lawrence, the director behind Catching Fire, both Mockingjay films, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, returns once again to helm the project. Lawrence’s continued involvement signals a cohesive creative vision and tonal consistency across the franchise’s expanding timeline.
Returning to Panem
Sunrise on the Reaping promises to deepen the mythology of The Hunger Games, reintroducing familiar figures like President Snow, Effie Trinket, and Plutarch Heavensbee through a new generational lens. With Collins’s trademark mix of political allegory and psychological depth, the prequel is positioned to examine how the Games shaped one of its most complex characters—Haymitch Abernathy—long before he became the sardonic mentor audiences know.
As the franchise evolves with this new installment, Sunrise on the Reaping is poised to offer both longtime fans and new viewers a darker, more intricate perspective on Panem’s legacy of violence, spectacle, and survival.
Production on the film is expected to begin later this year.
