The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping set to release in 2026; Date, full cast, plot & key details revealed

Time of India

23-07-2025

Lionsgate
has officially announced that
The Hunger Games
:
Sunrise on the Reaping
, the latest prequel in the blockbuster dystopian franchise, will hit theaters worldwide on November 20, 2026, bringing audiences back to
Panem
for a deeper look at one of the series' most enigmatic characters:
Haymitch Abernathy
.
Based on
Suzanne Collins
' 2025 bestselling novel of the same name, the film chronicles the events of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, and offers a gripping origin story of the man who would later mentor Katniss Everdeen.
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'In Sunrise on the Reaping, Collins continues her exploration of propaganda and power, this time through the eyes of a 16-year-old Haymitch,' Lionsgate said in a statement earlier this week. 'It's a story of brutality, survival, and the cost of becoming a victor.'
From page to screen, again
Francis Lawrence
, who directed
Catching Fire
and the Mockingjay films, returns to helm the prequel, while screenwriter Billy Ray adapts the script. The book, released in March 2025, topped bestseller charts in multiple countries and sold more than 1.5 million copies in its first week.
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Set 24 years before the original trilogy, the story follows
Haymitch
as he is reaped into a deadly arena that's twice the size of any previous Games. Collins has cited the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume as inspiration, particularly his work on the 'fragility of trust in perceived reality during societal collapse.'
A powerhouse ensemble cast
Lionsgate has assembled an all-star cast for the film, with rising actor Joseph Zada portraying a young Haymitch. Whitney Peak, known for Gossip Girl, plays Lenore Dove, while McKenna Grace steps into the role of Maysilee Donner, a tribute fans will recognize from Haymitch's haunting recollections.
Rounding out the cast:
Ralph Fiennes as President Snow
Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee (taking over the role originated by Philip Seymour Hoffman)
Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket
Maya Hawke as Wiress
Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee
Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman
Billy Porter as Gamemaker Magno Stift
Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle
The challenge of casting without a script
Casting the film posed a unique challenge. At the time casting began, neither the book nor the screenplay was available. 'We had to rely on character breakdowns and instinct,' casting director Debra Zane told Teen Vogue. 'It was unlike any project I've worked on.'
Producer Nina Jacobson, who has overseen every film in the franchise, praised the final selections: 'Once the manuscript came in, everything clicked. These actors didn't just fit the characters visually, they became them.'
The Hunger Games franchise has grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, and with Sunrise on the Reaping, Lionsgate appears poised to reignite the phenomenon for a new generation.
'It's not just a return to the arena,' Lawrence said in a recent interview. 'It's a return to the soul of Panem.'