'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' Expands Cast With 'Karate Kid: Legends' Star Ben Wang, Maya Hawke & More
The tribute list is growing day by day, as Lionsgate gears up for a highly anticipated return to Panem. American Born Chinese star and upcoming Karate Kid: Legends incumbent Ben Wang has been cast in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping , the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' prequel novel.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of Maya Hawke's ( Stranger Things , Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ) casting as Wiress, the eccentric and intelligent victor from District 3. Wang portrays District 12 tribute Wyatt Callow in the film, joining an already stacked roster that includes Joseph Zada ( Invisible Boys ) as a young Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak ( Chilling Adventures of Sabrina ) as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace ( Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ) as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons ( Breaking Bad ) as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. ( Chevalier ) as Beetee, and Lili Taylor ( The Conjuring ) as Mags.
Announced last June, Sunrise on the Reaping is set before the original Hunger Games trilogy, opening on the 50th Hunger Games — the violent, bloody Second Quarter Quell that became a defining chapter in Haymitch's story. Francis Lawrence, who has helmed every instalment in the franchise since 2012's Catching Fire , is back in the director's seat, with Billy Ray penning the screenplay. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson serve as producers, while Cameron MacConomy will executive produce.
The movie marks the franchise's latest outing after 2023's The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , which earned S$348 million at the global box office. The original novel was published on 18 March and sold 1.2 million copies in the U.S. in its first week.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens in theatres on 20 November 2026.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. francis lawrence lionsgate The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping
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