The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is a film adapted from the prequel novel of the same name. It is the sixth installment in the film franchise, set to theatrically release on November 20, 2026.[3] It will explore the world of Panem 24 years prior to events of The Hunger Games, beginning on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.[2]
Production[]
The book and the movie adaptation for Sunrise were both announced on June 6, 2024.[3] Nina Jacobson returned as a producer alongside Brad Simpson[2], and Francis Lawrence will direct.[1] In response to a fan-posted rumor that the film was slated to begin shooting in January 2025, two months before the book's release, Nina Jacobson stated that the book would be published months before production on the film begins.[4] In an interview with ComicBook.com, director Francis Lawrence discussed the challenges of casting a young Haymitch Abernathy for the film, comparing to the process of ultimately casting Tom Blyth as a young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. He stated that his thinking was "How am I going to cast a young person who is believably going to become Donald Sutherland? Who’s going to have that sort of intelligence, sophistication, a little irreverence, gravitas, all of that. Who is going to embody and be believable in the fact that he’s going to turn into that guy and become the president of Panem? And it’s the same thing [with Haymitch]."[1]
Filming for the title was originally set to begin on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles.[5] The location was moved to Germany and filming was further delayed to July 1, 2025.[6]
On April 1, 2025, it was reported that the film's screenplay would be written by Billy Ray[7], who did rewrites of the initial script for the original The Hunger Games film; this script was ultimately replaced by a new one written by Collins and director Gary Ross.[8] As of early April 2025, casting was still underway for the character of Haymitch Abernathy, with Francis Lawrence reporting that the process had been, to some degree, handcuffed by the book not being released at the time.[9]
On April 23, 2025, Joseph Zada and Whitney Peak were cast for lead roles of Haymitch Abernathy and Lenore Dove Baird.[10] On the following day, Mckenna Grace was cast as Maysilee Donner.[11] Jesse Plemons was cast as young Plutarch Heavensbee.[12] Later on May 14, 2025, Maya Hawke join the cast as young Wiress[13] and Lili Taylor cast as Mags Flanagan.[14]
Cast[]
- Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy
- Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird
- Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner
- Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier
- Maya Hawke as Wiress
- Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan
Media[]
Trivia[]
- This marks the first time in the franchise that both the book and film adaptation were announced the same date. The first film was not announced until all books in the original trilogy had been released. Lionsgate was already in talks to produce The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes before the novel was published, but the film was not officially announced until April 2020, the month before the book's release in May.
- Jesse Plemons who will be playing young Plutarch Heavensbee, costarred with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (who played Plutarch Heavensbee in the original film trilogy) in the movie The Master (2012). Jesse played Philip Seymour Hoffman's son in the movie.
- Merrilee Undersee is confirmed by Billy Ray to be included in the movie. Fans held questions about whether or not she would be included due to her daughter, Madge Undersee, not being in any of the films.[15]