Following the success of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, we'll be heading back to Panem relatively soon as Lionsgate is about to kickstar production on another prequel The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
With filming expected to begin this summer, the studio has made some major casting announcements, with Joseph Zada (Invisible Boys; Total Control; The Speedway Murders) landing the lead role of a young Haymitch Abernathy.
He's joined by Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl; Hocus Pocus 2; Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Haymitch’s girlfriend Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace (Captain Marvel; Ghostbusters: Afterlife; The Handmaid’s Tale) as Maysilee Donner, and Academy Award-nominee Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog; Fargo; Game Night) as a young Plutarch Heavensbee.
After helming four of the previous four films, Francis Lawrence is directing once again, with a screenplay from Academy Award-nominee Billy Ray (Richard Jewell; Terminator: Dark Fate; Captain Phillips), who also scripted the first film. Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce, while Cameron MacConomy will serve as an executive producer.
Haymitch Abernathy was previously played by Woody Harrelson in the original Hunger Games movies, while Plutarch Heavensbee was previously portrayed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in the last three films, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Parts 1 and 2 serving as his final film role.
Speaking on casting Zada and Peak, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman said, “The Hunger Games franchise has long been a launching pad for remarkable young actors, and Jo and Whitney carry that legacy forward with incredible heart, depth, and fire. After auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out—not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles. Haymitch has always been a fan favorite, and his origin story is one of the most anticipated in the franchise. His relationship with Lenore Dove is deeply woven into the emotional history of Panem. We can’t wait for fans to experience the story that shaped one of the most compelling characters in the series.”
The novel Sunrise on the Reaping was published earlier this year, and is another prequel to The Hunger Games novels, this time set 24 years before the original trilogy.
The story follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, who is unexpectedly reaped into the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, where the Capitol doubles the number of tributes. As Haymitch navigates the brutal competition, he forms alliances and struggles with the Capitol's manipulative tactics, ultimately shaping him into the man we later meet as Katniss Everdeen's mentor.
The original four films starring Jennifer Lawrence were all huge global blockbusters, raking in over $3 billion worldwide in box office receipts. The most recent installment in the franchise, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, was also a box office success, grossing over $349 million on an estimated $100 million production budget, so hopes are certainly high for this second prequel entry.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on November 20, 2026!