Lionsgate has released a new trailer and poster for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (via SFFGazette.com), and it finds Joseph Zada's Haymitch Abernathy fighting for his life in Panem's Second Quarter Quell.
As well as promising to fill in an important part of Panem's history, this sneak peek reveals more about how Haymitch became the man we first met in 2013's The Hunger Games (where he was played by Woody Harrelson). There are younger versions of several familiar faces, with Ralph Fiennes proving suitably menacing as President Snow.
The movie's colour palette is undeniably striking, and the Games themselves look as violent and twisted as we've come to expect. There are also twice as many competitors as usual in the 50th Hunger Games, meaning we can expect twice as many brutal deaths.
For the most part, though, the spotlight is put on Haymitch and a journey that we know will have a seismic impact on him down the line.
There are still lots of gaps to fill in with The Hunger Games story, but that relies on author Suzanne Collins writing more books. As of now, there's been no word on another instalment, though it's always possible that we'll get some news on her next novel closer to the release of this movie.
Sunrise on the Reaping sold 1.5 million copies in its first week on sale in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The 1.2 million copies sold in the U.S. are twice the first week sales of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and three times the first week sales of Mockingjay.
Check out the trailer and poster for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, along with the full synopsis and cast list.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will revisit the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honour of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break.
He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Directed by franchise veteran, Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping's cast includes Joseph Zada, Mckenna Grace, Whitney Peak, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Lili Taylor, Billy Porter, Glenn Close, and Ralph Fiennes.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on November 20, 2026.