Lionsgate has ignited fan excitement once again with the release of the first trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The upcoming prequel offers a gripping new lens into Panem’s brutal legacy, shifting focus to the turbulent youth of Haymitch Abernathy, the mentor famously portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original films. This installment, set 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games (2012), revisits the deadly 50th Hunger Games—better known as the Second Quarter Quell.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously helmed Catching Fire, both Mockingjay films, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the new chapter brings fans back into Suzanne Collins’ dystopian world. The film is based on Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name, with a screenplay penned by Billy Ray. Production began alongside the novel’s development, continuing the tight creative partnership between Lionsgate and the author.
Sunrise on the Reaping introduces Joseph Zada (We Were Liars) as young Haymitch, capturing the character’s raw defiance and cunning as he faces one of the bloodiest Games in history. The story opens on the morning of the 50th reaping, as the Capitol announces the grim twist that would define this Quarter Quell. The trailer teases a striking 1970s-inspired visual aesthetic, adding a unique tone to the franchise’s signature mix of violence, strategy, and survival.
The ensemble cast is packed with acclaimed talent. Elle Fanning steps into the role of a young Effie Trinket, Jesse Plemons appears as Plutarch Heavensbee, Ralph Fiennes assumes the mantle of President Coriolanus Snow, and Glenn Close portrays Drusilla Sickle. The cast also includes Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Whitney Peak, and Billy Porter. Producers Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and Francis Lawrence are once again collaborating to bring Collins’ grim vision to life.
Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal of President Snow adds another layer to the character’s legacy following earlier performances by Tom Blyth in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) and the late Donald Sutherland, who originally embodied the ruthless leader between 2012 and 2015. Sutherland’s passing in June 2024 adds emotional weight to the continuation of the story he helped define for over a decade.
With Lawrence at the helm and Collins’ intricate storytelling as its foundation, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping promises to be both a nostalgic return and a fresh exploration of Panem’s moral decay. Fans can expect another intense narrative filled with political intrigue, haunting spectacle, and the resilience of a young man forced to fight for survival.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set for its theatrical release on November 20, 2026.
