There’s something about returning to Panem that still gives you chills, even after all these years. Lionsgate dropped the official trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping on April 13, and if you were a fan of the original films, you’re going to want to sit down for this one.
The new film is a prequel — set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen ever volunteered as tribute — and this time, the story belongs to Haymitch Abernathy. Yes, that Haymitch. The gruff, whiskey-soaked mentor we came to love (and occasionally roll our eyes at) in the original trilogy actually has a story of his own, and it’s one that fans of Suzanne Collins’ novels have been waiting a long time to see on the big screen.
Based on Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name, Sunrise on the Reaping drops us right into the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games — which also happens to be Panem’s second Quarter Quell. For the uninitiated, Quarter Quells are special editions of the Games held every 25 years, and they always come with a cruel twist. This particular one? Instead of the usual 24 tributes being sent to their deaths, each district must send double — 48 children in total, all fighting for their lives in the Capitol’s elaborate and ruthless arena.
It’s a brutal premise, even by Hunger Games standards.
Joseph Zada steps into the role of young Haymitch, taking over from Woody Harrelson who played the character in the original films. From what the trailer shows, Zada looks more than capable of carrying the weight of the role. Alongside him, District 12 sends three other tributes into the arena: the wealthy Maysilee Donner (Mckenna Grace), oddsmaker Wyatt Callow (Ben Wang), and young Louella McCoy (Molly McCann).
But the cast doesn’t stop there — and honestly, this is where things get really exciting for longtime fans.
The trailer is packed with younger versions of characters we already know and love. Jesse Plemons plays a young Plutarch Heavensbee, quietly laying the groundwork for the rebellion that won’t come to fruition for another quarter century. Ralph Fiennes returns as the chilling President Snow, still in his element terrorizing tributes from District 12. Kieran Culkin steps into the sequined shoes of Caesar Flickerman, bringing his signature sparkle and showmanship to the Games’ media coverage. Elle Fanning portrays a young Effie Trinket, apparently still finding her footing as a tribute escort and stylist. And Maya Hawke plays Wiress — victor of the 49th Hunger Games — who gets what might be the trailer’s most haunting line: “The arena, it’s a killing machine… but all machines can be broken.”
There’s also Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s love interest and a member of the Covey — the musical traveling community first introduced in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. And perhaps the most surprising casting of all: Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, a Capitol escort and District 12 official, apparently rendered nearly unrecognizable under the film’s signature Capitol styling.
Behind the camera, things feel equally reassuring. Francis Lawrence — who has directed every Hunger Games film since the original — returns to helm this one too, working from a screenplay by Billy Ray. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are back as producers alongside Lawrence, keeping the creative team that shaped much of this franchise intact.
Sunrise on the Reaping serves as both a sequel to 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and a prequel to the 2012 original, neatly fitting itself into the ever-expanding timeline of Panem’s history. There’s also the tantalizing detail that Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson — Katniss and Peeta themselves — will appear in cameo roles, which should send fans into a frenzy all on its own.
The franchise has always known how to make money, having grossed over $3.32 billion worldwide across its first five films against a combined production budget of around $593 million. With one of the series’ most beloved characters at the center of the story this time around, there’s little reason to think the momentum will slow down.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens in theaters on November 20.
