If you’re a fan of the Hunger Games franchise, the odds are in your favor right now! Since the 2008 release of Hunger Games, author Suzanne Collins’ international bestselling dystopian YA series has sold more than 100 million copies and served as the basis of five blockbuster films that generated $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office. Last month, Collins released her sixth book in the series, Sunrise on the Reaping—and it sold more than 1.2 million copies in the first week alone! This is twice as many copies as The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2020 and three times as many copies as Mockingjay in 2010, according to the book’s publisher. Fans are thrilled to return to the world of Panem in Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel that starts on the morning of the reaping of the 50th annual Hunger Games, when Haymitch Abernathy (played by Woody Harrelson in the films) competes. But the excitement doesn’t end with the book! Fans are counting down the days to watch the latest story come alive on the big screen. Lionsgate announced it is adapting the film, marking the franchise’s sixth book-to-film adaptation. Keep scrolling to find out everything we know about the new Hunger Games movie, including rumored casting for beloved characters like Haymitch, among others, plot details, release date, producer Nina Jacobson’s behind-the-scenes updates and more.
What is ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ about?
The book begins at the start of the 50th Hunger Games—24 years before 2008’s The Hunger Games—also known as the Second Quarter Quell. Hailing from District 12, a sixteen-year-old Haymitch Abernathy is thrust into the Quarter Quell, where twice as many tributes are chosen at the Reaping. Separated from loved ones, Haymitch faces impossible odds, but discovers a determination that motivates him to fight for something greater than survival.
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ movie adaptation: what we know so far
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Lionsgate Motion Picture Group officially announced it would adapt Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping back in June 2024—coinciding with the announcement of the novel itself. The studio is moving very quickly on the forthcoming movie, which is set to begin filming in July. Billy Ray, who wrote the original Hunger Games film, was tapped to write the screenplay for Sunrise on the Reaping. Other familiar names returning to the franchise include director Francis Lawrence, who has worked on four previous Hunger Games installments and producer Nina Jacobson.
Ahead of the book’s release last month, Jacobson shared what it’s been like working on the film in tandem with the book’s release along with some behind-the-scenes details. “This is a very different process for us,” Jacobson told Variety. “We’re much further along than we would ever have been otherwise, without having this jump, because we went to work right away. We’ve established locations. It’s been super thrilling and really rewarding. You feel like you’re planning a big surprise party.”
Who will play young Haymitch Abernathy? Plus, other casting updates!
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The movie will follow the origin story of fandom-favorite character Haymitch Abernathy, a key person in the books who was played by Harrelson in the original films. In the previous films, Woody’s portrayal of Haymitch, a Hunger Games winner and mentor to other protagonists, was central to the plot. So, who will play young Haymitch? As of April 2025, no official casting has been announced but rumors are currently ablaze.
Right now, Charlie Plummer is a name that keeps popping up as a possible frontrunner for Haymitch. When Variety asked about who could play Haymitch, Jacobson said: “You don’t want somebody who is impersonating Woody, but you want somebody who very credibly feels like they could be a young version of the character, before the trauma and grief and rage that the fallout of the Games create.”
She added, “It’s a great role. One of the things that’s so unusual about this is that very rarely does a franchise give an actor a chance to really show their chops and the range they have, but these roles do.”
Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes’ (The English Patient, Maid in Manhattan) name is in the ring to play villain Coriolanus Snow. Kiernan Culkin (A Real Pain, Succession) is rumored as a possibility for the role of Caesar Flickerman, the Hunger Games’ greatest showman and interviewer. Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad) is said to be an option for the role of Plutarch Heavensbee. Emma Thomson is possibly being eyed for the role of Drusilla Sickle. And for beloved character Effie Trinket? Well, Elle Fanning (A Complete Unknown, The Great) is reportedly in talks for the role.
When will the new ‘Hunger Games’ movie be released?
According to Lionsgate, the prequel movie is set to release in theaters on November 20, 2026. Earlier this month, Lionsgate also released the first teaser visuals of the forthcoming movie. Watch the video, below!
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