The release of “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins marks a new dawn in the “Hunger Games” franchise.
The book, which hit shelves on March 19 and sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first week, is the second prequel to Collins’ immensely popular dystopian series, following the 2020 release of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
“Sunrise on the Reaping” takes place several decades before the events of “The Hunger Games” trilogy and centers on a younger version of Haymitch Abernathy — played by Woody Harrelson in the original film franchise — as he fights for survival as a District 12 tribute in the Capitol arena.
Like “Ballad,” the latest installment reveals key lore about the world of Panem, and fortunately for fans, it’s also getting adapted for the big screen.
Here’s everything we know about the movie so far.
Some spoilers ahead for “Sunrise on the Reaping.”
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ will be the 6th ‘Hunger Games’ movie
Prior to the book’s release, Lionsgate announced that it was turning the story into a feature film.
The news of the forthcoming movie was shared just hours after Collins announced in June 2024 that she was publishing another “Hunger Games” story.
At the time, Deadline reported that the film, titled “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” would hit screens on November 20, 2026.
Francis Lawrence, the filmmaker who helmed every movie in the series except the 2012 original, will direct the movie from a script adapted by Billy Ray.
Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson are confirmed as returning to produce the prequel under their Color Force banner.
The day before “Sunrise on the Reaping” was published, Jacobson spoke to Variety about the coming adaptation. She told the outlet her team has “a great draft” of the script still in progress and that they had “established our locations” for production.
“We’re very far along for a book that’s only going to come out tomorrow,” she said.
The film is in early production, but a young Haymitch has been cast
On April 23, Lionsgate announced that it had found its first two leads for the film.
Joseph Zada, a relative newcomer with just a handful of roles to his name per IMDb, will portray Haymitch.
Lionsgate selected Whitney Peak, best known for her role in the two-season “Gossip Girl” revival and the 2022 “Hocus Pocus” sequel, has been cast as Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.
On April 24, the studio also announced it had cast Mckenna Grace to play Maysilee Donner, who goes into the Hunger Games with Haymitch in the novel. Grace has been acting for years, making a name for herself in projects like the film “Gifted” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” series.
Jacobson told Variety in March that her team was looking to Harrelson for inspiration when casting their next star.
She said she hoped the actor who landed the role could capture the “mischief” Harrelson brought to the role without “impersonating” him.
“You want somebody who very credibly feels like they could be a young version of this character, before the trauma and grief and rage that the fallout of the Games create,” Jacobson said. “Nobody can be Woody Harrelson, but Woody Harrelson.”
If the film follows the book, it will have a massive cast. The Hunger Games that Haymitch plays features double the number of tributes competing, and Collins introduces readers to a new array of characters in District 12 that have connections to the other books in the series.
The novel also includes appearances from younger versions of “Hunger Games” favorites, like Effie Trinket and Beetee, played by Elizabeth Banks and Jeffrey Wright in the original trilogy.
Likewise, the film will provide a third iteration of Coriolanus Snow, whom fans followed as a young man in the first prequel and the aging villain in the three “Hunger Games” films.
A teaser clip promises that ‘these games are going to be different’
Two weeks after the “Sunrise on the Reaping” book was released, Lionsgate unveiled the film’s logo on Instagram in a teaser clip.
The clip consisted of a series of animated illustrations, starting with a shot of a volcano. The image nods to the story’s plot, as a volcanic eruption wipes out many of the tributes in Haymitch’s games.
Lava from the volcano explodes in the video, forming a bird and a snake symbol that connects through its tail. The striker, which is illustrated on the book’s cover, plays an important role in the book, so it’s a natural choice for the logo.
As the shape of the striker comes into view in the clip, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” appears on the screen. Then, Harrelson’s voice can be heard saying, “I think these games are going to be different.”
Fans are hopeful Harrelson, as well as Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, might appear in “Sunrise on the Reaping” to play out the novel’s epilogue.
“Forty-eight tributes. One victor,” the caption of the post read. “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping — in theaters November 20, 2026.”
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