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Katniss and Peeta are officially back. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are set to return in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, bringing the original big screen couple back into Panem’s orbit.
Suzanne Collins’ latest book winds back the clock to the 50th Hunger Games, the second quarter query that turned Haymitch Abernathy into the heartbroken leader he would later meet. Importantly, the novel also features a modern-day scene in which an older Katniss and Peeta hear Haymitch finally talk about the game, a built-in moment that brings Lawrence and Hutcherson back.
Industry tipster Insider first reported the pair’s participation, with Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and others quickly supporting the news. That being said, Lionsgate has yet to release an official statement regarding this news.
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy and McKenna Grace as Maysily Donner | Lionsgate
50th Hunger Games, cast and release date
“Sunrise of the Reap” begins on the morning of the 50th Hunger Games, and 16-year-old Haymitch (Joseph Zada) is thrown into an arena full of nasty twists, with twice the number of tributes and 48 children sent into battle. Although the story is set 24 years before Katniss’ own reaping, the Haymitch/Katniss/Peeta scenes set in the future promise the film to be a clean emotional bridge to the original series.
Francis Lawrence, who has already directed most of the film series, will return to helm the film adaptation. The cast includes Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beatty, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, and Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, with Glenn Close, McKenna Grace, Maya Hawke, and Whitney Peake rounding out the core ensemble.
Lionsgate will release Sunrise of the Reaps in Australian cinemas on November 19, 2026 and in US cinemas on November 20. The first official trailer for the film was released in November and can be seen here.
Between Collins’ book tearing up the charts and the original big screen couple returning to the frame, Reaping Sunrise is more than just a trip to Panem, with some well-aimed shots of fan service thrown in and shaping up to be the series’ most harrowing history lesson.
Joseph Zada to play Haymitch Abernathy in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ | Lionsgate
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