The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping First Casting Announcements

Courtesy of Lionsgate

A month after the release of the new Hunger Games book Sunrise on the Reaping, the official casting announcement of its upcoming film adaptation The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping was announced.  Both the novel and upcoming movie tell the story of Haymitch Abernathy’s Hunger Games, which happened to be the 50th Hunger Games and the Second Quarter Quell. These Hunger Games have doubled the number of tributes from each district, with 48 fighting to survive. This story takes place 24 years before Katniss and Peeta’s Hunger Games.

The actor playing Haymitch is Joseph Zada, known for starring in the Australian series Invisible Boys. Woody Harrelson previously played Haymitch in the first four Hunger Games movies. Whitney Peak will be playing Haymitch’s girlfriend Lenora Dove. Peak is known for her roles in Hocus Pocus 2 and the 2021 Gossip Girls. Mckenna Grace will be playing Maysilee Donner, the main female tribute from District 12. Grace is known for her role as Phoebee Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Jesse Plemons will be playing Plutarch Heavensbee, a Capital cameraman who later becomes the leader of the rebel movement in Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Plemons is well known for his recent roles in The Power of the Dog, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Kinds of Kindness.

It’s currently unknown who will be playing the other tributes or other legacy Hunger Games characters who have younger versions of themselves appearing like President Snow, Mags, Beetee, Effie, and Wiress. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to come out on November 20, 2026, and will be directed by Francis Lawrence. Lawrence directed all The Hunger Games movies since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

What do you think of the new cast so far? Are you excited for Sunrise on the Reaping? Let us know in the comments below.