Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are returning to the world of Panem to reprise their roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark from the original Hunger Games films for the prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, multiple outlets reported.
Lionsgate will release the new film, which is adapted from author Suzanne Collins's dystopian novel of the same name, in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.
Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before Katniss and Peeta stepped onto the deadly field as reluctant tributes representing District 12. Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), who was the sole surviving victor of previous Hunger Games from District 12, served as a mentor for Katniss and Peeta.
The story of Sunrise focuses on 16-year-old Haymitch, portrayed by Joseph Zada, as he fights to survive his own Hunger Games — all while refusing to bend the knee to the ruthless Capitol, which selects twice the number of tributes. Haymitch and 47 other children are sent into the deadly arena.
While no specifics have been released about Lawrence and Hutcherson’s roles in the upcoming movie, Collins’s Sunrise on the Reaping novel has a flash-forward scene with a grown Katniss and Peeta, where Haymitch recounts his experience in the Hunger Games to them.
Hutcherson told Variety in November, “I would love to be back on set with [director] Francis [Lawrence], with Jen, with Liam, with Woody [Harrelson],” the star said. “It would not take any convincing at all. I’d be there in a heartbeat.”
Sunrise on the Reaping is the sixth movie in the Hunger Games franchise and comes after the 2023 adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which starred Tom Blyth as a young President Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, a singer forced to compete in the Hunger Games.
Lionsgate dropped a star-studded teaser for the new movie back in November, including Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket and Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
These HGTV stars made a pledge to keep their kids off smartphones. Here's how it's going. - 2
Are IDF reservists properly armed during post-war operations? - 3
The most effective method to Beat Dental Tension and Guarantee Customary Exams - 4
The 15 Most Powerful Forerunners in Business - 5
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign and Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance were among the 10 biggest pop-culture moments of 2025
Most loved Occasion Dish: What Makes Your Merry Table?
Fake new headlights rule steer Australian drivers astray
Vote in favor of the handheld vacuum that you love for its strong attractions!
Italy now recognizes the crime of femicide and punishes it with life in prison
Court clears Beersheba assault suspect of link to Haymanut Kasau disappearance, extends detention
Space Condos to Lift Your Metropolitan Living
Drones haven't won the fight in Ukraine. That matters as the West learns new ways of war.
America's Confided in Fridge in 2024
The Tradition of Stone: A Gander at Notable Structures Through the Ages












