Less than a year after the premiere ofThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a brand-new installment in the franchise was announced with the reveal ofThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Beginning with the 2008 publication of Suzanne Collins' dystopian YA novel,The Hunger Games, the series concerns the post-apocalyptic land of Panem. In this world, each district must send representatives to compete in the annual Hunger Games competition in which they must fight to the death against the teams from other districts.
Collins' original trilogy ofHunger Gamesnovelswas quickly adapted into a blockbuster film franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence, and they were tentpole films throughout the early 2010s. The most recent film in the series,The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, took fans back over 60 years before the events of the first novel and chronicled the rise of Panem’s notorious dictator, Coriolanus Snow. Now, Collins has returned to penThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, another prequel novel that has already landed a film adaptation deal with Lionsgate.
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When The New Hunger Games Book Is Set Compared To Katniss' Story And Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
Another Hunger Games novel is on the way, and its (highly requested) story takes place between Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the 74th Games.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Latest News
Jesse Plemons Joins The Hunger Games Prequel
With the cast of the prequel continuing to take shape, the latest news confirms thatJesse Plemons has been added toThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.The Oscar nominee (Power of the Dog) will assume the role ofPlutarch Heavensbee, the part originally played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. InSunrise on the Reaping, Heavensbee is a camera operator decades before his ascension to Head Gamemaker. Ironically, Plemons already had experience subbing-in for Hoffman, and he appeared inThe Masteras the son of Hoffman’s character.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman and producer Nina Jacobson issued the following statement about Plemons' casting:
Erin Westerman:Jesse is one of the most talented actors of his generation, with a proven record of picking his roles selectively. We are honored that he has chosen to bring his own take to one of the most fascinating figures in Panem, and feel that his previous collaboration with Philip Seymour Hoffman makes it all the more special. His Plutarch will be both a tribute to the character fans have already come to know and a portrayal he makes his own. We can’t wait for audiences to see it.
Nina Jacobson:Jesse has been one of my favorite actors since I first saw him in ‘Friday Night Lights.’ We knew from the start that only an actor’s actor could play a young version of Plutarch. Jesse was the dream from the start and we couldn’t be prouder to have him join the Hunger Games family.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date
The Hunger Games Return In 2026
Though it is a ways off, Lionsgate announced a release date on the same day that the company revealed they would be adapting Suzanne Collins' latest book. Coming slightly more thana year after the release of the bookof the same name,The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingwill debut in theaters onNovember 20, 2026. However, with a release date so far off, it’s always possible that some shuffling could occur over the next few years that displaces it from its originally scheduled slot.
The novel of the same name hit shelves on August 23, 2025.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Cast Details
Young Haymitch Abernathy Has Been Cast
Though the cast was shrouded in mystery for months following the prequel’s announcement, the first names have started to join the ensemble. Tapped to lead the film as Haymitch Abernathy, Joseph Zada (We Were Liars) lands his first major role and has big shoes to fill after Woody Harrelson’s iconic performance. InSunrise on the Reaping, Haymitch is 16 and is selected as one of the tributes from District 12. Haymitch also has a younger brother named Sid, who hasn’t been cast yet.
Joining Zada in the cast isWhitney Peak (Gossip Girl) as Lenore Dove, a member of a formerly nomadic group known as the Covey that settled in District 12. Lenore and Haymitch form a close bond throughout the book, andher mother is thought to be the cousin of Lucy Gray Baird, the protagonist fromThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.Mckenna Grace has been tapped to play the role of Maysilee Donner, one of the other three tributes from District 12.
Jesse Plemons (Power of the Dog) has assumed the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, the part originally played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. At the time of the 50th Hunger Games, Heavensbee is a camera operator who films the culling of the District 12 tributes.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Story Details
A Young Haymitch Competes In The 50th Hunger Games
Haymitch joins a plot to sabotage the games and destroy the arena, and must survive the deadly challenge while also trying to weaken the authoritarian government’s control.
Much likeThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the upcomingSunrise on the Reapingis a prequel set decades before the events of the original movie.The plot concerns 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, as he is selected as one of the four representatives for District 12after one of the tributes tried to flee and was murdered. Haymitch joins a plot to sabotage the games and destroy the arena, and must survive the deadly challenge while also trying to weaken the authoritarian government’s control.
Sunrise on the Reapingtakes place 24 years beforeThe Hunger Games, whileThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakestakes place 64 years before.
It’s unclear how much will be changed for the film, but with the book and movie being developed simultaneously, there may not be many changes needed. There is also a tenuous connection toThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesthrough Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove. Dove’s mother is thought to be a cousin of Lucy from the first prequel,The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingcontinues the theme of rebellion which would eventually come to fruition during Katniss' time.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Cast
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores the dystopian world of Panem 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s story. This prequel focuses on the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, unveiling the origins of crucial events and traditions in the series.
