Hold on to your Mockingjay pins, because The Hunger Games franchise is officially back and it’s serving prequel realness! Lionsgate just dropped the cast list for Sunrise on the Reaping, and guess what? We’re finally getting the backstory we never knew we needed—young Haymitch Abernathy is stepping into the arena. And no, Woody Harrelson isn’t de-aging for this one (we asked 😩).
Meet Joseph Zada, the Aussie heartthrob tapped to play Haymitch in his bloody, brutal prime. This guy’s been on the rise with roles in We Were Liars and Invisible Boys, but now he’s going full Capitol chaos—and we’re here for it.
Joining him is Gossip Girl reboot star Whitney Peak (yes, Queen!), who’ll be playing Haymitch’s girl Lenore Dove Baird. That’s right, Haymitch had a boo before the booze. And Mckenna Grace—basically Hollywood’s go-to talented teen—is Maysilee Donner, a fellow District 12 tribute who… let’s just say, read the book or prepare for heartbreak. 😢
Maysilee Donner.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters November 20, 2026.
pic.twitter.com/6lpQMjtt8J— lionsgate (@Lionsgate) April 24, 2025
Francis Lawrence is back in the director’s chair (he directed Catching Fire and the Mockingjay movies), so expect the same polished brutality and rebellion vibes. The script is coming from Billy Ray (no, not that Billy Ray), and producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are back to make sure the odds are ever in our favor.
Set 24 years before Katniss ever volunteered, this movie dives into the 50th Hunger Games, a.k.a. the Second Quarter Quell—double the tributes, double the trauma. It’s giving Battle Royale meets Stranger Things Season 4 level intensity.
And let’s not forget: Suzanne Collins dropped the book in 2025, and it exploded—we’re talking 1.5 million copies in one week. The hype? Very much earned.
Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters November 20, 2026. Get ready to cry, cheer, and scream “THIS is why Haymitch drinks.”