The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Haymitch Before He Became a Mentor

Sunrise on the Reaping takes The Hunger Games back to the year Haymitch Abernathy was a District 12 tribute, long before he guided Katniss and Peeta. Joseph Zada plays the younger Haymitch in the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' prequel. Viewers know he survives; the story's pull is what his victory costs him and how it shapes the man seen in the original films.

The Quarter Quell Doubles the Danger

Haymitch is sent into the 50th Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell that demands four tributes from every district instead of the usual two. That puts 48 competitors in the arena. McKenna Grace plays fellow District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner, while Whitney Peak plays Haymitch's love interest Lenore Dove Baird. The cast also brings younger versions of familiar figures into view, including Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, and Ralph Fiennes as President Snow.

Familiar Hands Return to Panem

Francis Lawrence, who directed Catching Fire, both Mockingjay films, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, returns to direct, with a script by original Hunger Games screenwriter Billy Ray. The film arrives in theaters November 20, 2026. Rather than another variation on Katniss's rebellion, this chapter looks at the cruelty she inherited through the eyes of the mentor who had already lived through it.