Are you ready for the world of The Hunger Games to continue? Because we sure are—The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping is set, and this is what we know so far, including when it's expected to arrive in theaters.
But before we get into that, what exactly is this new Hunger Games movie? If you're new here, The Hunger Games is a successful dystopian franchise that has expanded its lore into the world beyond just the original story. While four successful films adapted The Hunger Games trilogy, another was released in 2023 titled The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
That film was successful, and it was only a matter of time before another story within the world of The Hunger Games was told, which was announced earlier this year. But what is this new film going to follow? And when will it come out? Here is what we know so far.
What Is The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date?
According to Lionsgate, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on November 20, 2026. This means it will most certainly not be on any 2024 movie schedule, and it will also not be on any 2025 movie schedule.
What Is The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping About?
So, obviously, you're wondering what The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be about. That's because the book by Suzanne Collins hasn't been released yet. Sunrise on the Reaping is currently is set to be published on March 18, 2025, and is already available for pre-order.
According to The Today Show, the official premise of the book was released in October 2024. The book follows the 50th annual Hunger Games, and in honour of it, twice as many tributes are picked to play. Haymitch doesn't believe he's going to get picked but ends up with his name called and is pulled into a deadly game with the three other District 12 tributes that test his resilience. But all he knows is that he wants to fight and make it out.
And thanks to Lionsgate, we have an idea of the premise for the film adaptation. The movie is set 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy and begins on the morning of the Second Quarter Quell, which, if you know the books, are the games that Haymitch Abernathy participated in and won.
The first three Hunger Games movies followed the story of Katniss Everdeen, a tribute to the 74th Hunger Games, who broke the system and ended up starting a revolution against the Capitol. The prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, followed the origin story of the main villain of The Hunger Games series, Coriolanus Snow.
Now, we're going to get Haymitch's story, which is a great way to continue this franchise. Haymitch has always been a character that people loved in the first trilogy, so it would make sense that this would be the next story to tell.
Author Suzanne Collins also spoke about the themes of the upcoming novel in that article from The Today Show, ones that will most likely tie into the film adaptation that will come out a year later:
The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question 'Real or not real?' seems more pressing to me every day.
This makes me more excited.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Cast
We have no idea who will star in this film just yet, but there are plenty of fan castings that people have come up with that might be good options for young Haymitch Abernathy. Ewan Mitchell from the House of the Dragon cast is a popular pick, as are Nicholas Galitzine, Mike Faist, Josh O'Conner, Callum Turner, and more.
The Hunger Games movies, both the original series and the prequel released in 2023, created platforms for young stars to build careers on. Jennifer Lawrence ended up becoming a huge actress after taking on the leading role in the first film, and even won an Academy Award not long after for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. Josh Hutcherson continues to work today and starred most recently in Five Nights at Freddy's, a role he'll be reprising in the next FNAF film. Liam Hemsworth will be the star of The Witcher Season 4.
For the prequel, lead stars Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler have also worked in new films. Blyth is set to star in the upcoming People We Meet on Vacation, while Zegler will play Snow White in the upcoming live-action version of Snow White and the new A24 comedy Y2K.
All I know is that whoever they pick for this movie is probably going to knock it out of the park—and I, for one, can't wait to see it.
Francis Lawrence Is In Talks To Direct
According to Lionsgate, Francis Lawrence is once again going to be at the helm of this Hunger Games film. The production company reported that the director was "in talks" to direct The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
The director was responsible for not only the prequel film but Catching Fire and both parts of Mockingjay in the original Hunger Games movies. The only one that he did not direct was the first film, which Gary Ross directed.
Lawrence has also worked on other films outside of The Hunger Games movies, including the Will Smith-led I Am Legend and the romantic drama Water for Elephants, as well as Constantine.
Filming Will Most Likely Happen In Late 2025
The last thing we know about The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping is that filming will most likely not happen until late 2025—or, earlier, in the summer, which makes sense for a 2026 release date.
We say this because there were rumors that filming for the new movie was set to begin in January 2024, but one of the producers, Nina Jacobson, confirmed in a response on Twitter that production on the film would not begin until "months" after the book's release, which is March 2025.
She’s very powerful and awesome but the book will come out months before production begins. The post is misinformation.October 10, 2024
I mean, I'm sad that it'll take place so late, but we all have to read the book first to get excited, right?
While it'll be some time before we see this film, all I know is that I'll be counting down the days – and until then, I'll look forward to reading Haymitch's story when it releases. Here's to March 2025.
