Hunger Games Sunrise on the Reaping: launch date, forged and every thing we all know concerning the franchise’s upcoming prequel

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is approaching November 20, 2026. The latest film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s famed franchise will observe her newest novel, which arrived in bookstores in March.

And it should not be all that stunning that the film is already on the way in which, since Lionsgate ordered it earlier than the novel was even launched. While 2025 marked the return of Suzanne Collins’s notorious franchise, it comes 5 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and ten years after the primary timeline Hunger Games trilogy.

For the fifth installment, it is time to journey again to the fiftieth Annual Games in Panem, additionally famously generally known as the Second Quarter Quell, the place Haymitch Abernathy (performed by Woody Harrelson within the trilogy) competed. Here’s every thing we all know to date about Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping from launch date, to confirmed forged, plot, rumours and extra.

Spoilers to observe for the 4 earlier Hunger Games instalments.

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: launch date?

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will arrive in theaters on November 20, 2026. Yes, which will really feel like a good distance off, however contemplating Suzanne Collins’s novel was solely launched in March, it is truly an extremely quick turnaround. Much faster than the 4 years between the primary Hunger Games novel’s publication and the film adaptation’s launch.

The launch date was formally introduced in a teaser clip from Lionsgate (featured above) depicting the songbirds and snakes readying for one more battle. And, on the finish of the teaser, Woody Harrelson’s voice chillingly says: “I feel these video games are gonna be completely different.”

And it has been confirmed that the forged and crew might be filming later this yr, as revealed by director Frances Lawrence in an unique interview with Collider again in February: “We’ve form of obtained a analysis part of prep. After London, I’m going to go on a scout after which we begin prepping in April, and we shoot this yr.”

With the earlier movies within the Hunger Games franchise obtainable to stream on Max within the US, and Netflix within the UK and Australia, we will positively count on Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping to get a streaming launch – though whether or not it is going to be on the identical providers continues to be not confirmed.

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: has a trailer been launched?

There’s no official Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping trailer simply but. Given the film’s scheduled November 2026 launch date, I think about we cannot see one till nearer the time. When it does seem, I’ll you’ll want to replace and share it right here.

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: confirmed forged

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping forged is already filling up with some massive names taking over the youthful variations of characters from the primary franchise, in addition to introducing new ones. Here’s who’s confirmed to date:

• Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy
• Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove
• Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow
• Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket
• Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
• Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman
• Maya Hawke as Wiress
• Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner
• Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier
• Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan
• Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow
• Molly McCann as Louella McCoy
• Iona Bell as Lou Lou

For Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, as a prequel, there’s lots of roles from the primary trilogy that may now be performed by completely different actors fully. Take Jesse Plemons as a younger Plutarch Heavensbee, beforehand performed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, or Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, beforehand performed by Elizabeth Baths.

But, based on director Frances Lawrence, discovering younger Haymitch was a large activity, discovering an actor to tackle the function that Woody Harrelson so famously performed. Lawrence informed ComicBook: “It’s not any individual that simply seems like him, or goes to check Woody Harrelson and simply act like him. When Tom Blythe performed Donald Sutherland, he wasn’t doing an impersonation. We needed to discover any individual that was plausible that you possibly can be like, ‘Oh, okay, I see how this man over 70 years might flip into Donald.'” And that individual is Australian actor, Joseph Zada.

Of course, not each forged member is a returning character from the earlier Hunger Games novels. There’s quite a few tributes becoming a member of for the fiftieth Hunger Games, in addition to mentors to star within the prequel.

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: story synopsis and rumors

Full spoilers for earlier Hunger Games motion pictures and Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping to observe.

Set 24 years earlier than The Hunger Games, Collins’s newest novel is, in fact, the idea for your entire film, very like all of her earlier novels have been.

For anybody who has already learn the novel, you may know what occurs. For anybody who hasn’t, we cannot spoil it.

What we will say is that Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping follows a younger Haymitch Abernathy throughout his time competing within the fiftieth Hunger Games, generally known as the Second Quarter Quell.

It’s an notorious piece of The Hunger Games historical past because it noticed two boys and two ladies picked from every District to compete. Twice as many as another video games.

As per the e-book’s official synopsis: “He’s torn from his household and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three different District 12 tributes: a younger buddy who’s practically a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and essentially the most stuck-up woman on the town.”

It’s additionally clear, from the confirmed forged listing above, that there might be returning characters from the primary Hunger Games timeline together with President Snow, Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman.

Unlike the opposite motion pictures within the Hunger Games franchise although, we already know that Haymitch goes to outlive with Woody Harrelson has so fantastically demonstrating within the trilogy.

But, talking to TheMovieReport.com at CinemaCon in April, director Francis Lawrence revealed there’s a lot extra to Haymitch’s story: “This is one among these books and tales the place you get to see a personality all of us love, that is one of many icons of those motion pictures, and to see what they’ve gone by. And to see the way it ties into, not simply the unique collection, but in addition the final film. So, it is this nice form of puzzle piece for every thing.”

And talking to Scholastic, Collins revealed how she’s used this story to discover profound ideas: “With Sunrise on the Reaping, I used to be impressed by David Hume’s thought of implicit submission and, in his phrases, ‘the easiness with which the numerous are ruled by the few.’

“The story additionally lent itself to a deeper dive into the usage of propaganda and the facility of those that management the narrative. The query ‘Real or not actual?’ appears extra urgent to me each day.”

If you are too keen to attend to seek out out extra, then studying the novel is the proper antidote. But, when you’re a ‘watch the film earlier than studying it’ sort of Hunger Games fan, you then’ll simply need to sing Rue’s whistle over and over till November 20, 2026.

Will there be extra Hunger Games motion pictures?

The reply to this query lies within the asking of one other – is Suzanne Collins writing any extra Hunger Games novels?

Unfortunately, we’re unsure. In an interview with Variety, Collins’ longtime editor and writer David Levithan mentioned: “As for the longer term… I genuinely do not know.”

Fans have been anticipating a Haymitch prequel story, however there’s different Hunger Games characters’ prequel tales, like Finnick Odair’s, that there is nonetheless hope for.

Director Frances Lawrence himself informed Entertainment Weekly earlier than Sunrise on the Reaping’s launch: “If Suzanne has one other thematic concept that she feels suits into the world of Panem — whether or not that is with new folks [or] acquainted characters [like] Finnick, Haymitch, whoever — I’d be actually desirous about it and being part of it.

“But I haven’t got any pull of simply going, ‘I’d like to do Finnick’s video games.’ He’s an excellent character, however what is the thematic underpinnings that make it price telling and related?”

When it involves the primary Hunger Games collection although, Levithan did make one conclusion: “I imagine the tip of ‘Mockingjay‘ is the ending of the collection.”

He additionally divulged that Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping has been within the works since 2020, but it surely was solely introduced to the general public in 2024. So, if they’re silently working away on one other prequel and igniting the hopes of one other film adaptation, I doubt we’ll be listening to about it anytime quickly.

For extra movie-based protection, take a look at our guides on Practical Magic 2, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Peaky Blinders.