Every Hunger Games story begins on reaping day. In The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, that morning belongs to Haymitch Abernathy, sixteen years old, from District 12, and about to become the reluctant mentor audiences first met more than a decade ago.
Directed by Francis Lawrence and based on Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the Lionsgate film opens in theaters and IMAX on November 20, 2026. Joseph Zada stars as the young Haymitch, alongside Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Wang.
The Second Quarter Quell
The story is set in Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games. It is the 50th Annual Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, and the Capitol has decided to make it the biggest Games yet, with twice as many tributes as usual.
For District 12, that means more children called to the stage, and the reaping itself is one of the film’s first set pieces: rows of masked Peacekeepers, a crowd sorted by age, and a long walk to the front.
An Alliance in the Arena
Inside the arena, Haymitch forms an unlikely alliance with fellow tribute Maysilee Donner, played by Mckenna Grace, and joins a coalition determined to challenge the Capitol’s control under President Snow. As the competition unfolds, he risks everything to take down the Games from within, setting in motion the rebellion that will change Panem forever.
The Capitol’s Familiar Faces
Part of the pleasure of a prequel is meeting characters before they became who we know. Ralph Fiennes takes on President Snow, the role Donald Sutherland made famous. Kieran Culkin steps behind the microphone as Caesar Flickerman, Elle Fanning plays Effie, and Jesse Plemons is Plutarch. Glenn Close joins the Capitol as Drusilla.
The Capitol remains the franchise’s most extravagant costume party. Close’s Drusilla arrives in pleated gowns, sculpted waves and a severe black bob, while Fanning’s Effie wears sequined headpieces and silk scarves.
Allies and Loved Ones
Whitney Peak plays Lenore Dove, the girl Haymitch leaves behind in District 12. Maya Hawke and Kelvin Harrison Jr. play Wiress and Beetee, the District 3 pair that fans first met as victors in Catching Fire. Ben Wang plays Wyatt, another of the District 12 tributes.
The Character Posters
Lionsgate’s character posters frame each face in flowers and foliage, with white roses for Snow, berries for Maysilee and wheat for Lenore Dove. Swipe through the full set below, along with the “Challenge Authority” theatrical poster and the teaser.
Behind the Camera
Francis Lawrence, who directed Catching Fire, both parts of Mockingjay and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, returns to Panem. The screenplay is by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie, adapted by Suzanne Collins from her novel. Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and Lawrence produce.
Scenes From Panem
When to See It
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens in theaters and IMAX on November 20, 2026, from Lionsgate. The film is rated PG-13. For updates, follow @TheHungerGames on Instagram and X, @hungergamesofficial on TikTok, or visit hungergames.movie.
