It’s not every day a film adaptation of a book is announced before the book even comes out, but that has been the case for Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins’s newest prequel book to her successful Hunger Games series.
This is the second prequel book in the series by Collins, after 2020’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Soon after that book’s release, the film adaptation went into development. The movie was ultimately released in 2023 and starred Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, and proved to be a surprise box office hit, grossing almost $350 million at the worldwide box office.
The Sunrise on the Reaping book came out on March 18, 2025, but what can we expect about the film adaptation?
What is Sunrise on the Reaping about?
Since it is an adaptation of the novel, we can expect it to follow similar storylines. The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping is set 24 years before the original Hunger Games story, and will follow a young Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss Everdeen’s mentor, as he competes in the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. It would also follow Haymitch’s relationship with a girl named Lenore Dove.
In a press release, Collins said that the book “was inspired by David Humeâs idea of implicit submission and, in his words, âthe easiness with which the many are governed by the few.â 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 âReal or not real?â seems more pressing to me every day.â
When will Sunrise on the Reaping be released?
Good news! We do have a release date for the film, as it is currently set to release on November 20th, 2026.
Is there a director attached to The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping?
Francis Lawrence, who has directed the last four films in the Hunger Games franchise, will return to direct this movie. Nina Jacobson will also return to produce the film.
Lawrence said in an interview last month that he wants to shoot the film later this year.
Who will play Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping?
As of now, no official casting has been confirmed for Sunrise on the Reaping. Woody Harrelson played the character in the original movies.
When asked about casting a young Haymitch, Lawrence said “Itâs a search and you have to dig down and figure out what are the elements that make Woody Harrelson so interesting, right? And some of it is humor. Some of it is intelligence. Some of it is quirk. Some of it is, thereâs a darkness in him that gives him an edge. Weâre going to have to find somebody that has all of that. Itâs not somebody that just looks like him, or is going to study Woody Harrelson and just act like him,”
Troy Juhn is a 21 year old journalist originally from Minneapolis but currently residing in NYC. He can be found @JuhnTroy on X probably ranting about Minnesota sports.
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