The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is reportedly circling an actor to replace Woody Harrelson as the young Haymitch Abernathy. According to a report from Nexus Point News, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is eyeing 25-year-old actor Charlie Plummer to lead the movie as Haymitch Abernathy. Plummer would replace Woody Harrelson in the role he played through the whole original Hunger Games saga.
Insider Jeff Sneider shared the report, stating he “100% [buys] this,” noting that he “heard a few other names, but Charlie was one of them.” He added that he “figured he had the edge,” especially as he is also the “most experienced" contender he heard could replace Harrelson.
Born in New York, Plummer has past credits in Boardwalk Empire, Moonfall, Lean on Pete, and All the Money in the World.
Fueling theories of Plummer’s casting, the actor will star this year in The Long Walk, a horror based on a 1979 Stephen King novel. As that movie, like Sunrise on the Reaping, is distributed by Lionsgate and directed by Francis Lawrence, it’s easy to see Plummer being a hot contender for the 2026 blockbuster lead.
A report from ABC News stated that production of Sunrise on the Reaping will begin in July before coming to theaters in November 2026. As there are just months to go before then, the young Haymitch ought to be officially cast soon.
The upcoming Sunrise on the Reaping movie is based on a Hunger Games prequel novel by original author Suzanne Collins, which was just recently published on March 18. The release came as part of a huge month for Hunger Games fans that also included ticket pre-sales for the stage show.
What Is the Sunrise on the Reaping Movie About?
Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s story begins, starting at the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, aka the Second Quarter Quell, in which Haymitch Abernathy originally competed and won as a tribute.
Joining Haymitch as major players in Sunrise on the Reaping are his girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird, fellow District 12 tributes, and President Coriolanus Snow. As Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Tom Blyth will likely be recast as President Snow for the 2026 movie.
Read about Lenore Dove Baird’s possible connection to Rachel Zegler’s character from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
As featured in Catching Fire, the Second Quarter Quell had a unique twist: twice the tributes were reaped from each district. The games took place in an arena that appeared gorgeous, but nearly everything was poisonous, while the tributes were contained within a forcefield that deflected anything thrown.
Haymitch finally won the games after dodging an axe thrown by a girl and allowing it to strike the forcefield, hitting her in the face and killing her. That said, his actions were not without consequences, as Haymitch’s mother, brother, and girlfriend were murdered under President Snow’s orders for using the arena to his advantage.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on November 20, 2026.
