The return to Panem with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping won’t happen until 2026. However, buzz is already starting because the main cast has been confirmed. Based on the novel Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, the film returns to the world of The Hunger Games. Set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteers as a tribute, it starts with the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games. This time around, four tributes from each district are reaped instead of the usual two to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Capitol domination. A young Haymitch Abernathy and three other children from District 12 are taken to the Capitol to fight in the games against other districts.
With 24 tributes going to the Capitol, many new characters are joining the franchise. Being set in time much closer to the original Hunger Games films means longtime fans of the franchise will be happy to see younger versions of some beloved characters played by new actors. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set to release in theaters on November 20, 2026.
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping's 13 Main Actors & Characters
Joseph Zada - Haymitch Abernathy
When audiences first met Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games, he was a jaded, broken man who tried to drink his pain away. Haymitch is the only living victor from District 12 and is supposed to act as the mentor for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Played by Woody Harrelson, Haymitch changes over the movies from apathetic to someone fighting for a better world.
In Sunrise on the Reaping, Joseph Zada steps into the role to play a young, not yet broken version of Haymitch. Zada has previously appeared in The Speedway Murders and Invisible Boys.
Whitney Peak - Lenore Dove Baird
Fans of the other Hunger Games prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, are familiar with the last name Baird. Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) won the 10th Hunger Games and returned to life among her traveling minstrel family, the Covey.
Played by Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl, Hocus Pocus 2), Lenore Dove Baird is part of the same family as Lucy Gray. Her music and penchant for poems by Edgar Allan Poe set her apart from the other kids of District 12, just struggling to get by.
McKenna Grace - Maysilee Donner
When the movies show District 12, there is a lot of dirt and poverty. Maysilee Donner, however, feels that it is not her lot in life. She’s from a wealthier family in the district and makes sure everyone knows it.
Known for appearances in The Handmaid’s Tale (read about some of its most recent book vs. show differences) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, McKenna Grace will play Maysilee.
Ben Wang - Wyatt Callow
Like Maysilee, Wyatt Callow is a new character representing an unexplored part of District 12. His relatives are known as the "Booker Boys," who run illegal gambling in the district. The Callows make money off the suffering of kids who compete in the games. When Wyatt is reaped, it makes his family’s business that much more horrifying.
Ben Wang will bring Wyatt to life in Sunrise on the Reaping. Wang has starred in Karate Kid: Legends, American Born Chinese, and 2024’s Mean Girls.
Iona Bell - Lou Lou / Molly McCann - Louella McCoy
For those who haven’t read the book (and without giving much away), these two characters are supposed to look and act similar. Unlike other characters, the announcement for Louella and Lou Lou came as a pair since these two are so closely linked.
Molly McCann will play Louella McCoy. She has also been in Star Wars Visions and Bad Sisters. Playing Lou Lou, Iona Bell previously starred in the 2022 short Pulp by Rind.
Elle Fanning - Effie Trinket
Originally played by Elizabeth Banks, Effie Trinket’s over-the-top fashion and cluelessness made her instantly iconic. When fans of the movies say, "May the odds be ever in your favor," they are quoting her. Her connection to Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch made her see past the facade the Capitol paints for its citizens.
Elle Fanning will play a younger and tamer version of Effie. Well known for her turn as Catherine the Great in The Great, Fanning has mastered playing women who break the mold.
Maya Hawke - Wiress
Played by Amanda Plummer in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Wiress helps Beetee execute the plan to take down the game area. Although other tributes call her "Nuts," she’s extremely intelligent and plays an integral part in the rebellion against the Capitol.
Maya Hawke, known for Inside Out 2 and Stranger Things, seems like the perfect choice for a younger Wiress.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. - Beetee Latier
Beetee first appeared in Catching Fire as a victor from District 3. Played by Jeffrey Wright, Beetee’s unparalleled skills with electronics and wiring make him a key part of the rebellion. He’s tried many times to bring down the Capitol while also working for the oppressive government.
During the 50th Hunger Games, Beetee is a mentor and will be played by Kelvin Harrison Jr. Harrison also appeared in It Comes at Night and Mufasa: The Lion King. If some fans didn’t love Beetee before, they surely will after this performance.
Lili Taylor - Mags Flanagan
Mags Flanagan, without saying a word, became a beloved character in The Hunger Games movies. Played by Lynn Cohen, Mags was 80 years old when she participated in the 75th Hunger Games. Mags’s memorable sacrifice set the tone for the rest of Katniss' films.
In Catching Fire, Haymitch tells Katniss, "When she goes, I just hope she goes quickly, because—she's actually a wonderful lady." Sunrise on the Reaping will show how Haymitch first came to know Mags. Lili Taylor (Outer Range, The Conjuring) is set to play the younger Mags.
Jesse Plemons - Plutarch Heavensbee
Plutarch Heavensbee, a Capitol gamemaker with a secret plan for rebellion, was first played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Unknown to Katniss, he orchestrated the explosive events that took out the arena at the 75th Hunger Games.
Jesse Plemons will play Plutarch before he worked his way up to Head Gamemaker. During the 50th Hunger Games, he’s merely a cameraman. After recording the reaping in District 12, he follows the tributes around for propos that show how much 'fun' the tributes have before and after the games. But Haymitch starts to see that something is brewing in the mind of the wealthy Capitol citizen.
Plemons has previously starred in The Power of the Dog, Love & Death, and two episodes of Black Mirror.
Kieran Culkin - Caesar Flickerman
Caesar Flickerman is an outlandish Capitol television personality who hosts the Hunger Games. When interviewing the tributes, he has no qualms pushing the envelope as long as it makes for great entertainment.
Stanley Tucci brilliantly played the role in the original Hunger Games films, where he helped Katniss and Peeta make their mark before they even entered the arena.
Sunrise on the Reaping found their younger version of Caesar in Kieran Culkin. Culkin is known for his scene-stealing roles in Succession and A Real Pain. He has the stage presence to do Caesar justice.
Ralph Fiennes - President Snow
Every great story must have a great villain. For the Hunger Games, President Snow is the ultimate bad guy. In the original films, the late great Donald Sutherland brought the powerful madman to life. Calm and collected, President Snow rained down pain and punishment as he saw fit to keep Panem in line.
In A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Tom Blyth played a teenage Coriolanus Snow who went from a brilliant and struggling boy to a man who wanted to control the world.
For Sunrise on the Reaping, Ralph Fiennes has been tapped to play President Snow. With film credits like Harry Potter, Red Dragon, and the recent powerhouse Conclave, Fiennes is no stranger to crawling into the skin of powerful, and often troubled, men.
