The next Hunger Games movie is confirmed to include a homage to a beloved moment from Catching Fire. The upcoming Sunrise on the Reaping is the sixth Hunger Games movie in the franchise and sits between The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Hunger Games, telling the story of a young Haymitch Abernathy. Sunrise on the Reaping shares many similarities with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as both are about Quarter Quell events, but the connection between the two will be cemented further thanks to a cinematography choice in the 2026 film.
The Hunger Games films, based on the books by Suzanne Collins, have always been cinematic spectacles, but a long-time favorite moment from Catching Fire came when the film dramatically shifted from the traditional aspect ratio into IMAX during the tribute's first arrival in the arena. The scene saw Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen rise from the ground in the tribute elevator and emerge into the 75th Quarter Quell arena, where the screen expanded to IMAX to reflect the transition into this new, foreign world.
The sequence has been embraced by fans and hailed as one of Catching Fire's most iconic moments, and now Sunrise on the Reaping will employ a similar tactic. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sunrise on the Reaping cinematographer Jo Willems confirmed that the tribute's arrival in the 50th Quarter Quell arena will mirror the aspect ratio change used in Catching Fire, switching from widescreen to IMAX in applicable cinemas.
Director Francis Lawrence helmed both The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and this 2026 Hunger Games movie. Willems said that filming on IMAX cameras will allow the audience to be "immersed in the whole thing."
"It’s gonna have the full IMAX screen where [as an audience] you’re more immersed in the whole thing. We shot on IMAX cameras, but it’s not like we shot on IMAX film cameras. These are approved IMAX cameras that are shooting at a high resolution. So the size of the sensor can have a taller aspect ratio."
While The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping won't be 100% filmed for IMAX, sequences like the arena arrival will be extra special immersive moments for those viewing the film in IMAX, and it's a nice touch for fans who have long wanted to re-experience that scene from Catching Fire.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping releases in theaters on November 14. Joseph Zada takes over the role of Haymitch Abernathy from Woody Harrelson, with Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, and Elle Fanning also starring.
The Hunger Games Is Returning to Arena Spectacle
Sunrise on the Reaping covers a series of events alluded to in the previous Hunger Games films (and briefly touched on in the Catching Fire novel), which explain how Haymitch won the Hunger Games and became the grizzled mentor to Katniss and Peeta 24 years later.
After The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2 and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes focused more on the war and political elements of Panem, Sunrise on the Reaping will be a return to the traditional games format for the franchise, and the filmmakers are going all in on creating a spectacle worthy of the event.
The 50th Quarter Quell is a special edition of the Hunger Games, held by the Capitol every 25 years, featuring an added element that makes the games even deadlier. The 50th Quarter Quell includes double the number of tributes and a dazzling yet dangerous arena for them to compete in. Willems added in the interview that emphasizing the color of the world within the arena was a priority for the team: "I think color was definitely something that we wanted to push."
Sunrise on the Reaping will also feature further connections to Catching Fire beyond mere visual spectacle, thanks to the many younger iterations of characters in the Hunger Games franchise, such as Ralph Fiennes' President Snow, Kieran Culkin's Caesar Flickerman, and Elle Fanning's Effie Trinket.
