The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Plot

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel to the main series, focused on the youth of Haymitch Abernathy. The story takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen's story, during the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The lead role is played by Joseph Zada.

Francis Lawrence, who directed four previous films in the franchise, returns as director. The screenplay is based on Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name, published in 2025.

The new installment takes viewers back to Panem long before Katniss appears, so below we have collected the release date, trailer, prequel plot, and cast members playing both young versions of familiar characters and new faces.

The trailer shows young Haymitch, District 12, and the buildup to the anniversary Games, where the Capitol sends twice as many tributes into the arena as usual.

Sixteen-year-old Haymitch Abernathy lives in District 12 and dreams of spending Reaping Day with his girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird. During the ceremony, however, he is chosen to take part in the 50th Hunger Games.

For the Second Quarter Quell, the Capitol doubles the number of participants: instead of the usual 24 tributes, 48 teenagers are sent into the arena. Alongside Haymitch, District 12 is represented by Maysilee Donner, Wyatt Callow, and Louella McCoy. Haymitch realizes that the organizers intend to use his defeat as another reminder of the districts' helplessness and decides to turn the Games into a challenge to the Capitol.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to be released on November 20, 2026. The film will open in theaters and IMAX.

Who stars in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping:

For the franchise, this is a rare case of a prequel built not around a completely new hero, but around a character whose fate viewers already know from the main series. That is why the main appeal of Sunrise on the Reaping is not only the outcome of the Games, but also how Haymitch's story leads to the mentor he later becomes for Katniss and Peeta.