Lionsgate has dropped the highly-anticipated first-look trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, offering a chilling glimpse into the brutal origins of one of Panem's most cunning survivors. Slated for a theatrical release on November 20, 2026, the film promises to delve deeper into the dystopian world crafted by Suzanne Collins, focusing on the harrowing events of the 50th Hunger Games.
Adapted from Collins' 2025 novel of the same title, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping serves as a prequel set 24 years before the events of the original 2012 film. The story centers on Haymitch Abernathy, the sharp-witted victor from District 12 whose grizzled mentorship shaped Katniss Everdeen's rebellion. This installment transports audiences back to Haymitch's youth, capturing the moment he is reaped as a tribute for the second Quarter Quell – a twisted anniversary edition of the Games where each of Panem's 12 districts must send double the usual number of competitors, pitting 48 children against one another in a fight for survival. The trailer's shadowy visuals and tense score underscore the escalating tyranny of the Capitol, with glimpses of opulent pageantry masking the arena's unrelenting savagery.
At the heart of the trailer is newcomer Joseph Zada's portrayal of a teenage Haymitch, a far cry from Woody Harrelson's sardonic, battle-scarred version in the earlier films. Zada, a rising British actor known for his intense dramatic turns, embodies Haymitch's raw vulnerability and emerging strategic brilliance as he navigates alliances, betrayals, and the psychological toll of the arena. The footage teases high-stakes action sequences, including frantic chases through a labyrinthine jungle arena rigged with deadly environmental hazards, and intimate moments of Haymitch grappling with loss amid the Games' spectacle.
The ensemble cast brings fresh faces alongside franchise veterans reimagined in earlier eras. Elle Fanning steps into the role of a youthful Effie Trinket, the flamboyantly coiffed escort whose wide-eyed enthusiasm for Capitol traditions hints at the character Elizabeth Banks later immortalized with acerbic wit. Ralph Fiennes assumes the mantle of President Coriolanus Snow, channeling the icy authoritarianism previously embodied by Donald Sutherland and, more recently, Tom Blyth in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Kieran Culkin lends his sardonic edge to Caesar Flickerman, the silver-tongued host whose broadcasts glamorize the bloodshed – a precursor to Stanley Tucci's iconic performance. Jesse Plemons appears as a younger Plutarch Heavensbee, the scheming strategist Philip Seymour Hoffman brought to life in the sequels, adding layers to the Capitol's insidious underbelly.
Rounding out the roster are a diverse array of talents portraying tributes, mentors, and Capitol elites: Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a formidable District 1 tribute, Glenn Close in a mysterious advisory role, Maya Hawke as a cunning ally from the outer districts, Mckenna Grace as a wide-eyed young competitor, Billy Porter bringing theatrical flair to a Games official, Whitney Peak as a resilient tribute from District 11, Ben Wang in a supporting combatant role, and newcomers Molly McCann, Iona Bell, and Percy Daggs IV filling out the ensemble of young fighters whose fates hang in the balance.
The trailer's narrative arc builds from the somber reaping ceremony in a rain-soaked District 12 to the glittering Capitol welcome, where Haymitch first locks eyes with his future adversaries. Quick cuts reveal the arena's horrors – electrified vines, hallucinogenic mists, and muttations lurking in the undergrowth – while underscoring themes of rebellion's seeds taking root even in the Games' darkest hour. Visually, the production maintains the franchise's signature blend of gritty realism and stylized excess, with cinematography that evokes the oppressive grandeur of a society on the brink.
As the fifth mainline entry in the Hunger Games cinematic universe – following the billion-dollar original trilogy and the 2023 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes – Sunrise on the Reaping aims to expand the lore while honoring the series' critique of authoritarianism and spectacle-driven violence. The film's timeline bridges key gaps, illuminating how Haymitch's victory not only scarred him but also foreshadowed the uprisings that would one day topple the Capitol.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed the original trilogy's latter two installments and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the film boasts a screenplay by Billy Ray, the Oscar-nominated writer behind Captain Phillips and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Producers Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson, longtime stewards of the franchise since its inception, return to shepherd this chapter, ensuring continuity in the world-building that has grossed over $3 billion worldwide. With Lionsgate positioning the project as a tentpole release, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is poised to reignite the saga's enduring grip on audiences hungry for more tales from Panem's unforgiving past.
