Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!
by Alex Billington
July 5, 2026
Source: YouTube
“All of a sudden there is a little sliver of hope.” Believe in Haymitch! Lionsgate has revealed a new behind-the-scenes featurette video for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping prequel coming up this fall. This exciting new follow-up to the recent The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes movie from 2023 tells the story of the 50th Hunger Games, which featured the District 12 boy – a young Haymitch Abernathy. Set 24 years before the events of the original THG about his time in the games. The promo introduces us to the new (Australian) actor Joseph Zada who plays Haymitch, and how he took on this role, along with details on his character in this particular movie. It also connects his performance and the story and events right to Woody Harrelson who played the older Haymitch in all 4 of the original movies. The rest of the full cast includes Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow, Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Elle Fanning as a young Effie, Mckenna Grace as tribute Maysilee Donner, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, Kelvin Harrison Jr. This is honestly looking way better than it should, mostly because Franics Lawrence is still at the helm and he’s the best making these Panem movies. I’ll absolutely be rooting for Haymitch at the games this fall. Will you?
Here’s the “Meet Haymitch” featurette for Lawrence’s THG: Sunrise on the Reaping, from YouTube:
You can rewatch the main trailer for Lawrence’s THG: Sunrise on the Reaping right here or the first teaser.
Sunrise on the Reaping will revisit the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. For these 50th games, each district of Panem must send twice the number of tributes to the Capitol this time, who will fight to the death in the annual games –a young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) is selected to compete from District 12. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is once again directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Francis Lawrence, director of the movies Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants, Hunger Games: Catching Fire + Mockingjay 1 & 2 + The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Red Sparrow, Slumberland, and The Long Walk previously. The screenplay is written by Billy Ray. It’s based on the novel written by Suzanne Collins which was first published in 2025. Produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Francis Lawrence. Lionsgate will debut Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping in theaters worldwide on November 20th, 2026 in the fall later this year. Any good? Who wants to watch?
