The world of Panem is expanding once again.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping marks a return to the franchise’s most politically charged era, revisiting the infamous Second Quarter Quell and the making of a legend: Haymitch Abernathy.
Based on the 2025 novel by Suzanne Collins, the story provides even deeper context for everything we know about the Games, delving into the history of the origins of the rebellion.
With plenty of fresh faces joining the cast, it’s set to be another brutal look at the dystopian world of Panem.
Here’s everything to know about the plot, cast, release date, and trailer.
What is the plot of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping?
The new film, which is based on the book of the same name, is a prequel to the original The Hunger Games trilogy and a narrative follow-up to the earlier prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
Set approximately 24 years before Katniss’s time in the arena, the story centres on a young Haymitch Abernathy entering the brutal 50th edition of the Hunger Games, which was also known as the “Second Quarter Quell”.
Within that larger arc, the film explores how Haymitch’s world changes. How the games shape him, the rise of propaganda and power, the doubled number of tributes, and how events in the arena cause ripple-on effects into the future of Panem.
It’s essentially the origin story of one of the original trilogy’s key characters, and provides broader context for how the dystopian mechanics of Panem came to be.
When will The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping be released?
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled for a theatrical release in Australia on November 19, 2026.
Who is in the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping?
Most of the key cast members have been announced, including Joseph Zada as young Haymitch Abernathy and Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird. Mckenna Grace is also joining as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons is on board as a younger Plutarch Heavensbee and Ralph Fiennes steps into the role of President Coriolanus Snow. Elle Fanning is playing a younger Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin is Caesar Flickerman and Glenn Close will take on the role of Drusilla Sickle.
As is customary for Hunger Games films, there’ll be huge transformations for many of the cast members. Glenn Close has already made headlines with her look as Drusilla, with many remarking she looks completely unrecognisable.
This cast mix blends rising talent (Joseph, Whitney) with established names (Ralph, Glenn) and ties back into the wider franchise legacy.
Is there a trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping?
Yes, an official teaser trailer has been released. It dropped on November 20, 2025, marking exactly one year before the film’s release.
The teaser opens with the reaping scene in District 12, features 48 tributes lined up, and gives early glimpses of the Capitol’s spectacle, the arena, and the larger ideological stakes of Panem.
You can watch the trailer in full below.
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