Book To Screen
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ Movie Updates: Meet the Stars Playing Young Haymitch & Lenore Dove
From the release of a new John Green book to Zayn Malik‘s first-ever solo performance of “Night Changes,” the early 2010s are back with a vengeance, and we are SO here for it. However, nothing has brought us back to our days of OTPs, fandom merch, and unadulterated fangirling more than Suzanne Collins‘ newest masterpiece: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Hollywood announced an adaptation of the latest novel in The Hunger Games series before the book was even released. With a 2026 release date, filming will be getting underway soon. On April 23, the actors playing young Haymitch Abernathy and Lenore Dove Baird were confirmed.
Sunrise on the Reaping marks Collins’ fifth novel set in Panem and the second prequel to follow the publication of the original Hunger Games trilogy. Following a young Haymitch Abernathy, who was first introduced as Katniss and Peeta’s drunken District 12 mentor in The Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping gives readers a window into the Second Quarter Quell, in which four tributes from each district get reaped into the Games. In a cruel twist, Haymitch’s birthday is also reaping day. As a District 12 tribute, Haymitch knows he has little hope of surviving the Games or getting back home to his girlfriend, Lenore Dove. However, as Haymitch begins to see that the reality of the Hunger Games isn’t at all like what the Capitol shows on screen, he finds his footing in the days of the early districts’ rebellion, a cause we know doesn’t fully come to fruition until the events of Catching Fire.
As many readers know, Collins once said that she would only revisit Panem if she had something she needed to say. While her first prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, sees Panem through the eyes of a young President Snow, dealing with themes of human nature and corruption, Sunrise on the Reaping puts us back in the hands of the tributes, giving readers a completely new understanding of propaganda in Panem. She reveals what really happened to Haymitch and the other children reaped into the 50th Quarter Quell and hints at what may have gone on behind the scenes of the Hunger Games we have yet to see. With two new novels published in five years, it’s safe to say Collins has painted her poster loud and clear.
From books to movies, The Hunger Games is one of the most popular franchises in entertainment, causing readers and non-readers alike to know that where a new Hunger Games book goes a movie is soon to follow. Scroll for everything we know about the highly-anticipated Sunrise on the Reaping movie, and check back here for updates!
When is the Sunrise on the Reaping movie coming out?
Sunrise on the Reaping will be hitting theaters on November 20, 2026, exactly eleven years after The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 was released. The film adaptation was confirmed before the book was even released.
The end of next year may seem like a long way out, but trust us when we say we need to let them cook. It takes time to put together a phenomenal movie, and when we’re sitting in the theater on Friday, November 20 (or let’s be real, very late the night before), we’ll be thanking them for every second they took crafting the story before sending it our way.
Francis Lawrence, who directed every Hunger Games film from Catching Fire to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, will be returning as the film’s director. Collins will be joined by Billy Ray, who had previously left the franchise after the first film, to write the screenplay.
Who is playing Haymitch in Sunrise on the Reaping?
Joseph Zada has been cast as young Haymitch Abernathy. Lionsgate confirmed the casting on April 23. The 19-year-old is an Australian actor best known for his role in the TV series Invisible Boys. He’ll be starring in the highly-anticipated adaptation of We Were Liars, which will premiere June 18 on Prime Video. He plays the role of Johnny Sinclair. Zada is clearly an adaptations guy. He plays Cal Trask in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of East of Eden.
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Ahead of the casting announcement, multiple names were thrown into the Haymitch ring by fans of the books, including Damian Hardung from Maxton Hall, Rudy Pankow from Outer Banks, and Mike Faist from Challengers. Others have put their fun support in Jacob Applegate, a fellow reader who began submitting audition videos via TikTok. While the two leads have been cast, check out the rest of Swooon’s Sunrise on the Reaping dream cast.
Who is playing Lenore Dove in Sunrise on the Reaping?
Whitney Peak has been cast as Lenore Dove Baird in Sunrise on the Reaping. Peak rose to fame playing Zoya Lott in the Gossip Girl sequel series. She also played Becca in Hocus Pocus 2. The 22-year-old is notably the face of Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle fragrance.
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Zada sweetly shared a photo of the casting announcement on his Instagram Story and tagged Peak. He added three heart emojis as well.
Is there a Sunrise on the Reaping trailer?
No, at this moment there is not a full Sunrise on the Reaping trailer. However, on April 1, 2025, Lionsgate released their first Sunrise on the Reaping teaser and revealed the logo for the film. The short video utilizes the book cover’s key colors, purple and gold, with imagery of the volcano seen in the arena, melting into a connected snake and songbird that ultimately move into the final position of Haymitch’s flint striker.
As if that wasn’t enough to give us chills, having watched the animation just days after finishing the book, the video ends with an ode to the original trilogy. That’s right, in the final seconds of the video, we hear Woody Harrelson, who played Haymitch in the movies, stating, “I think these games are gonna be different.” Is this new audio, as many on TikTok have claimed, or reused from the audio recorded from Catching Fire? In our opinion, it’s too close to call.
Will Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson return in Sunrise on the Reaping?
Murray Close / Lionsgate / Everett Collection
Honestly, we would beg Lionsgate to bring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson back to our screens as Katniss and Peeta. And yes, the Sunrise on the Reaping epilogue gives the actors a perfect opportunity to make cameo appearances, reprising their roles in post-Mockingjay Panem.
Lawrence has previously stated that she would enthusiastically return to The Hunger Games universe if given the chance. “If Katniss ever could ever come back into my life, 100 percent,” she told Variety about returning. The actress was also recently spotted in New York City with Harrelson. Coincidence? We think not.
Sunrise on the Reaping, In Theaters, November 20, 2026
