Exclusive Interview
Here’s Haymitch! Joseph Zada Reveals ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ Audition Details (VIDEO)
On June 11, Swooon sat down with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star Joseph Zada to talk about the audition process for the highly anticipated Hunger Games prequel.
While filming does not officially begin until July, Zada gave Swooon an inside look at what it took to become young Haymitch. Zada shared that the audition process “was great.” According to the star, the casting team “went far and wide” to find the perfect actors to take on the roles from Suzanne Collins’ book.
As we now know, those actors include McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Elle Fanning as young Effie Trinket, and more!
If you’ve ever wondered how much arena-level action goes into a Hunger Games audition, look no further. Zada confessed that throughout his time auditioning, “They put me through the wringer because [the role is] very important.”
While other actors may not have wanted to put in so much work for a character before officially landing the role, Zada assured Swooon he took the challenge in stride. According to the star, it was essential for him to “go through that process as well, not just to learn about the character, but to meet all the people I [will be] working with.” Looking ahead, Zada told Swooon, “I feel comfortable. I’m excited and I’m nervous, but it is very exciting.”
During our interview with Zada, he was surrounded by his We Were Liars costars Shubham Maheshwari, Emily Alyn Lind, and Esther McGregor, who are all very clearly his real-life friends. When we approached the topic of their costar’s participation in another book-to-screen adaptation, Maheshwari joked, “What are you talking about? What [adaptation] are you doing?”
When Zada confessed that he was nervous to take on such an iconic role, his onscreen We Were Liars cousin, Esther McGregor, assured him, “You’re going to smash it. We’re all very excited,” before pointing at Zada to say, “[We’re your] biggest fans right here.”
Sunrise on the Reaping, In Theaters, November 20, 2026
