The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is officially taking audiences back to Panem — and the Second Quarter Quell is shaping up to be one of the most brutal chapters in franchise history.
The first trailer for the upcoming prequel offers a tense look at the 50th Hunger Games, revisiting the world 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, the film follows a young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada), long before he becomes the hardened mentor seen in the original series, during the morning of the reaping that begins the infamous Second Quarter Quell, where each district must send two tributes instead of one — doubling the number of children forced into the arena.
Written by Billy Ray, the story explores the psychological toll and survival instincts that shape one of Panem’s most complex victors.
A Massive Ensemble Expands Panem
The film features a stacked cast across every corner of Panem.
Tributes entering the arena include McKenna Grace, Percy Daggs IV, Ben Wang, Jhaleil Swaby, and others portraying the deadly new wave of competitors in the Quarter Quell.
The Capitol is represented by an all-star lineup including Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Glenn Close, and Billy Porter.
Mentors guiding the tributes include Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, and Lili Taylor as Mags.
Back in District 12, the story also features Whitney Peak and Jefferson White among the key figures shaping Haymitch’s early world before the Games begin.
Behind the Film
The film is produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and Francis Lawrence.
It is based on the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins, whose Hunger Games franchise has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and grossed more than $3.4 billion globally across five films.
The novel Sunrise on the Reaping also debuted as a publishing powerhouse, selling over 1.5 million copies in its first week worldwide — the biggest launch in the series to date.
Release Date
Lionsgate will release The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping in theaters on November 20, 2026.