14 years after their original breakout roles in the juggernaut dystopian franchise The Hunger Games, and a decade since their last appearance, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are set to return to Panem.
As reported by Deadline, the canonical stars are confirmed to appear in the forthcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The movie follows the 2012 original film, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire (2013), Mockingjay—Part 1 (2014), Mockingjay—Part 2 (2015), and the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), which are all based on Suzanne Collins’s original books. A sucessful stage show was also recently launched in London.
Below, here’s everything we know about The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
What is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping about?
Sunrise on the Reaping begins on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games (or, Second Quarter Quell)—24 years before The Hunger Games, and 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. It picks up on the story of 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, who, in the early movies and later in the Hunger Games timeline becomes the mentor to Katniss and Peeta—here, he is a sharp boy from District 12, who finds himself unexpectedly chosen for the games. This 50th year has a terrible, deadly twist: there are twice the number of tributes, are 48 children are sent into the arena in the life-endangering battle.
This follows the second prequel film in the series after The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which was released in 2023. Author Suzanne Collins’s book of the same name sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide during its first release week earlier this year, which marked the biggest debut for one of her novels.
Who is in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping cast?
Jennifer Lawrence is officially confirmed to reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen, while Hutcherson is set to return as Peeta Mellark, as reported by Deadline—it’s likely the duo will return in a flash-forward scene, alongside Woody Harrelson (the older Abernathy). The last time we saw Katniss and Peeta was in Mockingjay—Part 2. Just last month, Hutcherson told Variety he would be “be there in a heartbeat” if he was asked to come back. “It would not take any convincing at all.”
In that final appearance, Katniss and Peeta had settled down together in District 12, years after the war. They are married and have two children, a boy and a girl. The final scenes see them still learning to cope with the trauma of the Hunger Games, but finding peace in their new family.