Film ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’: what we know about the prequel of ‘Hunger Games’

The release of “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins marks a new dawn in the franchise “Hunger Games”.

The book, which struck the shelves on March 19 and has already sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide, is the second prequel of the extremely popular dystopian series in Collins, after the release in 2020 of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”.

“Sunrise on the Reaping” takes place several decades before the events of the “The Hunger Games” trilogy and focuses on a younger version of Haymitch Abernathy during his own time as a tribute 12 combat in the Capitol arena.

Like “Ballad”, the last episode reveals key traditions on the world of Panem, and fortunately for fans, it is also suitable for the big screen.

Here is everything we know about the film so far. Light spoilers ahead for “Sunrise on the harvest”.

“Sunrise on the harvest” will be the 6th film “Hunger Games”

Since the book was only released recently, you could be surprised by the speed with which the Bosses Greenlit studio is an adaptation.

In reality, Lionsgate announced that it transformed the prequel book into a feature film before it even reaches the shelves.

The news of the next film was divided a few hours after Le Monde learned in June 2024 that Collins was to publish another story of “Hunger Games”.

At the time, Deadline reported that the film – stylized “The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping” – will release the screens on November 20, 2026.

Francis Lawrence, the filmmaker who directed each film in the series with the exception of the 2012 original, would be in talks to return as a director. Nina Jacobson and her production partner Brad Simpson were confirmed as returning to produce the prequel under their Color Force banner.

The film is in early production, but the young Haymitch has not yet been sunk

The day before the publication of “Sunrise on the Reaping”, Jacobson spoke to Variety about the adaptation to come. She declared to the point of sale that her team had “a major project” of the script still in progress and that they had “established our locations” for production.

“We are very far for a book that will only come out tomorrow,” she said.

Jacobson also said that his team had not yet threw anyone in the film, because they did not want to risk disclosing from “Sunrise on the Reaging” by even making an extract from the script.

She told Variety that her team would turn to Woody Harrelson, who played Haymitch in the original “Hunger Games” trilogy, for an inspiration during the launch of her star. She hopes that the actor will be able to capture the “mischief” that Harrelson brought the role without him “imitating”.

“You want someone who has the very credible way that they could be a young version of this character, before the trauma, the sorrow and the rage that the benefits of the games create,” Jacobson told Variety. “No one can be Woody Harrelson but Woody Harrelson.”

If the film follows the book, it will have a massive distribution. Haymitch’s Hunger Games presents double the number of tributes participating in the games, and Collins presents to readers a new range of characters in the District 12 who have links with the other books in the series.

The novel also includes appearances of younger versions of the favorites of “Hunger Games”, like Effie Trinket and Beetee, played by Elizabeth Banks and Jeffrey Wright in the original trilogy.

Likewise, the film will provide a third iteration by Coriolanus Snow, which fans followed as a young man in the first prequel and the old villain in the three films “Hunger Games”.

Avoid leaks

In her conversation with Variety, Jacobson also said that she and the Collins team moved away to protect the book from potential leaks while they were starting to develop the next film “Hunger Games”.

For example, rather than sending copies of Jacobson and Lawrence of the manuscript, Jacobson said that she and Lawrence had to go separately to the home of Collins’ literary agent to read the “copy of the book that lived at home”.

Jacobson said that the book had moved it enormously, which makes it even more difficult to keep its reflections on the project.

“I was on the edge of my seat, crying,” said Jacobson about his experience by reading the book. “I was so moved by him and so energized by him, and then I couldn’t talk to person With the exception of Francis, Suzanne and our studio partners. “”

A Teaser Clip

Two weeks after the release of the book “Sunrise on the Reaping”, Lionsgate unveiled the film’s logo on Instagram in a Teaser clip.

The clip consisted of a series of animated illustrations, starting with a photo of a volcano. The image nods to the intrigue of history, because a volcanic eruption erases many tributes to the Haymitch games.

The volcano lava explodes in the Instagram video, forming a bird and a snake that connects through its tail. The joint creature has the same shape as the Flint Striker necklace necklace, Lenore Dove, gives it in the novel.

The striker, who is illustrated on the cover of the book, plays an important role in the book, so it is a natural choice for the logo.

While the shape of the attacker appears in the clip, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaging” appears on the screen. Then Woody Harrelson can be heard in a voiceover saying: “I think these games will be different.”

The fans hope that Harrelson – as well as Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson – could appear in “Sunrise On The Reaping” to play the epilogue of the novel, which makes her momé of voice off even more exciting. Lionsgate has not yet revealed casting information for the film.

“Forty-eight tributes. A winner,” said the legend of the post. “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaging – In theaters on November 20, 2026.”