The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Drops Its First Full Trailer
2 Mins Read
Lionsgate has officially dropped the first full trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Now, Panem is back, and it looks like it means business.
The film is set 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy through the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. Because it’s a Quarter Quell, each district is required to send double the usual number of tributes, meaning 48 kids fight to the death instead of 24.
The trailer opens on Joseph Zada‘s Haymitch sitting across from Ralph Fiennes‘ President Snow, and the tension is immediate. Haymitch gets a defiant line in, “I’m sick of living in fear. Just surviving. We’re not animals to be killed for their entertainment.” Snow, unsurprisingly, has a response. “If you disobey me, we shall open the bloodbath with the longest, most drawn out death your people have ever seen.” So, that’s the vibe.
Sunrise on the Reaping
The full cast is stacked. Joining Zada are Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Maya Hawke as a young Wiress, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a young Beetee Latier, and Glenn Close as District 12 chaperone Drusilla Sickle. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are also set to reprise their roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.
Francis Lawrence returns to direct from a screenplay by Billy Ray, with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson back as producers. Lawrence has directed every installment in the franchise since Catching Fire, so the continuity is there.
The source novel sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first week, the biggest debut of any title in Suzanne Collins‘ Hunger Games series. The pressure is on, and the trailer suggests they know it.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters November 20, 2026. We’ll keep you posted on updates as the project develops.
Chloe Jones is a film and television critic dedicated to providing expert analysis of movies, web series, and the latest in prestige TV. Known for her insightful perspective and deep industry knowledge, Chloe helps audiences navigate the crowded streaming landscape with honesty and expertise. Folow me on letterboxd
