The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026) — Release Date, Cast and Story

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026) — Release Date, Cast and Story

MOVIE GUIDE | UNITED STATES | UPDATED NOVEMBER 6, 2026

The new Hunger Games movie is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel centered on a teenage Haymitch Abernathy rather than Katniss Everdeen. Lionsgate has scheduled its U.S. theatrical debut for Friday, November 20, 2026. Directed by Francis Lawrence and adapted from Suzanne Collins's 2025 novel, the film returns to Panem during the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell. This guide keeps the movie facts, cast, timeline and official story in one place without giving away the novel's ending.

Sunrise on the Reaping (2026): key movie facts

Official title: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

U.S. theatrical release: November 20, 2026, according to Lionsgate; local previews and international dates may vary.

Director: Francis Lawrence. Screenplay: Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie, adapting the novel by Suzanne Collins.

Lead: Joseph Zada as young Haymitch Abernathy, a 16-year-old from District 12.

Setting: the 50th Hunger Games, or Second Quarter Quell, 24 years before the original The Hunger Games story.

Primary release: theaters and IMAX; no U.S. subscription-streaming launch date has been confirmed by the cited official sources.

Information checked November 6, 2026. Release schedules, ticket inventory and viewing options can change; the official film site is the best place to check for the newest studio updates.

When does the new Hunger Games movie come out?

Sunrise on the Reaping is set to open in North American theaters on November 20, 2026. Lionsgate first announced that date with its film adaptation in June 2024 and continues to use November 20 in its 2026 promotions. This means the new movie has not yet opened in U.S. theaters as of this article’s November 6 update. Posters, advertisements and showtime listings for other countries may have earlier dates, which should not be mistaken for a U.S. nationwide release.

If you are looking for a screening, use the official movie website or your local theater’s listings rather than assuming every theater will have the same preview time. An IMAX mention means the film is advertised for that format; it does not guarantee IMAX showings in every city. Likewise, a ticket-sale banner is not confirmation of a digital home release.

What is Sunrise on the Reaping about?

The official premise begins in District 12 with 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy being selected for the 50th annual Hunger Games. Because this edition is the Second Quarter Quell, the Capitol forces twice the usual number of tributes into the competition. The result is a Games designed not merely for spectacle but also to remind the districts of the Capitol’s ability to impose its will.

Inside the arena, Haymitch forms an unexpected alliance with fellow tribute Maysilee Donner and becomes part of a group challenging President Snow’s control. Lionsgate frames that defiance as an early spark in the larger history of rebellion in Panem. Those are studio-confirmed story elements, not a prediction of the film’s final scene. A viewer who wants to avoid book spoilers can understand the central conflict without reading detailed recaps of the 2025 novel.

The film also reintroduces Capitol figures and future mentors at an earlier point in their lives. That gives the prequel a different dramatic perspective from the original trilogy: instead of following a new symbol of resistance, the story reveals how a character audiences already know was shaped by an earlier, brutal version of the Games.

Confirmed Sunrise on the Reaping cast and characters

The following roles are supported by the film’s official synopsis, studio-related announcements, and established cast listings. They are the clearest starting point for viewers who want to identify characters without conflating the actors with the cast of the earlier films.

Joseph Zada — Haymitch Abernathy, the young District 12 tribute at the center of the story.

Mckenna Grace — Maysilee Donner, another District 12 tribute who joins Haymitch in the arena.

Whitney Peak — Lenore Dove Baird, a central figure in Haymitch’s life outside the arena.

Ralph Fiennes — President Coriolanus Snow, the ruler of Panem.

Jesse Plemons — Plutarch Heavensbee, seen at an earlier point in his life.

Elle Fanning — Effie Trinket, a younger version of a familiar franchise figure.

Kieran Culkin — Caesar Flickerman, the Capitol’s televised Games personality.

Glenn Close — Drusilla Sickle, a Capitol escort associated with District 12.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. — Beetee Latier; Maya Hawke — Wiress; Lili Taylor — Mags Flanagan.

An actor appearing on a cast list does not by itself reveal how much screen time that character receives. The movie’s final editing choices and any surprise appearances should not be guessed from fan discussions. The credits above serve as orientation, not as a scene-by-scene story guide.

Who is Haymitch, and where does this film fit in the timeline?

In the original Hunger Games films, Haymitch is known as the weary District 12 victor who mentors Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Sunrise on the Reaping goes back to his own teenage experience in the arena. The story takes place 24 years before the original Hunger Games events, making it a prequel by timeline even though it arrives after the earlier films in release order.

For context, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes looks even further back in Panem’s history, around the 10th Hunger Games. Sunrise on the Reaping instead focuses on the 50th Games. Both stories can deepen the larger political history, but this new film stands on its own as an account of a different Quarter Quell.

New viewers do not have to complete a five-film marathon to recognize the main premise: the Capitol forces young people to compete and uses the spectacle to maintain power. People already familiar with Haymitch will recognize why the earlier date matters. We avoid treating details from later stories as surprises that the new film has promised to depict.

What is known about the 50th Hunger Games arena?

The official premise confirms a higher-stakes Second Quarter Quell with twice the ordinary number of tributes. Promotional descriptions emphasize a dangerous arena, the threat of the Capitol and Haymitch’s efforts to resist from inside the competition. Specific obstacles, the precise order of deaths and other late-story developments belong to the finished movie or novel rather than to this spoiler-light overview.

One related search mentions Ampert. Cast reporting identifies Percy Daggs IV as Ampert Latier, a District 3 tribute and Beetee’s son. That is a character-identification fact, not a reason to assume the film devotes an independent storyline to him. Readers seeking a complete Ampert or arena spoiler breakdown should not confuse such novel-level detail with a verified movie preview.

Where can you watch the official trailer?

Lionsgate has released an official teaser, an April 2026 trailer, and a second official trailer in September 2026. For a verified video from the distributor, begin with the Lionsgate Movies YouTube channel and the movie’s official site. Our separate trailer page collects the confirmed video links, release dates and ways to recognize authentic uploads:

Related guide: /topic/sunrise-on-the-reaping-movie/sunrise-on-the-reaping-2026-trailer/

This page deliberately does not repeat a video-by-video recap. The trailer page owns preview-video searches, while the current overview owns the release date, confirmed cast and movie premise.

Will Sunrise on the Reaping stream on Netflix, Hulu or another service?

As of November 6, 2026, the cited studio materials promote a theatrical and IMAX debut, not a specific U.S. subscription-streaming date. There is no basis here to advertise a confirmed Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video or other platform debut. Theatrical ticket pages and trailers should not be interpreted as an announcement of a subscription release window.

Digital rental and purchase options may be announced later, but readers should use official distributor or platform listings when that happens. Avoid sites promising a “full movie free” before release, particularly when they ask for account credentials or unusual downloads. This guide will distinguish a legitimate provider listing from a promotional trailer rather than link to unauthorized copies.

Sunrise on the Reaping FAQ

What is the new Hunger Games movie called?

The official name is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. It is a film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s 2025 novel and is a prequel to the original Katniss-era story.

When does the new Hunger Games movie come out in the United States?

Lionsgate lists Friday, November 20, 2026, for the North American theatrical release. Check your local theater for possible previews and format-specific showtimes.

Who plays young Haymitch in Sunrise on the Reaping?

Joseph Zada plays the younger Haymitch Abernathy. Woody Harrelson portrayed an older Haymitch in the original Hunger Games films.

Is Sunrise on the Reaping a sequel or a prequel?

It is a prequel in story chronology, set 24 years before the original Hunger Games events. It is also the next theatrical installment in the franchise’s release sequence.

Do I need to read the book before seeing the movie?

No. The official movie premise provides the essential setting and conflict. Reading the 2025 book offers extra background but also reveals story developments that a moviegoer may prefer to discover on screen.

Sources and editorial update

Last checked: November 6, 2026. Editorial scope: U.S. movie-release facts, confirmed cast, studio synopsis and spoiler-light orientation. This is an independent informational guide, not a studio or ticketing page.

Lionsgate official film website — https://hungergames.movie/

Official film synopsis and cast — https://www.hungergamesmovie.com/synopsis/

Lionsgate adaptation and U.S. release announcement — https://investors.lionsgate.com/news-events/news/news-details/2024/LIONSGATE-TO-ADAPT-SUZANNE-COLLINSS-NEWLY-ANNOUNCED-HUNGER-GAMES-NOVEL-SUNRISE-ON-THE-REAPING-INTO-MAJOR-MOTION-PICTURE/

Lionsgate Movies official second trailer — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYXtL5TreOE

Movie cast and runtime reference — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hunger_games_sunrise_on_the_reaping

Character casting reporting — https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-everything-you-need-to-know