The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

The dystopian universe of Panem is preparing to return to the big screen with a new cinematic chapter titled The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The film, officially announced by Lionsgate, is based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins, which is scheduled for publication on March 18, 2025. The movie will follow shortly after, with a U.S. theatrical release date already set for November 20, 2026. Direction has once again been entrusted to Francis Lawrence, a veteran of the saga who has directed every installment from Catching Fire through the recent prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

The narrative is set twenty-four years before the events of Katniss Everdeen’s original trilogy and forty years after the story of a young Coriolanus Snow. The story focuses on the 50th edition of the Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell. This specific historical event is already known to readers of the saga as the edition won by Haymitch Abernathy—District 12’s only living victor at the start of the first book, portrayed in the original series by Woody Harrelson. One of the main points of interest involves that year’s special rules: to celebrate the 50th anniversary, the Capitol mandated that the number of tributes be doubled, bringing a total of forty-eight youths into the arena—four from each district instead of the traditional two.

The plot will explore not only the brutal experience within the arena but will also delve into the use of propaganda and the way the Capitol manipulates reality to maintain control over the population. Suzanne Collins stated that her inspiration for this book stems from David Hume’s ideas on implicit submission and how the masses can be controlled by a few through the use of narrative and force. Although production is still in its early stages, media attention has already shifted to casting—specifically the search for the actor who will portray a young Haymitch, a character defined by the strategic intelligence that allowed him to survive a particularly hostile arena.

The technical team will see the return of producer Nina Jacobson, who emphasized that this project aims to maintain the thematic integrity of the series while introducing unprecedented visual elements related to an era of Panem that was still undergoing transformation.

Filming began in July 2025 in Spain, with locations including Somiedo and Teverga, and concluded in Berlin on November 28.