Jennifer Lawrence Hunger Games return set for ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’
Quentin Tarantino slams ‘Hunger Games’ as ‘rip off’ of ‘Battle Royale’
Quentin Tarantino has slammed “The Hunger Games” franchise, calling it up a “rip off” of the Japanese film “Battle Royale.”
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Peeta and Katniss are headed back to Panem.
The “Hunger Games” games franchise celebrated a grand homecoming this week as Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, stars of the original films, will return for the upcoming prequel “Sunrise on the Reaping.”
The pair, who play central characters Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, will reprise their roles in the movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. The film is set to hit theaters Nov. 20, 2026.
USA TODAY has reached out to Lionsgate for comment.
The return of Lawrence, 35, and Hutcherson, 33, marks a full circle moment for the actors, who were launched into superstardom in 2012 with the release of the first “Hunger Games” film adaptation. They returned thrice more to complete the franchise, becoming indelibly linked to the characters in Suzanne Collins’ wildly popular dystopian novels.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” is set 24 years before the events of the series’ first book, during the 50th Hunger Games. It follows the story of Everdeen’s District 12 mentor Haymitch Abernathy, played in the movies by Woody Harrelson. In the novel’s epilogue, he opens up about his tragic story — and all lives lost along the way — as Katniss and Peeta record their history in a post-rebellion memorial book.
The book, released earlier this year, follows Collins’ first prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which published in 2020 and also given the Hollywood treatment with Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth.
Who is in the ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ cast?
Joining Lawrence and Hutcherson are a bevy of up-and-coming stars.
Here’s the cast of “Sunrise on the Reaping” (so far):
- Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle
- Billy Porter as Magno Stift
- Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman
- Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket
- Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus Snow
- Maya Hawke as Wiress
- Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
- Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy
- Iris Apatow as Proserpina
- Iona Bell as Lou Lou
- Molly McCoy and Loulla McCoy
- Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird
- Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner
- Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. As Beete Latier
- Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow
- Laura Marcus as Silka Sharp
- Percy Daggs IV as Ampert Latier
- Rada Rae as Wellie
- Awall Swaby and Panache.
- Edvin Ryding as Vitus
- Jax Guerrero as Tibby
- Sandra Förster as Hersilia
Francis Lawrence is in talks to direct, after helming every movie in the series except the 2012 original.
Contributing: Clare Mulroy, Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
Hi! I’m Renato Lopes, an electric vehicle enthusiast and the creator of this blog dedicated to the future of clean, smart, and sustainable mobility. My mission is to share accurate information, honest reviews, and practical tips about electric cars—from new EV releases and battery innovations to charging solutions and green driving habits. Whether you’re an EV owner, a curious reader, or someone planning to make the switch, this space was made for you.
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