The long wait for the next chapter in the world of Panem is officially over.
Exactly one year before its scheduled launch, the debut trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping has arrived, offering fans their first glimpse into the brutal history of the Second Quarter Quell.
Set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026, Sunrise on the Reaping revisits Panem 24 years before Katniss Everdeen first volunteered as Tribute. Based on the 2025 prequel novel by Suzanne Collins, the film adapts the story of the 50th Hunger Games, a pivotal and particularly bloody event in the Capitol’s oppressive history.
Francis Lawrence, director of four of the five previous Hunger Games films, returns to helm the project, following the success of the 2023 prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The Bloodiest Games Yet: A Double Quell
As the trailer reveals, the 50th Games are no ordinary reaping. Because this is the Second Quarter Quell, the Capitol enforces a grim reminder to the districts: “two rebels died for every one Capitol citizen.” This cruel twist means each district must send twice the number of tributes—two boys and two girls—totaling 48 tributes, ensuring the deadliest competition yet.
The film serves as an origin story for several key characters from the original trilogy, featuring a star-studded cast stepping into legendary roles.
A New Generation of Panem Icons
The trailer offers the first official look at the actors embodying younger versions of the original series’ most beloved and despised figures.
Haymitch Abernathy: The Victor’s Origin
The trailer introduces Joseph Zada as the young, pre-cynical version of District 12’s legendary victor, Haymitch Abernathy, a role originally defined by the rugged charm of Woody Harrelson. Zada’s portrayal captures the tension and desperation of the future mentor during his own time as tribute.
Effie Trinket: Before the Pink Hair
Fan-favorite Effie Trinket, known for her flamboyant Capitol style, is introduced through Elle Fanning, fresh from her acclaimed role in Predator: Badlands. Fanning takes on the younger Effie, a character famously played by Elizabeth Banks, showing her early days managing the Games.
Snow and Heavensbee: The Architects of Oppression
The trailer confirms the return of the formidable President Coriolanus Snow, now played by Ralph Fiennes as an older man than the version seen in Songbirds and Snakes (Tom Blyth), but decades younger than Donald Sutherland’s original portrayal.
Another key figure, Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker later played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, is now portrayed by Jesse Plemons, bringing his signature quiet intensity to the Capitol schemer.
New Faces in the Capital and the Arena
Beyond the familiar names, Sunrise on the Reaping introduces a host of new, critical characters:
Glenn Close makes a grand entrance as Drusilla Sickle, who appears to be introducing the Games, establishing a powerful new presence in the Capitol’s elite.
Mckenna Grace plays Maysilee Donner, a familiar name for readers of the original trilogy.
Whitney Peak joins the cast as Lenore Dove Baird, another tribute fighting for survival.
Succession star Kieran Culkin also makes an appearance as a young Caesar Flickerman, the future host of the Games, but unfortunately we did not get a glimpse of him in this first trailer.
With a core creative team returning and a cast ready to explore a generation-defining moment in Panem’s history, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is poised to be one of the biggest cinematic events of 2026. Fans now have just 365 days until the Second Quarter Quell begins.
