“It was unbelievable,” Jennifer Lawrence told host Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, confirming she will reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping. The US actor, 36, also revealed Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson will return as Peeta Mellark and Haymitch Abernathy in the upcoming film, which arrives in cinemas on Nov. 20.
Cast Confirmations End Months of Panem Prequel Speculation
The announcements cap nearly a year of rumors regarding whether original actors from the franchise would appear in the prequel, reported. Set 24 years before the events of the original 2012 film, the new adaptation covers the 50th Hunger Games, marking the second Quarter Quell from Suzanne Collins’s 2025 novel. While the first wave of casting news broke in December 2025, official confirmations from the actors arrived late last year, though neither Lawrence nor Hutcherson appears in the official trailer.
Emotional Reunions on Set for Returning District 12 Trio
Reflecting on the reunion with her former co-stars, Lawrence described the experience as deeply emotional on the Call Her Daddy podcast, noting that working with the same crew and assistant directors made the transition seamless. Josh and I didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful,
she said, while joking about Harrelson dropping by her hotel room uninvited. Variety reported that the original trio’s screen time is expected to be brief, potentially functioning within a flash-forward sequence that bridges the gap to the original timeline.
New Faces Fill Out the 50th Hunger Games Arena
Joseph Zada stars as a 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, who enters the arena during the reaping held on his birthday. The cast also includes Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Ralph Fiennes as midlife dictator Coriolanus Snow, Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket, Glenn Close as escort Drusilla Sickle, and Maya Hawke as Wiress.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Prequel Release
When does Sunrise On The Reaping premiere in theaters?
The film opens in cinemas on Nov. 20, adapting Suzanne Collins’s novel published the previous year.
What historical event in Panem does the film cover?
The story focuses on the 50th Hunger Games, which serves as the second Quarter Quell and details the teenage years of Haymitch Abernathy.
Which original cast members appear in the film?
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Woody Harrelson reprise their respective roles as Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch.
Jennifer Lawrence on ‘THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING’:“It was so crazy. It was the same crew […] and Josh & Woody. It was so emotional. Josh & I didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. […] Woody obviously came through my hotel room window.” pic.twitter.com/S43zuiuChB
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