Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson to Return for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Fans of The Hunger Games franchise are heading back to Panem — this time with familiar faces. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will reprise their iconic roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the upcoming prequel film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, slated for theatrical release on November 20, 2026, Lionsgate confirmed this week.
The new installment, directed by franchise veteran Francis Lawrence, adapts Suzanne Collins’ recently released novel of the same name, set 24 years before the original trilogy. The story begins on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell — a brutal competition that reshaped Panem’s political landscape decades before Katniss volunteered as tribute.
Lawrence and Hutcherson Make Their Return
According to insiders, Lawrence and Hutcherson will appear in a flash-forward sequence, connecting the events of the prequel to the original saga. This marks the duo’s first return to the franchise since 2015’s Mockingjay — Part 2, which concluded with Katniss and Peeta married and raising children in a fragile post-war Panem.
Their comeback is expected to serve as both a bridge and a tribute to the characters that helped define one of the most successful film series of the 2010s.
A New Cast Enters the Arena
The ensemble for Sunrise on the Reaping includes an impressive roster of new and returning talent:
- Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow
- Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier
- Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman
- Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket
- Glenn Close, Mckenna Grace, Joseph Zada, Maya Hawke, and Whitney Peak in undisclosed roles
Francis Lawrence will direct from a screenplay by Billy Ray, adapting Collins’ novel. Producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson return under their Color Force banner, alongside executive producer Cameron MacConomy.
Revisiting a Billion-Dollar Franchise
The Hunger Games series has generated more than $3.3 billion worldwide since the first film debuted in 2012. The original quadrilogy starred Lawrence, Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, introducing audiences to a dystopian tale of rebellion, sacrifice, and survival.
The franchise continued with the 2023 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, starring Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, and Hunter Schafer, which explored the early rise of Coriolanus Snow and set the stage for Panem’s brutal legacy.
A Reunion Years in the Making
Lawrence’s return comes as she continues a successful run in prestige and indie cinema — including her recent Golden Globe nomination for Die My Love. Hutcherson, meanwhile, is currently starring in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, expanding his reach into horror and action roles.
For longtime fans, their reappearance brings the story of Katniss and Peeta full circle — two figures whose defiance of the Capitol once inspired an uprising, now poised to reflect on the origins of the Games that changed everything.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping arrives exclusively in theaters on November 20, 2026.
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