Highlights
- Lionsgate is rolling out more casting news for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping with the addition of Maya Hawke and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
- Hawke and Harrison Jr. join the already announced Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace and Jesse Plemons.
- The highly anticipated prequel is dropping late next fall.
After rapidly announcing four of the cast members for the upcoming Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, Lionsgate fell silent for almost three weeks. That changed this week, however; read on to find out what we know about the new cast members.
RELATED: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Finds Its Haymitch and Lenore
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is based on the prequel to author Suzanne Collins‘ original trilogy. The book tells the story of the 50th Hunger Games, following Haymitch Abernathy’s dangerous victory. Alongside three other District 12 tributes – a dear friend, a calculating oddsmaker and the town’s most arrogant girl – he heads to the Capitol. There, the odds are stacked against him. As the arena’s horrors unfold, Haymitch realizes he’s not just fighting to survive. He’s fighting to make a statement that could shake the foundations of Panem itself.
The book came out in March of this year, and already has a ton of acclaim. While readers know where Haymitch ends up, it’s a captivating read focusing on the issues of propaganda and control.
RELATED: Book Review: Sunrise on the Reaping
Hunger Games fans were thrilled to get four major casting announcements for Sunrise on the Reaping in late April. The casting of Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy and Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird was revealed on April 23rd, with the addition of Mckenna Grace and Jesse Plemons coming soon after. Since then, there’s been plenty of speculation on the rest of the cast, many of whom will play younger versions of familiar faces from the original trilogy.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Maya Hawke
Luckily, fans didn’t have to wait too long. Lionsgate announced two new additions to the film this week. Kelvin Harrison Jr. will play Beetee Latier, a victor from District 3 and mentor in the 50th Hunger Games. Jeffrey Wright played the role in the original trilogy. Most recently, Harrison Jr. voiced the role of Taka in Mufasa: The Lion King and played Euri Dervish in the film O’Dessa. He’ll also star as Jean-Michel Basquiat in the upcoming film Samo Lives.
RELATED: Mckenna Grace Steps Into the Arena for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Lionsgate also announced Maya Hawke‘s casting this week. She’s playing Wiress, the District 3 victor from the 49th Hunger Games who serves as the District 12 mentor for Haymitch and the other tributes. Amanda Plummer played the older version of Wiress. Most fans probably know Hawke from her role as Robin in Stranger Things and her recent turn as Anxiety in Inside Out 2.
What do you think of the District 3 cast for Sunrise on the Reaping? Who do you hope Lionsgate will announce next? Let us know below and keep an eye out for more news.
Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on November 20, 2026.
THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING Enlists Jesse Plemons
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