With the Sunrise on the Reaping movie set to release in November 2026, fans have already begun discussing who should play the key roles. The film will be based on Suzanne Collins’ newest release, a book that goes back in time to the 50th Hunger Games, told from a young Haymitch Abernathy’s point of view.
With so many familiar faces returning from the original series, actors will not only need to fit the characters’ younger age and features, but also capture the personalities audiences already know.
Here’s a look at some actors who are or are rumored to be starring in the newest addition to the Hunger Games series or who are already confirmed.
Haymitch Abernathy was introduced in the original trilogy as a former tribute in the games. He was then known as District Twelve’s only victor and therefore, only mentor. Before recently, not much was known about his past, only that he won the second-ever Quarter Quell by tricking the game makers.
A Quarter Quell is a special round of the games occurring every twenty-five years, in which a new twist is put on the original rules. In this case, there were 48 tributes instead of the regular 24.
This means the actor portraying Haymitch must be able to convey a strong-willed character who has no intention of making alliances until his life depends on it, much like those of Katniss’s attributes portrayed by Kentucky’s own Jennifer Lawrence. Some actors who fit this description are Woody Harrelson, who played this role in the original movies, and James Gaisford, an actor who has played Haymitch before in a small-budget YouTube short film that portrayed this game based on the description given in the second book of the original trilogy.
Besides the actors who have previously taken on this role, other celebrities who are rumored to have taken part in this film include Charlie Plummer, Walker Scobell, Austin Butler, and Rudy Pankow.
Zach Dixon (9) even theorized that Haymitch could be played by Dwayne Johnson or Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth’s brother Liam was also a part of the original series as he played the role of Gale Hawthorne.
Despite all of these predictions, Haymitch has been officially announced to be played by actor Joseph Zada.
This is Zada’s fifth acting job, but many believe this will be his big break, similar to Tom Blythe, who portrayed a young President Snow in “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
“I think he is a really good pick for Haymitch. I haven’t really seen him in anything, but look-wise, he’s great for the role,” Ella Green (10) said.
Alongside Haymitch in the games is a character named Maysilee Donner. She is described as a resourceful and smart tribute who has come from a wealthy family in District Twelve.
Some actors who had been rumored to portray this role are Stefania Barr, also known from the original YouTube adaptation of this story. Along with Barr, a few more well-known actors such as Sophia Wylie, Priah Ferguson, Ever Anderson, and Emma Meyers have been selected by readers to fit the role.
However, the director, Francis Lawrence, who also produced the last five movies, went with a different, but still well-renowned actress.
Lawrence has selected McKenna Grace to fill the shoes. Grace has built quite a reputation in the acting industry as she made her debut in the popular film “Gifted” in 2017.
Despite only being ten years old, Grace’s compelling and emotional performance set the stage for her to star in much more. Some include “Young Sheldon,” “The Bad Seed,” “I, Tonya,” and the two most recent Ghostbusters movies.
Other than these two, one other character has been announced as of Apr. 25, 2025. One being the role of Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend prior to the games.
This character is described as quiet in public, but someone who loves to sing to her close friends and family members. It is clear from her last name that she is directly related to Lucy Gray Baird, played by Broadway star Rachel Zegler. This means that this actor will need to be comfortable singing in front of a camera, and preferably by fans, similar in looks to the original Baird character.
Several actresses were favored by fans to take on the role, including Maisy Stella and Halle Bailey. Ultimately, it was Whitney Peak, a 22 year old actress who has taken on many previous roles, who was selected by Francis Lawrence.
Fans were quick to accept this casting decision due to her strong acting ability and clear resemblance to Rachel Zegler. Although she is more well-known for roles such as Becca in Hocus Pocus Two, viewers seem to be excited to see her in something outside of her usual comedic characters.
“I really liked the casting decision for Lenore Dove. She looks a lot like Rachel Zegler and has done really well in past roles.” Liza Zengel (11) said.
Besides roles that have already been filled in the upcoming production, younger versions of the characters viewers vividly remember from the original trilogy will be portrayed in this film. One being Effie Trinket, the escort of District Twelve. Throughout the original movie, Effie is seen in an extravagant wardrobe, from her all-pink outfit at the reaping to her winter-inspired look towards the end of the fourth movie.
Fans found themselves reminiscing about this as they saw actress Elle Fanning’s embellished look at the Met Gala of 2024. As of today, not many actresses have been prophesied to be taking on the role of Effie, but they do know that Fanning would give a striking performance.
Another role that has yet to be filled is the character Coriolanus Snow. Snow, the president of the country of Panem, is a well-known and widely disliked character who made an appearance in each of the previous Hunger Games books.
In Sunrise on the Reaping, he will be middle-aged. Therefore, his actor will need to have a resemblance to both the older version of his character shown in the original trilogy and the younger version portrayed in the prequel.
Furthermore, the selected actor will need to be comfortable playing the role of an antagonistic character, and fans have already come up with several possible actors for the job. Rossif Sutherland, son of Donald Sutherland, also known as the original President Snow, is an ideal selection due to his natural resemblance to previous Snows.
A different favorite for the role is Ralph Fiennes, one of the previous actors of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, and therefore already well-versed in portraying emotionally complex antagonists.
Based on decisions so far, the casting directors have put a lot of consideration into the creation of these roles.
No matter the cast, Suzanne Collins and Francis Lawrence have been able to create world-renowned characters and a wildly immersive story for all five of their films.
Viewers believe this one will be no different.
