Oscar-winning star Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are set to reprise their iconic roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the highly anticipated prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Scheduled for release on November 20, 2026, the film, based on Suzanne Collins’ newest novel, revisits the harrowing events of the 50th Hunger Games, 24 years before Katniss and Peeta entered the arena under the mentorship of Haymitch Abernathy.

The story focuses on a 16-year-old Haymitch, portrayed by Joseph Zada, providing a deeper exploration of this pivotal character’s formative years. While Woody Harrelson is not expected to appear, Lawrence and Hutcherson’s characters are widely anticipated to feature in a flash-forward sequence, likely in the epilogue. Hutcherson recently expressed his excitement about returning, stating, “I would love to be back on set with Francis, with Jen, with Liam, with Woody. It would not take any convincing at all. I’d be there in a heartbeat.”

Directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed every installment of the franchise since 2012’s Catching Fire, the screenplay is penned by Billy Ray, based on Collins’ novel. Producers Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson return, with a new ensemble including Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, and supporting performances from Kelvin Harrison Jr., Glenn Close, Maya Hawke, Mckenna Grace, Billy Porter, Whitney Peak, Ben Wang, Molly McCann, Iona Bell, and Percy Daggs IV.

The Hunger Games franchise has grossed over $3.3 billion globally across five films. Sunrise on the Reaping follows the 2024 prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which explored the 10th Hunger Games 40 years earlier and starred Rachel Zegler.

Beyond Panem, Lawrence and Hutcherson continue to excel in other projects. Jennifer Lawrence recently earned her seventh Golden Globe nomination for Die My Love and is slated to star in The Wives. Hutcherson has celebrated the success of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and the HBO series I Love L.A. The return of these franchise stars was first reported by The Insneider, igniting excitement for the film’s release and promising a nostalgic reunion for fans of Panem.