The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is the second Hunger Games prequel film to be released in theaters, following The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2023. This latest prequel story is set nearly 25 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as District 12’s tribute in the annual Hunger Games, and finally reveals the story of her mentor, Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada), who has the unlucky fate of being selected for the 50th Hunger Games, aka the 2nd Quarter Quell. The second Quell is forever remembered as one of the most brutal Hunger Games of all time, with double the number of tributes as normal.
Double the tributes means double the number of Hunger Games characters that will be featured in Sunrise of the Reaping. To help keep things straight, Lionsgate has released a series of new character posters highlighting the cast of stars in the film – including the ones who are taking over iconic roles from the original films.
Woody Harrelson made a compelling character out of an older, deeply traumatized Haymitch, who comes to mentor Katniss Everdeen (and secretly aid the revolution) in the original Hunger Games movies.
Sunrise on the Reaping is largely about what happened at the Second Quarter Quell to make Haymitch not just a savage survivor, but someone ready to help spark the fire of revolution against Panem, President Snow, and the Hunger Games, to ensure that the third Quarter Quell is the very last Hunger Games event, ever.
Oddly enough, Snow has become the most developed character in the Hunger Games movie franchise. A young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) was the protagonist of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; now Ralph Fiennes will play the middle-aged version of Snow, which fits between Blyth and Donald Sutherland as the elderly Snow, in the original Hunger Games films.
There are few actors we trust more with that difficult middle ground than Fiennes. This version of Snow will be the one who truly steps into that kind of supervillain role we see in the original films, ordering the wholesale slaughter of dozens of children just to crush the spirits of the Districts.
Elle Fanning taking over for Elizabeth Banks as the younger Effie Trinket. In Sunrise on the Reaping, Effie is still in the Capitol’s favor as a reputed stylist. The film will also sow the seeds of why she ends up in the destitute region of District 12, managing their tributes to the games, up until Katniss and Peeta. Hopefully, Fanning can give more insight into what deeper moral struggles and pains are really going on beneath Effie’s perma-bubbly persona.
Kieran Culkin plays the younger version of Caesar Flickerman, the legendary host of The Hunger Games. Stanley Tucci played the older version of Caesar, while Jason Schwartzman played the character’s father, “Lucky” Flickerman, in the previous prequel. Culkin’s natural charisma (see: Succession) will be great to see in Sunrise on the Reaping, as few can match what Tucci did with the character in the original films.
Plutarch Heavensbee is one of the deepest-cover spies in the Rebellion. He comes from a prominent Capitol family but resents his homeland, its barbaric Hunger Games, and the insidious rule of President Snow.
When we meet Plutarch in the original films (played by the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman), he’s posing as Head Gamemaker of the 75th Hunger Games (the Third Quarter Quell), but is really staging the jailbreak of Katniss Everdeen, whom he helps turn into the revolutionary symbol known as “The Mockingjay.” Plutarch’s arc in Sunrise on the Reaping is going to be one of the most understated, yet important ones, hence Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, Fargo) in the role.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire introduced Beetee Latier (Jeffrey Wright), winner of the 34th Hunger Games, who is dragged back into the Hunger Games during the Third Quarter Quell, alongside Katniss Everdeen, his friend Wiress, and other former winners. Katniss would only learn later that Beetee and Wiress were rebels, infiltrating the 75th Games to use their technical skills to sabotage the ring and create the jailbreak.
Sunrise on the Reaping examines the heartbreaking trauma Beetee suffers during the 50th Games, when the Capitol punishes him harshly for suspected rebel activity. Actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. certainly has his work cut out for him, following Wright’s lead.
Those harsh consequences that Beetee suffers come in the form of his son, Ampert (Percy Daggs IV): The young boy is forced to be a tribute in the Quarter Quell, with Beetee as his sponsor. We already know that Haymitch is the victor of these games, so you can do the emotional math on the rest. Beetee’s actions in Catching Fire will hit so much different after Sunrise on the Reaping.
The woman known as Wiress (Maya Hawke) is the tribute from District 3 (the tech and mechanics sector) who won the 49th Hunger Games. Wiress’s trauma is still fresh when she’s brought back for the 50th Games as a mentor. Still, despite her odd demeanour, her technical prowess proves to be invaluable.
After going through this terrible event alongside Beetee, the two form an inseparable bond as rebel allies. Wiress’s story comes full circle in the original films when she (played by Amanda Plummer) helps Beetee liberate the tributes from the 75th Games.
Mags Flanagan (Lili Taylor) won the 11th Hunger Games and returns as a mentor for the 50th. Hailing from District 4 (the maritime sector), Mags may look meek and unassuming, but her skills and cunning speak for themselves.
Aside from winning her own games, Mags spends a lifetime (64 years) mentoring other tributes – with several winners under her belt, including Finnick Odair (youngest winner ever at the 65th Games) and Haymitch Abernathy (the focus of this film). Ever the quiet Lioness, Mags (played by Lynn Cohen) finally laid down her life in the 75th Games to save Finnick, Katniss, and others from one of the arena’s deadly traps.
One half of the Donner twins, Maysilee (Scream 7′s McKenna Grace), is one of the three other District 12 tributes that Haymitch enters the Games with. While we’ll have to learn more about Maysilee (and her sister Merrilee) in the film, the twin does come with the conspicuous detail of wearing a Mockingjay pin (foreshadowing alert!).
Ben Wang (The Long Walk) plays Wyatt Callow, another District 12 tribute alongside Haymitch. Wyatt is an “oddsmaker,” aka a numerical genius, who operates as a numbers guys/bookie in District 12’s shady area known as the “Seam.” He gets reaped for the 50th Games, odds that were probably not in his calculations, let alone in his favor.
Lenore Dove (Whitney Peak) is the obligatory love interest that author Suzanne Collins always leaves waiting at home for her doomed protagonists. What is interesting is that the story builds a bridge between Haymitch and President Snow: Lenore is part of the Covey Caravan, the nomadic band of performers that Lucy Gray Baird (the heroine of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) belonged to.
Lucy and the Covey once made Snow feel like he could have a home with them, before their love(?) went dark and Lucy fled. No telling what Snow might do if (when?) he learns that Haymitch has a Covey lover waiting at home. Victory could end up being more tragic than dying in the arena…
The District 12 tributes won’t get Effie Trinket as their chaperone (yet); during the era of the 50th Games, they get Capitol socialite Drusilla Sickle (Glenn Close), a woman who does not truly care about the fate of her tributes. Drusilla has managed tributes from District 12 since the 25th Games, making the Second Quarter Quell a major anniversary for her, personally.
However, given that we know Effie is the District 12 liaison by the 75th Games, Drusilla either retires due to age, or (more likely) Haymitch’s victory doesn’t go over well with Snow, and Drusilla isn’t the only one to pay the price…
The stylist for District 12 tributes and husband of Drusilla Sickle, Magno (Billy Porter) shares his wife’s disdain for the job and the lowly tributes they manage. Unlike Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) in the original films, Magno isn’t trying to make any statements with his tributes’ fashion. The team from District 12 will be largely on their own, trying to secure sponsors and inspire viewers. Good luck!
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be in theaters on November 20th. Are you hyped for the film? Let us know in the comments!
