Forget what you think you know about the Hunger Games — because the Quarter Quell is about to begin again, and this time, the face of rebellion is younger, sharper, and completely reimagined.
As reported by EW, Lionsgate has officially announced that Joseph Zada will step into the gritty boots of a young Haymitch Abernathy in the highly anticipated prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, set to hit cinemas 20 November 2026. And yes, that means Woody Harrelson — iconic as he was — is passing the torch.
But fear not, purists: this isn’t a recast, it’s a rewind. Zada isn’t replacing Harrelson in spirit — he’s playing a much younger version of the fan-favourite mentor, long before the drink and disillusionment set in. Think less sarcasm, more survival.
This new chapter in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian saga takes us 24 years before Katniss, plunging into the blood-soaked spectacle of the 50th Hunger Games — and into the making of the mentor we thought we knew.
And there’s more: rising star Whitney Peak joins the cast as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s love interest — marking what could be the franchise’s most emotionally charged relationship yet.
Based on Collins’ fifth novel, this isn’t just a prequel. It’s a reckoning. With fresh faces, fierce stakes, and a dangerously romantic edge, Sunrise on the Reaping could be the boldest Hunger Games film yet.
