The Cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Has Been Announced!
The much-anticipated cast for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is being announced all week long! The new film, adapted from the latest Suzanne Collins book, explores the world of Panem during the 50th Hunger Games as a young Haymitch Abernathy takes us on a journey of how he became the victor of the Second Quarter Quell. Filming begins this July with a release date set of November 20, 2026. Take a look at who’s been cast so far!
Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy
Joseph Zada will officially be playing our young Haymitch Abernathy, a role previously brought to life by Woody Harrelson. The Invisible Boys actor will get a chance to flex his range as the film follows Haymitch on his path to becoming the second District 12 victor of the Games. It’s a big year for Zada as he will next be seen starring in the Prime Video book adaptation of We Were Liars coming this June.
Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird
Whitney Peak, known for her roles in the Gossip Girl reboot and Hocus Pocus 2, has landed the coveted role of Lenore Dove Baird. Lenore Dove is Haymitch’s hometown sweetheart with a familial connection to the mysterious Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which puts a target on Haymitch’s back when it comes to President Coriolanus Snow.
Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner
We were right with our fancasting predictions! Maysilee Donner will be played by Mckenna Grace, known for her star power in projects like The Haunting Of Hill House and The Handmaid’s Tale. The District 12 tribute forms a significant alliance with Haymitch during the Games, eventually forming a sibling-like bond.
Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
Jesse Plemons is set to play a young Plutarch Heavensbee, the future Head Gamemaker and rebellion leader previously portrayed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Plemons’ earlier collaboration with Hoffman in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master — where he played the son of Hoffman’s charismatic cult leader Lancaster Dodd — makes this casting choice even more special. Sunrise on the Reaping opens with the young Plutarch in District 12, documenting the reaping of the tributes, an introduction that plays perfectly to Plemons’s strength in portraying complex, quietly observant characters.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier
From playing Scar in Mufasa: The Lion King to Beetee Latier, Kelvin Harrison Jr. is joining the cast of Sunrise on the Reaping! The actor takes on the role originally brought to screen by Jeffrey Wright, who was the Victor of the 34th Hunger Games. He once set a trap that electrocuted six tributes at once, allowing him to win his Games, but now he’s given the horrifying task of mentoring his own son in the Quarter Quell.
Maya Hawke as Wiress Wright
Another fancasting prediction came true! The Stranger Things star has been announced as Wiress. One year after her victory, Wiress was assigned as a mentor for the District 12 tributes reaped into the Second Quarter Quell along with District 4 Victor Mags Flanagan. Along with the fans, we’re excited to see Maya Hawke take on this role.
Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan
Lili Taylor joins the cast as Mags Flanagan. The former Hunger Games champion-turned-District 12 mentor was previously played by Lynn Cohen in Catching Fire. As a mentor, she encourages the tributes to think about their own goals in the Games. Up next, she’ll be seen in Fear Street: Prom Queen and Daredevil: Born Again season 2.
Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow
Karate Kid: Legends star Ben Wang is set to play Wyatt Callow, one of the four tributes from District 12. He comes from a family known for gambling on The Hunger Games. Wyatt is described as a “compulsive oddsmaker" and uses his skills to predict outcomes and share information about the other tributes.
Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus Snow
The one and only Ralph Fiennes has been cast as President Snow! Best known for playing Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, Fiennes is no stranger to bringing legendary villains to life. We are so excited to see how he will honor Donald Sutherland's legacy as the cold dictator. In Sunrise on the Reaping, Snow rules Panem during the 50th Hunger Games and may have more in common with Haymitch than it seems… especially when it comes to Baird girls.
