It’s been over a month since I finished Sunrise on the Reaping and I’m still not over it. As my only six-star read of the year, Haymitch Abernathy’s story has been living in my head rent-free. I’ve been watching TikTok edits, reading every analysis I can find, and collecting every easter egg Suzanne Collins tucked into those pages like a Capitol tribute hiding contraband.
But still… I was running out of content.
LUCKILY, I didn’t have to wait long for more, because Sunrise on the Reaping is officially being adapted into a movie, set to release in 2026, and this week our first casting announcements!
Sunrise on the Reaping
Description
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town.
As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Everything We Know About Sunrise on the Reaping Movie
Sunrise on the Reaping is Haymitch Abernathy’s story, following how he was reaped on his 16th birthday and ultimately survived the Hunger Games. I don’t want to spoil too much in this post in case you’re just here for the casting news, but if you’re craving the full details, you can check out our Sunrise on the Reaping summary and Ending Explained & Easter Egg Breakdown.
Aside from the initial announcement that the book would be adapted, we didn’t know much about the movie at first. Fans were left to speculate and re-read while waiting for updates.
Now we have a date. Sunrise on the Reaping is officially set to release on November 20, 2026.
After readers devoured the book, and promptly entered their post-epilogue emotional spirals, Lionsgate wasted no time teasing the film and launching the first round of casting announcements.
You can watch the Sunrise on the Reaping’s first teaser trailer here.
The trailer doesn’t give us much, other than a very cool rendition of the Songbird and the Snake-style flint striker we saw on the book cover. There are some striking visual elements—mild Sunrise on the Reaping spoilers ahead— like the volcano at the center of the arena. It definitely looks epic, but I’m not totally sure why they chose to highlight it so heavily. The volcano was there, sure, but it wasn’t exactly a central feature of the Games, so it feels more like a stylistic flex than a plot-focused decision.
Sunrise on the Reaping Casting
There’s been a huge wave of fan casting across social media over the past few weeks, but as of now, nothing new has been officially confirmed. Be careful when you see casting news floating around — not everything is real yet.
I’ll be keeping this post updated as official confirmations come in. For now, below is we know.
Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy
Joseph Zada has been cast as Haymitch Abernathy according to the official Hunger Games social media.
He looks a bit better than the book Haymitch’s description obviously, since Haymitch has dark hair, grey eyes and a darker skin tone. However our original movie Haymitch, Woody Harrelson has been the perfect Haymitch so far and Joseph Zada is a spitting image of him, so I’m completely on board with this casting.
Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove
Whitney Peak has been cast as Lenore Dove who is a Covey girl and Haymitch’s girlfriend. This casting choice is amazing considering if you read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Lenore is directly related to Lucy Gray and Whitney is a spitting image of Rachel Zegler.
Either way more interestingly, they announced Lenore before Maysilee. That might just be how the casting announcement worked out but Whitney Peak is also given lead credit when Lenore Dove is present only at the beginning and the end of the book since Haymitch is at the games during the game. This makes me think they’re going to give Lenore Dove a bigger role in the movie, like in the form of flashback or her getting into more active Covey activity while Haymitch is at the games.
Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner
When Mckenna Grace was announced as Maysilee Donner, my new favorite mean girl I audibly squealed.
I love, love, loved Mckenna’s work ever since The Haunting of The Hill House and been enjoyed watching her work in everything I’ve seen her in. She’s also an incredibly talented musician by the way, you should totally check out Spotify for her songs there.
Who else?
No one else officially! There are reports that Kieran Culkin is in talks to play Caesar Flickerman and Elle Fanning as Effie Trinkett, but nothing has been officially confirmed yet. I’m sure Lionsgate and The Hunger Games franchise social media is planning to release the information in waves.
I’ll update this post as we find out more, but until then… back to TikToks where we cry at edits of Taylor Swift and Haymitch!
Also if you haven’t read Sunrise on the Reaping, you totally should, and you can get your copy now:
🎯 Tribute, your story starts here. Read Sunrise on the Reaping today!
Leave a Comment