Remember “The Hunger Games?” The newest teaser for “Sunrise on the Reaping” wants you to.
The 30-second trailer, shared on Friday, compares actors from the original “Hunger Games” four-movie series with the new faces taking over their parts in “Sunrise on the Reaping,” a prequel set during the 50th annual games. As faces like Elizabeth Banks’ and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s fade into Elle Fanning’s and Jesse Plemons’, various characters from the “Hunger Games” series each say the word “remember.” You can watch the trailer below.
The trailer continues cutting through footage of the original four films, sharing brief glimpses of “Sunrise on the Reaping” ahead of its November release. After showing Ralph Fiennes take over as President Snow (a role previously played by Donald Sutherland and Tom Blyth), the teaser cycles through a series of iconic “Hunger Games” shots before ending on footage of Woody Harrelson and Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy.
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is based on the prequel novel “Sunrise on the Reaping,” written by “Hunger Games” scribe Suzanne Collins in 2025. The dystopian book focuses on the 50th Hunger Games, or the second Quarter Quell, which saw double the usual 24 tributes enter the deadly games. One of those 48 tributes was Haymitch Abernathy, who would become a mentor to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) 24 years later.
Lawrence and Hutcherson will both appear in the film, marking the first time they’ve played these characters since 2015’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.” Also in the cast are Mckenna Grace, Ben Wang, Maya Hawke, Kieran Culkin, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Glenn Close, Billy Porter and Lili Taylor, among others. Francis Lawrence directed the film, while Billy Ray wrote the adapted screenplay.
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” releases in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.
Jennifer Lawrence And Josh Hutcherson Are Returning To The Hunger Games Universe
The rumors are true, and months of denials have officially aged like milk. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are reportedly returning to the world of Panem, reprising their iconic roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in Lionsgate’s highly anticipated prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
At first, the idea seemed impossible. The new film takes place decades before Katniss ever volunteered for the Hunger Games, making the return of Lawrence and Hutcherson appear unlikely. However, the filmmakers have reportedly found a clever way to bring the beloved characters back without disrupting the timeline of the original trilogy.
The key is a framing device reportedly taken from Suzanne Collins’ latest novel. The story is expected to feature an older Katniss and Peeta spending time with Haymitch Abernathy as he tells them about the horrifying experience he endured during his own Hunger Games. This approach gives fans an opportunity to see the original characters again while allowing the prequel to remain focused on Haymitch’s story.
The revelation is especially amusing considering Josh Hutcherson’s recent comments about the project. For months, the actor insisted that he knew nothing about the upcoming film and emphasized how much he still loved the franchise. In Hollywood, however, such denials can often mean that a carefully worded confidentiality agreement is keeping the truth under wraps. Fans now have plenty of reason to laugh at those earlier statements.
Sunrise on the Reaping centers on the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell. This particular Games was designed to be especially brutal, with twice the usual number of tributes being sent into the arena. The story follows a young Haymitch as he struggles to survive one of the most devastating and psychologically intense Games in Panem’s history.
Bringing Katniss and Peeta into the story through a framing sequence could create an emotional connection between Haymitch’s past and the characters fans have followed since the beginning of the franchise. It also gives Lawrence and Hutcherson a chance to return without changing the events established in the original films.
Fans have already taken to social media to celebrate the reported reunion, with many joking about how successfully the actors managed to keep the secret. The combination of familiar stars, Suzanne Collins’ source material, and director Francis Lawrence returning has created enormous anticipation.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 20, 2026. Whether Katniss and Peeta appear only briefly or play a more meaningful role remains unclear, but their return could make this new chapter one of the franchise’s biggest cinematic events yet.
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