The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping is one step closer to happening.
The movie has cast the younger version of Haymitch Abernathy, the beloved character that Woody Harrelson portrays in several of the films based on Suzanne Collins’ dystopian novels, reps for the film announced Wednesday. Joseph Zada, whose credits include the upcoming Prime Video series We Were Liars, which costars Mamie Gummer and David Morse, and the Netflix limited series East of Eden, based on the classic John Steinbeck novel.
Whitney Peak will star in new ‘Hunger Games’ film ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’. Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
At the same time, the studio behind the film said that it had cast Whitney Peak as Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird. Peak’s credits include Hocus Pocus 2, the Gossip Girl reboot, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. She’s also a global ambassador for Chanel.
“After auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out — not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles,” Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a news release. “Haymitch has always been a fan favorite, and his origin story is one of the most anticipated in the franchise. His relationship with Lenore Dove is deeply woven into the emotional history of Panem. We can’t wait for fans to experience the story that shaped one of the most compelling characters in the series.”
The latest film in the blockbuster series is scheduled to be released Nov. 20, 2026. It’s based on the book of the same name — Collins’ fifth Hunger Games novel — which was published last month and immediately flew off shelves. Sunrise on the Reaping sold 1.5 million copies of its English edition in its first week.
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The story takes place at the 50th Hunger Games (also known as the Second Quarter Quell), which was 24 years before Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteered as tribute in the first of the movies. This one will open at daybreak on the day that tributes are chosen for the annual death match in the year that the stubborn Abernathy, who becomes a mentor to Everdeen, participates at the age of 16.
The last prequel in the series, 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, earned more than $348 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
