Long before Katniss Everdeen ever nocked an arrow, Panem’s history was being written in blood and spectacle. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
winds back Panem’s ornate pocket watch to the Second Quarter Quell, where alliances were as fragile as Capitol promises and survival meant outsmarting not just fellow tributes but the gamemakers themselves. With emotional stakes higher than a hovercraft, this adaptation demands performers who can shoulder such weighty material, and Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons is already causing Capitol-worthy buzz.
As the blood of the past stains the Capitol’s streets, Jesse Plemons steps in for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
,
ready to carve his own legacy into Panem’s
chaotic history.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping cast drops
The cast list has arrived like a silver parachute in the arena. Jesse Plemons
, Hollywood’s chameleon of character work and Oscar nominee for The Power of the Dog
(2021), will portray a young Plutarch Heavensbee before his Gamemaker days, when he was just a Capitol cameraman documenting the carnage.
He joins a cast that already features Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, and Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner.
Rachel Zegler reacts to Jesse Plemons being cast as Plutarch Havensbee in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’:
“GOATED CASTING” pic.twitter.com/s7pTARVneG
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) April 25, 2025
Behind the camera, franchise veteran Francis Lawrence returns to the director’s chair
like a tribute circling back to familiar territory, while storytelling sharpshooter Billy Ray crafts the screenplay
with precision worthy of District 1. Mark your calendars for November 20, 2026, when this adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ literary phenomenon storms theaters.
The novel itself has been devouring sales records faster than Muttations on the hunt, with a staggering 1.5 million copies globally vanishing from shelves in just seven days.
Read More: Here’s Who’s Taking the Arena in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’
As the release and cast reveal for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
hypes the fandom, the stakes are higher than ever, setting the stage for the brutal Second Quarter Quell
, where Haymitch Abernathy’s fate is sealed in blood and strategy.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: Panem’s darkest hour unveiled
The prequel plunges viewers into Panem’s darkest chapter, the Second Quarter Quell that unfolded 24 years before Katniss volunteered as tribute. This twisted anniversary edition doubled down on cruelty, forcing 48 children into the arena instead of the usual 24.
At the heart of it is young Haymitch Abernathy, still untouched by alcohol and the pain of survival.
Fans will finally see the iconic Games from his past, where his cleverness exposed a major flaw in the Capitol, but winning came with heartbreaking consequences.
If there’s a fictional character I want to hug, it’d be Haymitch from Hunger Games, if you read his prequel story Sunrise on the Reaping when he was in the Hunger Games it’s actually very tragic & traumatic what he went through, no wonder why he drinks a lot #HungerGames pic.twitter.com/XGtWIti5iN
— Biracial Barbie (@JConfitdent) April 25, 2025
While the original trilogy merely hinted at Haymitch’s ghosts, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
promises to drag them screaming into the spotlight. Viewers will witness the birth of his caustic personality forged in the crucible of the games, alongside doomed District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner
, whose alliance shaped his strategy and soul. Meanwhile, a young Plutarch Heavensbee
watches from behind Capitol lenses, setting the stage for his eventual rebellion.
Read More: ‘Sisu’ Sequel: Release Date, Cast, Plot, Everything About the Next Explosive WWII Action Ride
What do you think about the Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
cast? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
