New clip from ‘THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING’.
In theaters on November 20. https://t.co/PbYiMapoIN
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 11, 2026
The Hunger Games franchise is jumping backward again. This time it lands on the teenage years of Haymitch Abernathy, the cynical District 12 mentor Woody Harrelson turned into a franchise favorite. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens in U.S. theaters on November 20, 2026.
Francis Lawrence is back in the director’s chair for the sixth film in the series. It adapts Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel and sits between The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and the original trilogy. The story begins on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games—the Second Quarter Quell. The Capitol doubles the body count: 48 tributes instead of the usual 24. Haymitch, still living in the Seam of District 12 with his mother and younger brother, gets pulled in. He has a girlfriend named Lenore Dove (Whitney Peak) and ends up allied with fellow District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner (Mckenna Grace). The Games are bigger, meaner, and aimed at breaking anyone who looks like trouble to President Snow.
‘The Hunger Games’ franchise characters from past to present.
(Via @panempropaganda) https://t.co/FVPV9PgZuG
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 4, 2026
Joseph Zada, a 21-year-old Australian, plays the younger Haymitch. Thousands of actors taped for the part. Lawrence has called it big shoes to fill. Producer Nina Jacobson said the role needed someone who already carried a certain mischief. Zada shot non-chronologically, which meant filming early hopeful scenes and later broken ones back-to-back. He has said the schedule “freaked me out so much.” Kieran Culkin, who plays a younger Caesar Flickerman, watched the finished film and told Zada he is going to be around a while.
The Capitol side is stacked. Ralph Fiennes is President Snow. Jesse Plemons is Plutarch Heavensbee. Elle Fanning is Effie Trinket. Glenn Close plays District 12 escort Drusilla Sickle. Maya Hawke is Wiress. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is Beetee. Ben Wang, who grew up going to Hunger Games-themed parties and cutting Mockingjay cakes, is the other District 12 male tribute, Wyatt Callow. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson return for a short epilogue as Katniss and Peeta. The producers said they wrote the movie to stand on its own if the original stars passed; they still showed up.
WELCOME TO THE 50TH HUNGER GAMES.
Twice the tributes. Twice the danger. And an arena where survival comes at a price.
🏹 THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING
🔥 IN CINEMAS 19 NOVEMBER 2026.MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR. 🐍
#TheHungerGamesSunriseOnTheReaping https://t.co/YbNClusuTI
— Encore Films M’sia (@encorefilmsmal) November 11, 2026
Production ran about five months, mostly on real locations in Spain and Germany. The young cast worked six-day weeks through the arena sequences. The previous films have already cleared $3.3 billion worldwide. The books have sold more than 100 million copies. Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes proved audiences would still show up without Katniss in the lead. This one gives them the origin of the man who later taught her how to survive—and why he drank.
Trailers have already shown the colorful “poison paradise” arena and Snow’s warning that these are his Games. Fans who read the book know the Second Quarter Quell is where Haymitch’s life breaks. The film is rated PG-13 and runs 158 minutes. Tickets are on sale now for the November 20 open.
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— The Whatfinger News Team: Beth and Lisa with Grok on edits and graphics
More Background: Jennifer Lawrence was reportedly paid just $500,000 for the first Hunger Games movie, which went on to make nearly $700 million worldwide. But when Lionsgate came back for the sequel, her representatives returned to the negotiating table. And this time, they secured a deal reportedly worth around $10 million. When Lawrence first signed on to play Katniss Everdeen, she agreed to a multi-film contract with relatively modest raises for the sequels. But after the first film became a global phenomenon, her team knew the original deal no longer reflected her value to the franchise. So, before production on Catching Fire began, they renegotiated. The reported $10 million payday wasn’t all guaranteed upfront. It was an estimated package that included her base salary, bonuses and box-office incentives. And the sequel went on to make roughly $865 million worldwide. Her co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth also renegotiated their contracts, although their reported raises were considerably smaller. Jennifer Lawrence had entered the franchise as a rising star. By the second movie, she had become one of its biggest assets — and her new contract reflected that.
