If there was anything that would get Hunger Games fans more excited for the upcoming prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, it’s the confirmation that Jennifer Lawrence is officially returning to the beloved YA action-dystopian franchise! In a new interview with the Call Her Daddy podcast host, Alex Cooper, J-Law opened up about her anticipated homecoming and reconnecting with her cherished Hunger Games co-stars.
“It Was So Emotional”: J-Law Recalls Reconnecting with the Original Cast
“It was so emotional,” Lawrence told Cooper. “Josh and I didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful.”
Continuing to talk about reprising her iconic role as Katniss Everdeen, Lawrence described the experience as “unbelievable,” saying, “it was so crazy,” noting that the same crew worked on the prequel.
“Woody, obviously, came through the window of my hotel room, uninvited,” Lawrence said. “It wouldn’t be the same if he listened to boundaries and used a door.”
Lawrence first played Katniss in 2012’s The Hunger Games, with Hutcherson playing Peeta Mellark and Harrelson playing Haymitch Abernathy. The trio continued starring in the franchise, featuring in 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 2014’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, and 2015’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2.
Back to Panem: A New Prequel Takes Center Stage
The Hunger Games is a formative franchise for many, with Katniss’ fight resonating with fans across generations. Much like the Harry Potter franchise, The Hunger Games has deep roots in diehard fandom, with each chapter becoming darker and deadlier than the last. In addition to being entertaining films, the Hunger Games novels serve as a blueprint for YA novels across multiple genres, though there’s nothing like the original.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is the second prequel in the franchise, following 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. While that movie explored the early years of Coriolanus Snow, the new film takes audiences further back in time to tell the story of another character familiar to fans of the original movies. This time, the focus is on a young Haymitch Abernathy.
Who’s In the Arena? The Stacked Cast of Sunrise on the Reaping
Joseph Zada takes over the role of Haymitch, with the film set 24 years before the events of the original The Hunger Games. The story begins on the morning of the reaping for the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
Zada leads a cast that includes Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, and Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow. The cast also features Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, and Lili Taylor as Mags. Ralph Fiennes also appears as a younger version of President Snow, following Tom Blyth’s performance as the character in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
Familiar Faces & Behind-the-Camera Veterans
Francis Lawrence is also back behind the camera. The filmmaker directed The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, making Sunrise on the Reaping his fifth entry in the franchise. Billy Ray wrote the screenplay based on Suzanne Collins’ novel.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping comes to theaters on November 20, 2026.
Read the original article here