The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Unveiling Haymitch’s Dark Past

Info in Movie News | Following up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes success, The Hunger Games franchise is back to shake up with the latest prequel titled The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The movie is scheduled to be released at the box office on November 20, 2026, bringing a deeper story about the dark past of Panem, and Haymitch Abernathy's character.

According to Collider, The Hnger Game: Sunrise on the Reaping will delve into Haymitch's background, played by Woody Harrelson in the previous movies. The story arch is focused on the 50th Hunger Games his tributes' struggle in, known as the Quarter Quell two. In this special edition, the Capitol added the number of participants, thus, the fights got more brutal. Although fans are aware of the outcome of the games, the writer, Suzanne Collins never managed to let the tension and surprises go in the plot.

Rachel Coun, the head of The Hunger Games marketing, revealed how was the process of developing this project outstanding. "I knew Suzanne was working on a new book, but I did not expect it to go so fast. Suddenly, I got a call saying that she wanted us to read it and determine if this is worth making a film," she said in the interview with Variety.

Francis Lawrence, the director who has handled most of the films in The Hunger Games franchise, was again appointed to control this project. He pointed out that the adaptation process this time was quite challenging because the book was not even still published. "We are still in the research phase because the audience has just learned the outline of the story," Lawrence told Collider.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hit worldwide box office for $350 million which shows that the world of The Hunger Games still has a big attraction for old and new fans. The return of Collins as a writer and Lawrence as a director, Sunrise on the Reaping, could be one of the most awaited films in the next few years.