Sunrise on the Reaping cast & characters: Meet the stars behind the film and the roles they play

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is one of the most awaited cinematic releases of 2026, scheduled to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. This sixth installment in the blockbuster franchise is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins's 2025 novel of the same name, serving as a prequel set 24 years before the events of the original trilogy.

The film features Joseph Zada taking on the role of the young Haymitch. Other notable cast includes Mckenna Grace as his fellow tribute Maysilee Donner, and Whitney Peak as his love interest, Lenore Dove Baird. Jesse Plemons will portray Plutarch Heavensbee, and Elle Fanning will portray a young Effie Trinket. Ralph Fiennes will play the formidable President Snow, among other supporting cast members.

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Notable cast of the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping features Joseph Zada, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, among other known actors

1) Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy

Joseph Zada at We Were Liars Tribeca Festival World Premiere Screening (Image via Getty)

In Sunrise on the Reaping, Joseph Zada portrays the young Haymitch Abernathy as he enters the brutal 50th Hunger Games. Australian actor Joseph Zada gained recognition for his roles in the Stan series Invisible Boys and the Prime Video series We Were Liars. Zada is also set to appear in the upcoming limited television series, East of Eden (2026).

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2) Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird

Whitney Peak at Paris Fashion Week (Image via Getty)

Whitney Peak, known for her starring role as Zoya Lott in the HBO Max series Gossip Girl and her appearance as Becca in the film Hocus Pocus 2, has also joined the Hunger Games franchise. In Sunrise on the Reaping, Peak will portray Lenore Dove Baird, the love interest of the young Haymitch Abernathy. The Ugandan-Canadian actress was recently featured in the horror film Eye for an Eye.

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3) Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket

Elle Fanning at the 5th Annual Academy Museum Gala (Image via Getty)

Elle Fanning will portray the young Effie Trinket in Sunrise on the Reaping. The American actress is widely known for her portrayal of Princess Aurora in Disney's Maleficent and Empress Catherine in the acclaimed series The Great. She recently starred in the award-winning American biographical drama film, A Complete Unknown.

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4) Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner

Mckenna Grace at Regretting You Premiere (Image via Getty)

Mckenna Grace is set to appear as Maysilee Donner, the District 12 tribute, in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The Regretting You star is known for powerful performances, including her breakthrough role in the film Gifted and her Emmy-nominated work in The Handmaid's Tale. Most recently, the American actress reprised her role as Phoebe Spengler in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024).

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5) Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow

Ralph Fiennes at The Choral Gala (Image via Getty)

Famed for his role as the sinister Lord Voldemort in the Happy Potter film series, actor Ralph Fiennes will appear as the ruthless President Coriolanus Snow in the upcoming film. The English actor recently appeared in the post-apocalyptic horror film, 28 Years Later and has several upcoming projects, including the sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) and The Choral (2025).

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6) Maya Hawke as Wiress

Maya Hawke at The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating (Image via Getty)

The Stranger Things star Maya Hawke will feature as Wiress, the District 3 victor and mentor, in the upcoming film. The American actress is also known for her role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. More recently, she voiced Anxiety in the hit Pixar film Inside Out 2, and narrated the documentary film Videoheaven.

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7) Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee

Jesse Plemons at Bugonia Headline Gala (Image via Getty)

Jesse Plemons, celebrated for memorable roles in acclaimed television shows like Breaking Bad and Fargo, is set to feature as a young Plutarch Heavensbee in Sunrise on the Reaping. The American actor received the Best Actor award at Cannes for his triple role in Kinds of Kindness (2024) and recently starred in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) and Netflix's anthology television series Black Mirror.

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8) Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier

Kelvin Harrison at The 2025 Met Gala (Image via Getty)

Known for his award-winning performance in Waves, Kelvin Harrison feature as a young Beetee Latier, the tech-savvy victor of the 34th Hunger Games, in Sunrise on the Reaping. Recently, he starred as Joseph Bologne in Chevalier (2022) and voiced Young Scar in Mufasa: The Lion King (2024). He also featured in Hulu's post-apocalyptic musical drama film O'Dessa (2025).

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9) Lili Taylor as Mags

Lily Taylor at the 2025 Tribeca Festival (Image via Getty)

Lily Taylor will feature as Mags Flanagan, a former champion who will mentor a young Haymitch Abernathy in Sunrise on the Reaping. The American actress is known for her roles in I Shot Andy Warhol, The Conjuring and the series Six Feet Under. She recently appeared in the Amazon TV series Outer Range and the historical drama Manhunt (2024).

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10) Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman

Keiran Culkin at Post Oscars Celebration (Image via Getty)

The Academy Award recipient, Keiran Culkin is portraying Caesar Flickerman in Sunrise on the Reaping. Culkin is celebrated for his performance as Roman Roy in the HBO series Succession, for which he won an Emmy. Most recently, the American actor won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 2024 film A Real Pain. He also had breakout roles in Igby Goes Down and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Other notable actors such as Ben Wang, Glenn Close and Billy Porter, among other supporting cast, are also set to feature in the upcoming dystopian action thriller film, which is set for release in November 2026.

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Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha