Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson Are Back for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are set to reprise their roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, respectively, in 2026’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

No specifics of their planned appearance have been otherwise discussed but, as Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before the events of the first film, it’s clear some kind of time jump will be necessary. Those who have already read Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping novel, published in March this year, will already have an idea of how and when Katniss and Peeta are likely to pop up in this adaptation.

The debut trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping was released last month, a year out from its November 20, 2026 release date. It will be the sixth installment of The Hunger Games film franchise.

Sunrise on the Reaping acts as both a prequel to the original series and a sequel to the first Hunger Games prequel story, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes arrived as a novel in 2020, and a film adaptation starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler followed in 2023.

Directed by Francis Lawrence (who has helmed the Hunger Games films since Catching Fire), Sunrise on the Reaping will star Joseph Zada, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Jesse Plemons, and Kieran Culkin.

Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.