The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026) — Release Date, Cast, Story, Box Office Tracking
The Hunger Games is coming back — and this time, it is Haymitch's story. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens in US theaters and IMAX on Friday, November 20, 2026, with early-access screenings in premium formats on Wednesday, November 18 at 6 p.m. Tickets have been on sale since October 28. It is the biggest movie left in November, and the early buzz is strong: first reactions after the October 28 premiere were strongly positive, with newcomer Joseph Zada getting the most praise. What is Sunrise on the Reaping about? The film adapts Suzanne Collins's 2025 novel of the same name. It takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen — during the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell. Because it is a Quarter Quell, each district must send double the usual number of tributes: 48 young fighters enter the arena instead of 24. At the centre is a 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada — the same character Woody Harrelson played as an adult in the original films. This is the Games Haymitch won, and the story shows what that victory cost him. Cast - Joseph Zada as young Haymitch Abernathy - Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird - McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, the original owner of the Mockingjay pin - Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow - Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee - Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket - Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman - Glenn Close, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ben Wang and Billy Porter also star And for longtime fans: Jennifer Lawrence has confirmed she returns as Katniss Everdeen in an epilogue, alongside Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Woody Harrelson as the older Haymitch. Francis Lawrence directs — he has directed every Hunger Games film except the first. The film runs 158 minutes and is rated PG-13. How big will the opening be? Forecasts vary, and they are forecasts, not results — but they have been moving up: - Boxoffice Pro's long-range forecast (October 23): $55–65 million opening weekend in the US and Canada. - Deadline's early tracking: $60 million or more, with rivals expecting it could top $70 million. - Updated tracking reported in early November: $80–100 million, with Box Office Theory forecasting $105 million-plus. For comparison, the last film, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), opened to $44.6 million. If the higher forecasts hold, this would be the biggest Hunger Games opening since the original series. Should you watch it in theaters? Yes — this is the one to see on the biggest screen. The early-access screenings on November 18 are in premium formats only (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, ScreenX), and the full release follows on November 20, just before Thanksgiving. More movie news and updates: https://auctionr.org/4/27a688174226782303a1860b3aa0346b Will you be watching on opening weekend? Tell us in the comments — Team Haymitch or Team Snow?
