Lionsgate has officially released the highly anticipated first trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest installment in the global blockbuster franchise. The prequel film is scheduled to hit theaters on November 20, 2026.
The Second Quarter Quell and 48 Tributes
The film, based on the 2025 novel, is set 24 years before the events of the first Hunger Games film, focusing on the character who would become Katniss Everdeen’s cynical mentor.
The story centers on a young Haymitch Abernathy, who is selected to compete in the brutal 50th Hunger Games. Since this event is the Second Quarter Quell, a twisted tradition that occurs every 25 years, the rules are dramatically altered by the Capitol:
- Twice the Tributes: Each of Panem’s 12 districts is forced to send four tributes (two boys and two girls), instead of the usual two.
- The Stakes: This means a staggering total of 48 children must fight to the death in the arena.
Casting Reveal: Joseph Zada as Haymitch
The footage provides the crucial first look at actor Joseph Zada in the lead role. Zada steps into the shoes of the iconic character, originally played by Woody Harrelson in the main series. The trailer sets the stage for the traumatic events that lead Haymitch to become the troubled, whiskey-soaked mentor audiences know.
