The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to reach theaters on November 20, 2026. The cast announced by Scholastic includes Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Iris Apatow, Edvin Ryding, Ben Wang, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Jesse Plemons, Billy Porter and Lili Taylor. The film adapts Suzanne Collins’s 2025 novel about the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
When does Sunrise on the Reaping come out?
The film is scheduled for theatrical release on November 20, 2026, according to Scholastic’s January 22, 2026 announcement and Lionsgate’s adaptation announcement. That is a planned release date, not a guarantee that the schedule cannot change.
The film was first announced for November 20, 2026, alongside the book’s planned publication, in Lionsgate’s June 2024 announcement. Scholastic’s later cast announcement retained the date.
Who is in the announced cast?
Scholastic’s January 22, 2026 announcement names the following actors:
#1 Best Overall
- Joseph Zada
- Whitney Peak
- Mckenna Grace
- Iris Apatow
- Edvin Ryding
- Ben Wang
- Glenn Close
- Kieran Culkin
- Elle Fanning
- Ralph Fiennes
- Kelvin Harrison Jr.
- Maya Hawke
- Jesse Plemons
- Billy Porter
- Lili Taylor
This is the cast named in Scholastic’s announcement. It does not give a complete actor-by-character breakdown, so role assignments should not be treated as confirmed on the strength of that list alone.
Are the cast rumors and cameo reports confirmed?
Not by the official cast announcement cited above. It confirms the actors it names; it does not establish additional actors, appearances by cast members from earlier films, or rumored character assignments. Repetition online is not confirmation. Treat those claims as unverified unless Lionsgate or the person involved makes an attributable announcement.
What is Sunrise on the Reaping about?
The movie adapts Suzanne Collins’s novel of the same name, published March 18, 2025. The book opens with the reaping for the Fiftieth Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell, 24 years before the events of the first Hunger Games novel. That describes the source book’s premise and timeline; it should not be read as confirmation of every adaptation detail.
The book’s publication drew substantial readership: the Associated Press reported, citing Scholastic figures, that it sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first week, including 1.2 million copies in the United States during that same week. Those are first-week book sales, not movie attendance or box-office figures. In the same March 27, 2025 report, Scholastic president Ellie Berger said: “After nearly a year of anticipation, sales for ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ have exceeded all expectations, as has the overwhelmingly positive critical and fan response to the book across the world.”
Do you need to read the book first?
No. The novel is the source story for the film, but the announcements do not say that reading it is required preparation. If you want to know the story in its published form before watching, Suzanne Collins’s Sunrise on the Reaping is available as a book; Scholastic announced both a trade paperback and a movie tie-in paperback. Check local availability and edition details with the bookseller or publisher.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Complete set for fans of dystopian fiction.
- Great for collectors and new readers alike.
- Ideal gift set for young adult readers.
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