Lionsgate announced it would be producing a film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' "Sunrise on the Reaping" before the book was even released.

Though newcomer Joseph Zada was cast to star as a young Haymitch, the rest of the prequel’s cast is made up of recognizable A-listers like Jesse Plemons and Maya Hawke. Ahead of the film’s premiere on Nov. 20, 2026, take a look at the Sunrise on the Reaping cast side-by-side with the actors who originated their legendary roles.

Suzanne Collins gave her readers a huge gift in returning to the world of The Hunger Games series, the first three books of which she wrote in 2008, 2009 and 2010, for the prequel story of one Haymitch Abernathy.