The upcoming Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, continues to build its cast and has now added Stranger Things’ Maya Hawke as an essential character. In 2025, author Suzanne Collins released the novel Sunrise on the Reaping with plans for Lionsgate to deliver a film adaptation in 2026. The film is the second prequel in the series, following 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. The new installment centers around Haymitch Abernathy, the Hunger Games victor who mentors Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark for the 74th Hunger Games.

Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before the first Hunger Games novel and depicts the 50th Hunger Games in which Haymitch competes. Maya Hawke joins the cast as Wiress, who first appeared in Catching Fire, then played by Amanda Plummer. Hawke joins a growing roster that includes Joseph Zada as Haymitch, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier, and Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee. Francis Lawrence returns to direct with a script written by Billy Ray.

What Maya Hawke’s Sunrise On The Reaping Casting Means

This Is An Important Role For Hawke To Play

Wiress is an important character in The Hunger Games as she is crucial to helping Katniss survive the 75th Hunger Games. While she’s known as “Nuts” for her quirky behavior, she is also incredibly intelligent, figuring out the clock-like design of the arena. She, unfortunately, dies in the Third Quarter Quell but plays a significant part in helping the others beat the system.

Wiress competed in and won the 49th Hunger Games, one year before the events of Sunrise on the Reaping. Hawke will have a significant role in Sunrise on the Reaping as Wiress acts as Haymitch’s mentor. It will be interesting to see how Wiress is portrayed, as she is still traumatized by her involvement in the previous year’s Games. She is also influential for Haymitch, who becomes a mentor himself and a figure in the rebellion against President Snow.

Our Take On Maya Hawke Joining Sunrise On The Reaping

Hawke Is A Solid Choice For The Hunger Games

It’s never a bad idea for a film to add reliable talent, and Hawke is one of the brightest stars in Hollywood. Hawke may be best known for her role as Robin in Stranger Things, joining the series in season 3. Since then, she’s starred in several prominent projects, like Netflix’s Do Revenge, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. She recently produced and starred in 2023’s Wildcat and voiced Anxiety in Pixar’s Inside Out 2, the highest-grossing film of 2024. Sunrise on the Reaping is part of a mᴀssive franchise, but Hawke has proven she can handle it.

Source: Lionsgate