Casting for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is underway, and the production just announced another major cast member playing a previous Hunger Games victor. After the first Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, author Suzanne Collins announced in 2024 that she would be penning a novel focusing on the 50th Hunger Games, of which Haymitch Abernathy is the victor; a movie adaptation was greenlit shortly after. Sunrise on the Reaping is confirmed to be starring Joseph Zada as Haymitch, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, and Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner.

The latest news, via the official Hunger Games X account, is that Mufasa star Kelvin Harrison Jr. will be playing District 3 victor Beetee Latier, previously portrayed by Jeffrey Wright in the 2010s Hunger Games movies. Harrison is the second actor playing one of the movie’s adult characters to be announced, following Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee. Sunrise on the Reaping greatly expanded Beetee’s story, revealing tragic details about the work and personal life of the wise, steady mentor seen in the original series, and Harrison is taking on a monumental role.

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What This Means For Sunrise On The Reaping

Beetee Is One Of The Most Intense Parts To Play In The Prequel

Kelvin Harrison Jr. recently received much mainstream attention for voicing Taka in 2024’s Musfasa: The Lion King, playing the young lion who would become Mufasa’s bitter brother Scar. Harrison is also known for dramatic roles in movies including It Comes at Night, Waves, and Chevalier. Harrison has proven his talent, but he is not as much of a cemented A-lister as many of the actors typically cast in the older roles of the Hunger Games franchise have been. This role could be the next launchpad for his career, as he plays out a very tragic story.

Stars including Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Mahershala Ali, Peter Dinklage, and Viola Davis were already veritable legends when they accepted a part in this franchise. With Sunrise on the Reaping taking place 25 years before the original The Hunger Games, many returning characters are being recast, and Harrison’s casting suggests that there will be some more surprising choices soon. Rather than simply hiring the most famous person available, Sunrise on the Reaping could be a much more interesting showcase of talent, as actors like Harrison are given the opportunity to embody their predecessors.

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Beetee is an especially weighty role to play in Sunrise on the Reaping when he is being forced by the Capitol to mentor his own son in the Hunger Games. Harrison isn’t who I would’ve guessed to be chosen for this part, but The Hunger Games has a history of nailing its casting choices. More than likely, Harrison delivered an absolutely perfect, heartrending audition, and we will all be devastated by his performance come November 2026. I’m eager to see who else will be joining this adaptation and pushing themselves as actors due to the very nature of this story.

Source: X