The cast for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping keeps growing. Sunrise on the Reaping will be the second Hunger Games prequel movie, the first of which being 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The 2023 film was a critical and commercial success which reignited interest in The Hunger Games movie franchise. Therefore, it’s highly likely that the upcoming Sunrise on the Reaping will be one of the biggest movies of 2026, especially since it will focus on one of the most popular Hunger Games characters.

Sunrise on the Reaping will follow Haymitch Abernathy, who was played by Woody Harrelson in the Hunger Games movies. In the film, Haymitch will participate in the 50th Hunger Games, which has double the number of tributes. Because of this, Sunrise on the Reaping may be the most ambitious Hunger Games movie yet. Filming is scheduled to start in July 2025, which means that casting announcements are consistently being made. Therefore, here is the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping:

Joseph Zada As Haymitch Abernathy

Born: 2005

• Active Since: 2019

Actor: Joseph Zada was born in Sydney, Australia in 2005 and first appeared in the 2019 movie Bilched, which was directed by his father and also featured his brother. Afterwards, Zada appeared in several episodes of the Australian political drama Total Control, and also starred in the series Invisible Boys. While these were both Australian productions, Zada was cast in the upcoming show We Were Liars, which will premiere on Prime Video, and will also appear in the Netflix series East of Eden. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be his first major movie role.

Notable Movies & TV Roles:

Character: Zada will play Haymitch Abernathy, the main character in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. In the film, Haymitch will be 16 years old when he gets reaped to participate in the 50th Hunger Games. Sunrise on the Reaping will reveal how Haymitch won the Hunger Games, which was a mystery for a long time before the release of the prequel novel.

Whitney Peak As Lenore Dove

Born: January 28, 2003

• Active Since: 2017

Actor: Whitney Peak was born in Kampala, Uganda in 2003, but her family relocated to Canada in 2012. Peak had minor roles in movies like 2017’s Molly’s Game and 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2, and has also starred in several popular shows. She played Judith Blackwood in several episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Zoya Lott, one of the main characters in Gossip Girl, which was based on the CW show of the same name and streamed on HBO Max.

Notable Movies & TV Roles:

Character: Peak will play Lenore Dove, Haymitch’s girlfriend in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. While she doesn’t get reaped for the Hunger Games, Haymitch actually gets chosen after involving himself in a scurry between Lenore Dove and a Peacemaker. Despite this, Haymitch does not hold anything against Lenore Dove and constantly thinks about her while he participates in the 50th Hunger Games.

Mckenna Grace As Maysilee Donner

Born: June 25, 2006

• Active Since: 2012

Actor: Mckenna Grace was born in Grapevine, Texas in 2006 and found success as a child actor after starring in the Disney XD sitcom Crash & Bernstein and the soap opera The Young and the Restless. Over the years, she has continued to star in high-profile projects such as Gifted and Captain Marvel. Most notably, she played Phoebe Spengler, one of the main characters in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Notable Movie & TV Roles:

Character: In Sunrise on the Reaping, Grace will play Maysilee Donner, one of the two girls chosen to represent District 12 in the 50th Hunger Games. In District 12, Maysilee never really got along with Lenore Dove, but she and Haymitch surprisingly form a trusting friendship while preparing for the Hunger Games.

Jesse Plemons As Plutarch Heavensbee

Born: April 2, 1988

• Active Since: 1991

Actor: Jesse Plemons was born in Dallas, Texas in 1988 and quickly started working as a child actor. Eventually, he experienced his first breakthrough after landing the role of Landry Clark in Friday Night Lights. Plemons has also appeared in shows like Breaking Bad, Fargo, and Black Mirror. Additionally, Plemons has starred in a wide variety of acclaimed movies, such as The Master, The Irishman, The Power of the Dog, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

Notable Movie & TV Roles:

Character: Plemons will portray Plutarch in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Years before he ends up being one of the leading members of the rebellion against the Capitol, Plutarch is a cameraman who is ᴀssigned to film the District 12 tributes. Haymitch doesn’t trust Plutarch since he is from the Capitol, but there are hints that he doesn’t agree with the Hunger Games.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. As Beetee Latier

Born: July 23, 1994

• Active Since: 2013

Actor: Kelvin Harrison Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1994 and landed several smaller roles in movies like Ender’s Game and 12 Years a Slave at the start of his career. Since then, Harrison Jr. has earned immense acclaim for starring in movies such as Luce, Waves, and The Trial of the Chicago Seven. Additionally, he portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the show Genius and also voiced Scar in Mufasa: The Lion King.

Notable Movie & TV Roles:

Character: Harrison Jr. will play Beetee, who will serve as a mentor for the tributes in Sunrise on the Reaping years after winning the 34th Hunger Games. Beetee is a genius when it comes to technology, and will teach Haymitch some valuable lessons in Sunrise on the Reaping. Beetee will also have a personal connection to the 50th Hunger Games, as his son, Ampert, will be one of the tributes selected to participate.

Maya Hawke As Wiress

Born: July 8, 1998

• Active Since: 2016

Actor: Maya Hawke was born in New York City in 1998 and is the daughter of Hollywood actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Hawke decided to follow in her parent’s footsteps and pursue acting, and is also a singer-songwriter and a model. She has appeared in movies such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mainstream, Fear Street Part One: 1994, Asteroid City, and voiced the character Anxiety in 2024’s Inside Out 2. She has also been a main character in Stranger Things since the hit Netflix show’s third season.

Notable Movie & TV Roles:

Character: In Sunrise on the Reaping, Hawke will play Wiress, who managed to win the 49th Hunger Games without actually killing anyone. Just like Beetee, Wiress is known for her impressive intellect, and will mentor the District 12 tributes in Sunrise on the Reaping.

Lili Taylor As Mags Flanagan

Born: February 20, 1967

• Active Since: 1986

Actor: Lili Taylor was born in Glencoe, Illinois in 1967 and, in addition to finding mainstream success, established herself as one of the key actresses for independent cinema in the 1990s. Her notable indie films include Bright Angel, Dogfight, and I SH๏τ Andy Warhol. Additionally, Taylor has also starred in several mainstream films, such as High Fidelity, The Conjuring, and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, which is a young adult film set in a dystopia, which is exactly what Sunrise on the Reaping will be.

Notable Movie & TV Roles:

Character: In Sunrise on the Reaping, Taylor will play Mags, the winner of the 11th Hunger Games, which took place just a year after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Along with Wiress, Mags will mentor Haymitch and the other District 12 tributes in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

Ben Wang As Wyatt Callow

Born: January 1, 2000

• Active Since: 2021

Actor: Ben Wang was born in Shanghai, China in 2000 and eventually moved to the United States when he was six. In 2023, he received recognition for starring in the Disney+ movie Chang Can Dunk and the Disney+ sitcom American Born Chinese. Since then, he has continued to pave his path as a rising star in Hollywood. In 2025, he is starring in major movies like Karate Kid: Legends and The Long Walk, which is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel and will be helmed by Francis Lawrence, who is also directing Sunrise on the Reaping.

Notable Movie & TV Roles:

Character: In Sunrise on the Reaping, Wang will play Wyatt, the second male tribute from District 12. Just like Maysilee, he will also initially ʙuтт heads with Haymitch before the two form a friendship. Wyatt comes from a family that organizes bets for every Hunger Games, which means he approaches the compeтιтion in a unique way after being reaped.