Fans Celebrate Return Of Fan-Favorite Characters

Fans have been questioning in the recent months since the announcement of the newest The Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, if the stars of the original first four films would be returning. Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence have been confirmed to return for the prequel film Sunrise on the Reaping.

Everlark Returns

Confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, who play Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the first four The Hunger Games, have been announced to be returning in some capacity for Sunrise on the Reaping. The two characters were the main leads of the four original Lionsgate film adaptations. No details have been disclosed by Lionsgate on how the two characters will be returning to the series. But there is a scene in the book Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins where Katniss and Peeta, both grown up compared to being teenagers in the first three books, listen to Haymitch (played by Woody Harrelson in the original films) tell the story of his Hunger Games. Lawrence and Hutcherson have yet to comment on the announcement.

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’

Sunrise on the Reaping is the fifth book and the second prequel in the series. The film and book will tell the story of Haymitch Abernathy, the later mentor of Katniss and Peeta, who is picked to fight to

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the death in the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, which features a devastating twist. The film will be released on November 20, 2026, and is directed by Francis Lawrence, returning for his fifth The Hunger Games film and straight off the success of his film The Long Walk. The film’s cast features Joseph Zada, Makenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Elle Fanning, and Ralph Fiennes. According to Deadline, the teaser trailer has become the second largest trailer launch Lionsgate has ever seen, with it reaching 109M views in the first 24 hours.

The Success Of ‘The Hunger Games’

The success with the series started with the release of the first novel in 2008, which then was adapted into film in 2012. The Hunger Games novel spent 100 consecutive weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2008, according to Cinelinx. According to Deadline, the novels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 52 languages. The first five films of The Hunger Games franchise grossed $3.4 billion worldwide. Sunrise on the Reaping sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide in the first week of its release, which marks it as the biggest debut for a The Hunger Games novel in history.

Rush to the theaters and see Hunger Games: Sunrise on The Reaping on November 20, 2026.