Lionsgate Releases First Trailer for Hunger Games Prequel

Lionsgate released the first trailer for "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" on Thursday, providing an initial glimpse into the prequel film that explores the traumatic origins of Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games. Set 24 years before the events of the original "Hunger Games" movie, the story centers on the Second Quarter Quell, a special edition of the annual competition where each of Panem's districts sends twice as many tributes, resulting in 48 young contestants fighting for survival in the Capitol's arena.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously helmed "Catching Fire," the two "Mockingjay" films and the 2023 prequel "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," the movie adapts Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel of the same name. Lawrence's return underscores the franchise's continuity, with the screenplay written by Billy Ray and production overseen by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and Lawrence himself. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on November 20, 2026.

Joseph Zada, known for his role in "We Were Liars," portrays the young Haymitch, a character originally played by Woody Harrelson as the cynical, alcoholic mentor in the initial trilogy. The trailer...