Latest news with #SecondQuarterQuell
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping set to release in 2026; Date, full cast, plot & key details revealed
Lionsgate has officially announced that The Hunger Games : Sunrise on the Reaping , the latest prequel in the blockbuster dystopian franchise, will hit theaters worldwide on November 20, 2026, bringing audiences back to Panem for a deeper look at one of the series' most enigmatic characters: Haymitch Abernathy . Based on Suzanne Collins ' 2025 bestselling novel of the same name, the film chronicles the events of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, and offers a gripping origin story of the man who would later mentor Katniss Everdeen. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category others healthcare CXO Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity MBA Data Science Degree Finance MCA Technology Healthcare Product Management Operations Management Others Public Policy Design Thinking PGDM Data Analytics Data Science Project Management Digital Marketing Leadership Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT - ISB Cybersecurity for Leaders Program India Starts on undefined Get Details 'In Sunrise on the Reaping, Collins continues her exploration of propaganda and power, this time through the eyes of a 16-year-old Haymitch,' Lionsgate said in a statement earlier this week. 'It's a story of brutality, survival, and the cost of becoming a victor.' From page to screen, again Francis Lawrence , who directed Catching Fire and the Mockingjay films, returns to helm the prequel, while screenwriter Billy Ray adapts the script. The book, released in March 2025, topped bestseller charts in multiple countries and sold more than 1.5 million copies in its first week. Live Events Set 24 years before the original trilogy, the story follows Haymitch as he is reaped into a deadly arena that's twice the size of any previous Games. Collins has cited the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume as inspiration, particularly his work on the 'fragility of trust in perceived reality during societal collapse.' A powerhouse ensemble cast Lionsgate has assembled an all-star cast for the film, with rising actor Joseph Zada portraying a young Haymitch. Whitney Peak, known for Gossip Girl, plays Lenore Dove, while McKenna Grace steps into the role of Maysilee Donner, a tribute fans will recognize from Haymitch's haunting recollections. Rounding out the cast: Ralph Fiennes as President Snow Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee (taking over the role originated by Philip Seymour Hoffman) Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket Maya Hawke as Wiress Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman Billy Porter as Gamemaker Magno Stift Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle The challenge of casting without a script Casting the film posed a unique challenge. At the time casting began, neither the book nor the screenplay was available. 'We had to rely on character breakdowns and instinct,' casting director Debra Zane told Teen Vogue. 'It was unlike any project I've worked on.' Producer Nina Jacobson, who has overseen every film in the franchise, praised the final selections: 'Once the manuscript came in, everything clicked. These actors didn't just fit the characters visually, they became them.' The Hunger Games franchise has grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, and with Sunrise on the Reaping, Lionsgate appears poised to reignite the phenomenon for a new generation. 'It's not just a return to the arena,' Lawrence said in a recent interview. 'It's a return to the soul of Panem.'
Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
New Hunger Games book is free in pre Prime Day deal
The internet goes into a frenzy every time a new cast member is announced and there's a way to find out about Haymitch's games, in Sunrise on the Reaping, for free Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping was launched earlier this year and has brought the topic of the franchise back to centre stage online. The book follows Haymitch's game, the Second Quarter Quell, where twice as many tributes were reaped. While the book has been a smash hit, it's the franchise's Instagram account that's sending fans into a frenzy every time a new casting is announced. Joseph Zada, who is currently starring in Prime's We Were Liars, has taken on the role of Woody Harrelson's Haymitch Abernathy and there's been enough stars cast that fans online have been questioning the budget. While some characters, like Elle Fanning's Effie Trinket, Ralph Fiennes' President Snow and Kieran Culkin's Caesar Flickerman, are returning from the original trilogy, there are many who are new. Readers have been tight lipped on why there appear to be five tributes from District 12 with Wyatt, Maysilee, Haymitch, Louella and Lou Lou and why squirrels seem to be setting off the waterworks. For those who want to know what happen before the November 20, 2026 movie release date, there's actually away to get the entire book for free. Audible is offering a three month free trial where subscribers can listen to the latest Hunger Games book for free. There are other audiobook services on the model, Spotify gives their subscribers a set number of hours to read each month while BookBeat gives 20 hours for £6.99 a month. The book is also available to buy from retailers like Amazon and WH Smith. Our resident bookworm has listened to the Audible audiobook of the latest Suzanne Collins hit and said: "This is easily one of the best books of the year, Collins has knocked it out of the park again. I've read it twice, first as an audiobook where I got all the pronunciations down and again as a hardcover when all of the castings were announced. Although we know how his games end, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. "The series was already brutal but Collins holds back nothing in this one. Every chapter is more harrowing than the last and months after first reading it, I still can't look at squirrels the same way. I anticipate the film will do an incredible job but for fans looking to avoid spoilers and to understand why it's sent the internet into a frenzy before next November I'd strongly recommend reading this one." The free trial comes with a total of three credits across three months, meaning that readers can snap up The Hunger Games and Catching Fire as well before paying for Mockingjay. There's an additional prequel with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also up for grabs. The book itself has a very strong 4.7 out of 60,401 reviews on Amazon. One reviewer said: "I couldn't put it down, it's an absolutely phenomenal work from Suzanne Collins; the symbolism is spectacular, the character voice is unbelievably clear - she's made Haymitch simultaneously stand out more than ever; while staying true to him as we saw in the trilogy and as a mirror of Katniss. "The themes and motifs are incredible - it's kept the mythological depth of the series going and brought its own themes to the table, to the point where it's in my opinion surpassed its predecessor books." However, a less impressed reader wrote: "I struggle to get into this. Song verses were overused, and it was so tragic, but I suppose it explains why Haymitch was as he is in the Mockingjay trilogy. It was also satisfying to get some backstory on other survivors. But it feels like something is missing, and the arena concept while fascinating, never really took off for me this time." Following the three month free trial it will cost subscribers £8.99 a month to maintain their Audible subscription, with there also being access to a Plus Catalogue giving readers the chance to read a massive range of books at no extra cost.
New Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Glenn Close and Billy Porter on board The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping
Actors Glenn Close and Billy Porter are the latest additions to The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Close will play the cruel escort to the District 12 Tributes, Drusilla Sickle, while Porter plays her estranged husband and the Tributes' uninspired designer. Close and Porter will be starring alongside Kieran Culkin (as Caesar Flickerman), Joseph Zada (as Haymitch Abernathy), Whitney Peak (as Lenore Dove Baird), Ralph Fiennes (as President Snow), Molly McCann (as Louella), Iona Bell (as Lou Lou), Maya Hawke (as Wiress), Lili Taylor (as Mags), Jesse Plemons (as Plutarch Heavensbee) and Elle Fanning (as Effie Trinket). Set 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games during the Second Quarter Quell (50th Hunger Games), it will centre on a 12-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original Hunger Games movies and how he competes in the games with 48 children as tributes. Francis Lawrence, who has helmed every Hunger Games instalment since 2012's Catching Fire, will direct this film as well. The upcoming film is being bankrolled by Color Force's Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. Cameron MacConomy is the executive producer.
Muscat Daily
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
Glenn Close, Billy Porter join new Hunger Games prequel
Los Angeles, US – Hollywood veterans Glenn Close and Billy Porter have been cast in Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping , the latest film in the popular dystopian franchise. Close will play Drusilla Sickle, the ruthless escort for District 12's Tributes, while Porter takes on the role of Magno Stift, her estranged husband and the designer responsible for the Tributes' striking looks. The prequel, based on Suzanne Collins' novel, is set nearly 25 years before the original saga. It follows the events leading up to the 50th Hunger Games — the infamous Second Quarter Quell — which saw Haymitch Abernathy, later mentor to Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, fight for survival in the arena. The cast also features Joseph Zada as a young Haymitch, along with Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Ben Wang, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning and Kieran Culkin. Producer Nina Jacobson described Close as 'a dream Drusilla', adding that she brings 'intellect and imagination' to every character. On Porter, she said, 'Billy can dazzle and devastate in equal measure, both on stage and screen.'
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Meet the cast of The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping: Glenn Close, Billy Porter, Elle Fanning and more
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping just got even more star-studded. Hollywood icon Glenn Close and Broadway sensation Billy Porter have reportedly joined the cast of Lionsgate's highly anticipated prequel. As per a Deadline report, Glenn Close is set to play Drusilla Sickle, the icy and strict escort for District 12's Tributes in this new chapter. Meanwhile, Billy Porter will step into the role of Magno Stift, her distant (and not-so-happy) ex-husband who also happens to be the Tributes' not-so-inspired stylist. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is seriously star-packed. Joining Close and Porter are Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Ben Wang, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning and Kieran Culkin. And with Francis Lawrence back in the director's chair, fans have every reason to be curious. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on November 20, 2026. The project is adapted from Suzanne Collins' latest novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, which was published earlier this year on March 18. Billy Ray is writing the screenplay, with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson producing for Color Force. Executive producer duties go to Cameron MacConomy. Also read: Kieran Culkin on his Hunger Games debut: 'I have no idea what I'm gonna do' Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen's story. It starts on the morning of the 50th Hunger Games, also called the Second Quarter Quell. Expect a deeper dive into the politics of Panem, the early days of the Games, and the characters who shaped this dystopian world. The Hunger Games series started with Suzanne Collins' best-selling book trilogy and quickly became a global phenomenon. The four-film adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen was a massive hit, blending action, rebellion and emotional depth. Then came the 2023 prequel film The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which gave us a glimpse into a young President Snow's past. Now, Sunrise on the Reaping promises to take us even further back and show a very different Panem. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will hit the cinema screens on November 20, 2026. Glenn Close plays Drusilla Sickle, the strict and cruel escort for District 12 Tributes in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel. The story focuses on the 50th Hunger Games, also called the Second Quarter Quell, and takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen's era. Yes, the movie is based on Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel of the same name.
