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Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are reportedly set to return to Panem for the next chapter in 'The Hunger Games' franchise. Multiple reports confirmed recently that the actors, now 35 and 33, are expected to reprise their iconic roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the 2026 prequel 'Sunrise on the Reaping.'
Although Lionsgate has not yet commented, fans of Suzanne Collins' upcoming 2025 novel already know that Katniss and Peeta appear in an epilogue alongside their former mentor Haymitch Abernathy, originally played by Woody Harrelson. Their return marks a nostalgic bridge between the new prequel storyline and the original blockbuster films that launched the franchise into global success.
What's 'Sunrise on the Reaping' About?
The upcoming movie adapts Collins' latest novel and centres on 20-year-old Joseph Zada, best known for 'We Were Liars,' as he is forced into the arena for the 50th 'Hunger Games'—an event known as the Second Quarter Quell. The story takes place 24 years before the events of the first film, laying the groundwork for the brutality, politics, and rebellion that define Katniss' future world.
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Hutcherson has previously expressed enthusiasm about revisiting the series. Speaking with Variety in November, he admitted he only discovered the existence of the new epilogue once the novel was released. During that conversation, he said that returning to set with director Francis Lawrence and the original cast members would require no persuasion at all, and he described the possibility of appearing in the prequel as something he considers a dream scenario that he hopes could come true.
About 'Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping'
'Sunrise on the Reaping' marks the sixth film in the 'Hunger Games' saga and the second prequel following 2023's 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.' The new instalment features an extensive ensemble cast including Whitney Peak, McKenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Ben Wang, Edvin Ryding, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Billy Porter, Iris Apatow and Ralph Fiennes, who steps into the role of President Snow.
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Image Courtesy: People
The next 'Hunger Games' adventure will arrive in theatres on 20th November, 2026, promising to expand the franchise's mythology while reintroducing two of its most beloved heroes.
