Every single A-list actor we love has been cast in the Hunger Games prequel.

May the odds be ever in our favour because another Hunger Games prequel is officially happening, and the casting news is getting us more excited than The Capitol on reaping day.

Just when we thought we'd seen the last of Panem, Suzanne Collins blessed us with another prequel novel in March 2025.

Sunrise on the Reaping follows on from the success of the previous prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which starred Tom Blyth as young President Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird — a former tribute from District 12.

Watch the trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes. Article continues after video.

While Songbirds and Snakes took us 64 years into the pasy, this new tale about Haymitch Abernathy (originally played byWoody Harrelson) sits right in the middle of the Hunger Games timeline.

The movie is set 40 years after the events of Songbirds and Snakes, and 24 years before Jennifer Lawrence picked up that iconic bow and arrow as Katniss Everdeen in the original Hunger Games film.

And now, the new movie is well and truly on the way. Here's everything we know.

What's the plot of Sunrise on the Reaping?

Prepare yourselves for the Second Quarter Quell — the 50th Hunger Games, where TWICE the number of tributes were sent into the arena. That's right, 48 teenagers fighting to the death instead of the usual 24. Brutal.

The story follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (yes, THAT Haymitch) as he's selected as tribute from District 12. We'll finally see how the sarcastic, alcohol-loving mentor we all know and love from the original series became the victor of his Games.

Who is in the cast of Sunrise on the Reaping?

The casting announcements have been dropping faster than tributes in the Cornucopia bloodbath, and honestly, we're obsessed with every single one.

Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy.

Image: Prime Video, Lionsgate Films

Rising star Joseph Zada will step into the role of teenage Haymitch, originally portrayed by Woody Harrelson.

This relatively unknown actor (who also stars in the upcoming We Were Liars adaptation and the Stan Original Series Invisible Boys) will show us how Haymitch went from determined tribute to cynical victor.

And the casting directors have absolutely nailed it again — we're so ready to see Zada bring young Haymitch's swagger and smarts to the big screen.

Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird.

Image: Getty

Gossip Girl reboot star Whitney Peak will play Haymitch's girlfriend, Lenore. This new character will surely give us all the emotional stakes as Haymitch fights to return to her.

If you've seen Hocus Pocus 2 you'll know she's absolutely magnetic on screen. We're already preparing our tissues for what's bound to be a heart-wrenching love story that explains so much about Haymitch's later character.

Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket.

Image: Getty, Lionsgate Films

In possibly the most perfect casting ever, Elle Fanning will portray a young Effie Trinket, the Capitol escort originally played by Elizabeth Banks.

Fans had been dream-casting Fanning for months before the official announcement, with social media campaigns pushing for her to get the role.

And now that it's official, we're not the only ones that are over the moon about this. Even Banks herself has gushed about Fanning's casting already.

"I think everyone's really happy. And I'm really happy about that," she said. "I'm excited for the next generation to have their Effie."

In this prequel, she serves as Haymitch's stylist rather than District 12's escort.

McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner.

Image: Getty

The Handmaid's Tale actress McKenna Grace will play Maysilee Donner, another District 12 tribute in the Second Quarter Quell who plays a significant role in Haymitch's Games.

Fans of the books will remember Maysilee's ICONIC yellow mockingjay pin — the very same one that would later become Katniss Everdeen's symbol of rebellion in Panem. We are so ready.

Ralph Fiennes as President Snow.

Image: Lionsgate Films, Getty

After terrifying us as Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes will now step into the role of the ruthless President Snow, originally played by Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games, followed by Tom Blyth in the 2023 prequel.

This casting is literally EVERYTHING — from one iconic villain to another, Fiennes is going to bring the perfect blend of charm and menace that makes Snow such a deliciously complex antagonist.

Producer Nina Jacobson said they "wanted to honour Donald Sutherland by having one of this generation's greatest actors play President Snow, 24 years before Katniss Everdeen entered the arena."

Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee.

Image: Getty, Lionsgate Films

Jesse Plemons will take on the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, originally played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. We'll see him in his earlier Capitol days, starting in District 12 with the reaping of the Tributes.

Like Fanning, fans have been fan-casting Plemons for AGES and now it's finally happening. Not only did he actually play Hoffman's son in The Master (hello, perfect casting), but his impressive acting portfolio makes him absolutely IDEAL for young Plutarch.

Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman.

Image:Getty, Lionsgate Films

Fresh Oscar winner Kieran Culkin has officially joined the cast as the younger version of Caesar Flickerman, Panem's beloved Games interviewer and showman extraordinaire.

Following in Stanley Tucci's perfectly coiffed footsteps, Culkin is taking on the role of the Capitol's most flamboyant TV personality in his younger years.

After his sardonic brilliance in Succession, we're absolutely dying to see him with Caesar's signature blue ponytail and megawatt smile as he interviews tributes before they head to their potential doom.

Maya Hawke as Wiress.

Image: Getty, Lionsgate Films

Stranger Things star Maya Hawke has been cast as Wiress, a character that Hunger Games fans will remember from Catching Fire.

In the original trilogy, Wiress was portrayed as an older, brilliant but somewhat mentally fragile, victor from District 3. She helped Katniss understand the design of the Quarter Quell arena.

Hawke joins the cast as a much younger version of this character, showing us Wiress long before she became known as "Nuts" in the original series.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee.

Image: Getty, Lionsgate Films

Harrison Jr. will take on the role of Beetee, another District 3 victor who was originally played by Jeffrey Wright in the Jennifer Lawrence films.

Described as "brainy," Beetee was known for his technological expertise and electrical engineering skills (earning him the nickname "Volts").

In the original series, he was crucial to the rebellion — using his technical brilliance to help the cause. The prequel will show a younger version of this character, presumably early in his career as a victor.

Lili Taylor as Mags.

Image: Getty, Lionsgate Films

Veteran actress Lili Taylor has been cast as Mags, one of the oldest victors in the original trilogy, who was played by Lynn Cohen in Catching Fire.

Mags was a beloved character who volunteered to take Annie Cresta's place in the 75th Hunger Games and served as a mentor to Finnick Odair.

When is the Sunrise on the Reaping release date?

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is expected to premiere some time in 2026. Stay tuned for more details!

Feature Image: Getty.