This past March, author Suzanne Collins continued to delve into the “Hunger Games” universe by dropping the novel “Sunrise on the Reaping,” a story that takes place about 24 years before the original “The Hunger Games” novel. It chronicles the tale of 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, showing how the character won the 50th Hunger Games (aka the Second Quarter Quell), putting him in line to become the mentor figure to Katniss Everdeen in the original trilogy of novels and the four initial “Hunger Games” movies. After the initial trilogy of Collins’ novels, the book is the second consecutive prequel novel, following 2020’s “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”

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In similar fashion to that latter novel being quickly adapted into a film version in 2023, “Sunrise on the Reaping” was tapped for the big screen treatment almost a full year before the book was even published, and regular “Hunger Games” director Francis Lawrence will indeed be returning to helm the film, and the script was written by Billy Ray. As such, the filmmaking team behind “Sunrise” has had a running start getting the movie off the ground, and today the news has broken that the film has found its young Haymitch in Joseph Zada. That’s not all, however; the role of Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend in the novel, will be played by Whitney Peak.

As per a statement from Lionsgate Co-President Erin Westerman (via Deadline), Zada and Peak have “incredible heart, depth, and fire,” and that “after auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out.” As this testimonial implies, along with the general buzz surrounding the young actors, it seems like Lawrence and the “Hunger Games” franchise may be once again on the cutting edge, and casting young stars on the rise. Despite the duo being relatively unknown to audiences, if the prior “Hunger Games” movies are any indication, then they’re likely going to be very impressive in the final film.

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If you’re unfamiliar with the “Hunger Games” series, you might believe that the casting of some buzzworthy young actors is simply par for the blockbuster franchise course. Certainly, both Zada and Peak are at a point in their careers where they’re beginning to break out; the former is currently the lead of the Australian series “Invisible Boys” and will next appear in the Netflix series “East of Eden” from Zoe Kazan, while Peak already has the “Gossip Girl” reboot and “Hocus Pocus 2” under her belt, and next has a couple of fun genre films on the way (a shark movie called “Shiver” and the heist thriller “4 Kids Walk Into a Bank”). Yet even leaving aside all of that, the “Hunger Games” films have a long history of featuring absolutely stacked casts. In addition to helping A-list stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Jack Quaid break out, they’ve also featured some established heavy hitters such as Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Woody Harrelson, who played the adult Haymitch for four films.

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A big reason for this is that, despite the novels’ status as a Young Adult series, “The Hunger Games” is a remarkably meaty story, one that touches upon a variety of compelling topics for all ages, not the least of which are its political and social allegories. A series that’s much closer to George Orwell than “Twilight,” “The Hunger Games” is remarkable for its deft handling of material with depth while never alienating the young audience it’s intended for. As Nina Starner’s coverage of “Sunrise on the Reaping” alone proves, this latest prequel novel goes to some genuinely dark places and then some, further fleshing out the sordid history of Panem and its ghastly politics and practices in ways that continue to push the envelope. This tracks with Collins’ preceding prequel; “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was not a mere stopgap story or blasé fan service, but a dramatically rich tale in its own right.

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Since it seems like this latest installment continues the series’ penchant for richness, it’s no surprise that some up-and-coming young actors would be eager to take on a film version. Nor is it a surprise that the filmmakers would be so eager to cast exciting young performers instead of mere personalities, as these films require stronger stuff than just a healthy follower count. I can’t wait to see what performances Zada, Peak, and the rest of the future cast members have up their sleeve when “Sunrise on the Reaping” opens on November 20th, 2026.