As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, a new trailer and two posters for November's The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping have been released, and Panem's Second Quarter Quell looks like the most brutal version of the Games we've seen yet.
Joseph Zada's Haymitch Abernathy is fighting for his life against twice as many contestants as normal, while the dangers they'll face look suitably twisted and dangerous. Meanwhile, President Snow seems to be relishing making Panem's citizens suffer in the name of entertainment.
The revolution has begun, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping's brighter-than-expected colour palette makes for an interesting contrast with the violence and mayhem that ensues in the 50th Hunger Games.
Polygon recently spoke with filmmaker Francis Lawrence, who admitted that it's "really tricky" to portray the franchise's violence without veering into R-rated territory.
"I will say there were probably three moments in this book where I read it and I was like, 'Suzanne, what are you doing? This is gonna have to be PG-13!'" he recalled. "There's a moment in the book where one of the villainous characters has a child's head in her hand that she's just beheaded. I'm like..."
There are still several gaps to fill in The Hunger Games story, but that relies on author Suzanne Collins writing more books. As of now, there's been no word on another instalment, though it's always possible that we'll get some news on her next novel closer to the release of this movie.
Sunrise on the Reaping sold 1.5 million copies in its first week on sale in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The 1.2 million copies sold in the U.S. are twice the first-week sales of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and three times the first-week sales of Mockingjay.
Check out the new trailer and posters for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping below.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will revisit the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honour of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break.
He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Directed by franchise veteran Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping's cast includes Joseph Zada, Mckenna Grace, Whitney Peak, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Lili Taylor, Billy Porter, Glenn Close, and Ralph Fiennes.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on November 20, 2026.