SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 23, 2025—Lionsgate has cast the first two lead roles of the highly anticipated return to Panem, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, based on the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins. The announcement was made by Erin Westerman, co-president, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
Joseph Zada will play Haymitch Abernathy, Tribute from District 12, with Whitney Peak playing Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.
The film adaptation of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released on November 20, 2026. Francis Lawrence will direct from a screenplay adaptation by Billy Ray. Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce. Cameron MacConomy will executive produce. The five films in the franchise have taken in over $3.3 billion at the box office.
Zada will next be seen starring in the highly anticipated Amazon Prime series “We Were Liars,” which premieres this June. He also just completed production for Netflix's “East of Eden,” in which he stars alongside Florence Pugh, Mike Faist, Martha Plimpton, Tracy Letts, and Chris Abbott; Zoe Kazan has written and is executive producing this seven-episode limited series based on the 1952 John Steinbeck novel. Zada currently can be seen starring in the lead role of Charlie in the upcoming Stan Australia Original Series “Invisible Boys,” based on the bestselling novel by Holden Sheppard.
Peak will next be seen as the lead in Sony Pictures' upcoming shark thriller Shiver opposite Phoebe Dynevor, as well as alongside Liam Neeson and Teresa Palmer in 4 Kids Walk into a Bank for Amazon MGM's Orion label. She is most known for her starring role on Max’s highly-anticipated reboot of “Gossip Girl” playing Zoya Lott. She is also known for starring in Hocus Pocus 2 opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimi. Peak is currently a global CHANEL ambassador: in 2023, Peak was named the newest face of the COCO MADEMOISELLE fragrance; the move makes her the first Black face of a CHANEL scent, and overall, one of the rare Black faces seen in fragrance ads. She also starred in the latest CHANEL 22 handbag campaign.
“The Hunger Games franchise has long been a launching pad for remarkable young actors, and Jo and Whitney carry that legacy forward with incredible heart, depth, and fire,” said Westerman. “After auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out—not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles. Haymitch has always been a fan favorite, and his origin story is one of the most anticipated in the franchise. His relationship with Lenore Dove is deeply woven into the emotional history of Panem. We can’t wait for fans to experience the story that shaped one of the most compelling characters in the series.”
“Deb Zane and Dylan Jury oversaw an exhaustive (and exhausting!) search to find a young actor with the skill and imagination to embody young Haymitch,” added Jacobson. “Jo prepared like crazy and stole our hearts. Then Whitney took our breath away as Lenore Dove. When we put the two of them together, it was one of those magical casting moments when you know your search has led you home.”
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.
Published on March 18, Sunrise on the Reaping revisits 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.
