The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping producer Nina Jacobson shares an update on the upcoming film and the process of developing it from an unreleased book. After five successful movies in the Hunger Games franchise, the most recent being The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the world of author Suzanne Collins' young adult novel series is now set to expand with another prequel. The Sunrise on the Reaping story takes place during the 50th Hunger Games, in which Haymitch Abernathy competes and wins, and the movie adaptation will hail from franchise veteran director Francis Lawrence.
In a new interview with Variety, Jacobson shares new details about Sunrise on the Reaping movie and what it was like getting the Collins book early. Though Jacobson doesn't share any major story details, she does tease that reading the book was a very secretive process, and one that only she and Lawrence got to participate in. When she was able to read an early copy, she reveals that it had her feeling some very powerful emotions. Check out her comment below:
This is a very different process for us. I’ve never actually worked on an adaptation like this, where you’re so far ahead of the book, and yet people are waiting for it. I knew that she was working on another book, but I really had no idea – it could be years! I certainly did not expect that so soon after “Ballad,” I would get a call saying, “I have another book. I want you to read it. I want to know whether you think it’s a movie or not,” to me and [director Francis Lawrence].
We had to do a whole secret thing where I went to her longtime agent’s house and read it. There was one copy of the book that lived at his house. I had to go have my turn. Francis went and had his turn. We were so thrilled. It wrecked me so much as a person who loves to read and who wants to fall headlong into a book that won’t let you go.
I was on the edge of my seat, crying. I just was so moved by it and so energized by it, and then could not talk to anybody except for Francis, Suzanne and our studio partners. And many of them hadn’t even read it yet – we just had the one copy to keep it secure and safe! To finally get to share that and get to hear what other people think, I’m just so excited for the fans. I’m just a huge fan who gets to be lucky enough to make the movies.
As far as the actual development on the Sunrise on the Reaping movie adaptation, Jacobson says that getting access to the book early means things are moving along quickly behind the scenes. The movie, she says, is currently still in the script stage, but there are already filming locations locked down:
We’re much further along than we would ever have been otherwise, without having this jump, because we went to work right away. None of it has been announced yet, but we have a great draft that we’re still doing work on. We’ve established our locations. We’re very far along for a book that’s only going to come out tomorrow!
You don’t know what the fans are going to respond to, so you just put yourself very easily in their shoes as one of them. I cannot wait to get to hear from them and to see what speaks to them. We do have such a smart and sophisticated fan base that they were able to speculate. They speculated about a lot of things, and I can’t wait for them to match their speculations up with the book. It’s been super thrilling and really rewarding. You feel like you’re planning a big surprise party.
What Jacobson's Update Means For Sunrise On The Reaping
The Hunger Games Prequel's Status Explained
The Sunrise on the Reaping movie already has a release date planned, with the adaptation confirmed to arrive in theaters in November 2026. Filming, then, is certainly to take place at some point this year, though no dates have been reported just yet. With filming locations having been established and a strong draft of the script having been written, there's no reason to anticipate any delays.
Casting will seemingly be the next major order of business for the Sunrise on the Reaping adaptation after the script is done, with a new actor needed to play Haymitch. Actor Woody Harrelson played an older version of the character in the first four Hunger Games movies, but this new story takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen's winning of the 74th Hunger Games tournament, meaning a younger star will have to take over the part.
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As far as story information goes, the Sunrise on the Reaping novel is now out, meaning readers will have a pretty good idea of what's to come from the new Hunger Games prequel. Haymitch is indeed the novel's protagonist and there are certainly some powerful moments that could be to blame for Jacobson's outpouring of emotion while reading.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping has been met with a positive reception. As of writing, the book has a 4.75 out of 5 rating on Goodreads.
Our Take On The Sunrise On The Reaping Update
The Adaptation Faces One Major Challenge
Though the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes reviews weren't quite as glowing from critics as those for the previous four films, the prequel was still a success with audiences, grossing $348 million worldwide. Clearly, love for this franchise still persists 13 years after the first film. Collins has certainly proven herself capable of expanding the world of this franchise through prequels, suggesting that The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be an exciting addition to the saga. The major hurdle the film adaptation faces that the novel doesn't, however, is casting a young Haymitch.
Source: Variety
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The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
- Release Date
- November 20, 2026
- Director
- Francis Lawrence
- Producers
- Brad Simpson
