Lionsgate has released a video looking back at the entire Hunger Games franchise, but the ending includes a first look at the upcoming prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. You can check that out above. The first look kicks off at 15:38.
The first look doesn’t show much, but it does feature some fan-favourite characters in their younger incarnations, including Elle Fanning (A Complete Unknown) as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) as Caesar Flickerman, Jesse Plemons (Civil War) as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Mufasa: The Lion King) as Beetee, Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) as President Snow, Lili Taylor (Daredevil: Born Again 2) as Mags, Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) as Wiress, and Joseph Zada (Invisible Boys) as Haymitch Abernathy.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem and follows young Haymitch Abernathy (Zada) 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.
The last installment of the franchise, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, was also a prequel, showcasing the rise of a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) during the 10th Annual Hunger Games.
In addition to the names I’ve already mentioned, Sunrise on the Reaping also stars Whitney Peak (Hocus Pocus 2) as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) as Maysilee Donner, Ben Wang (Karate Kid: Legends) as Wyatt Callow, and Glenn Close (Wake Up Dead Man) as Drusilla Sickle.
Fans can also look forward to the return of Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Given that the film is a prequel to the originals, Lawrence and Hutcherson are likely to have limited roles. The novel by Suzanne Collins may offer clues about how the actors will be used, as it features an epilogue in which Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta about his past. Nothing has been confirmed, but I could imagine Woody Harrelson may also return as the older Haymitch.
Francis Lawrence, who has helmed every installment of the franchise except for the first movie, directed Sunrise on the Reaping from a script by Billy Ray based on the novel by Collins. The film is set to hit theaters on November 20.