Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are returning to The Hunger Games, over a decade after the stories of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark ended. The duo were the faces of the franchise through its original run, so the fact they’re coming back is a major deal, with Katniss and Peeta set to appear in 2026’s Sunrise on the Reaping. The movie adapts Suzanne Collins’ second Hunger Games prequel of the same name, telling the story of Haymitch Abernathy’s victory. Warning: Contains mild SPOILERS for Sunrise on the Reaping.
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Katniss and Peeta are not part of Sunrise on the Reaping‘s main story, given it takes place over 20 years before they’re forced to compete in the Hunger Games, and thus the characters aren’t even alive. The bulk of the plot centers around the 50th Games, or Second Quarter Quell, but it does have an epilogue in which Haymitch is telling his story to Katniss and Peeta. This is set after the events of Mockingjay, when it’s finally safe for him to open up about his past. That’s what will allow Lawrence and Hutcherson to reprise their roles. It’s important the movie is including this, even though it’s “just” a cameo, because it adds a lot of emotional and thematic heft to Haymitch’s story and is the perfect conclusion to it.
Could Katniss & Peeta’s Sunrise On The Reaping Roles Have Been Kept A Secret?
The news of Lawrence and Hutcherson’s casting has understandably caused a lot of excitement, but also a little bit of frustration. One common point I’ve seen is that this would’ve been a great surprise for fans in theaters, and should’ve been kept secret for then. It’ll likely be a short scene that only requires a day of filming on a closed set, which would make it a little easier, but it’s still hard to imagine it being kept under wraps right up until release. Word almost always gets out one way or another, after all.
But this has an advantage for Lionsgate, which is that it can help market the movie. The original heroes returning immediately turns Sunrise on the Reaping into an even bigger event, which is something the franchise does need. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was by far the lowest-grossing of the series, bringing in $348.9 million at the box office.
For context, the next lowest is Mockingjay – Part 2, with $661.4m, so there was a significant drop, albeit one offset by keeping the budget lower (around $100m). There were several factors in that, but it being less connected to the main series obviously didn’t help its performance, so having the main characters and OG stars involved in the marketing will undoubtedly be a boost.
I also wouldn’t be too surprised if there is a slightly bigger role for them than what’s in the book. It obviously can’t do too much given the story and timeline, but rather than saving them for the epilogue, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where the movie begins with Katniss and Peeta – and perhaps even Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch – to establish it as a framing device for the entire narrative.
Could Katniss & Peeta Return For A Hunger Games Sequel?
Katniss and Peeta appearing briefly in Sunrise on the Reaping is one thing, but it also raises the question of whether there’ll be more on the horizon. And specifically, whether they could fully come back, with Lawrence and Hutcherson leading a new Mockingjay sequel that continues their stories. Ultimately, that would depend on author Collins: every movie has been an adaptation of one of her books, and there’s seemingly no interesting in straying beyond that. If she were to write a sequel, though, then it’s a sure thing Lionsgate would want to make it into a movie (though less certain whether the stars would be up for it).
Speaking with Variety earlier in 2025, Collins’ editor at Scholastic, David Levithan, shot down the idea of sequels, saying: “I believe the ending of Mockingjay is the ending of the series.” That closes the door on it for now, but, of course, doesn’t mean it’s shut forever. Mockingjay probably should remain the ending, especially as there’s no more Hunger Games. However, so many stories end up getting sequels, and so many characters end up returning, that it’d be unwise to rule anything out, even if the odds aren’t in its favor.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on 20th November, 2026.
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