New Hunger Games Movie Casts Kieran Culkin in a Perfect Role

Panem has found its new master of ceremonies, as Kieran Culkin, fresh off his recent Academy Award win for Best Supporting Actor for his acclaimed role in the film A Real Pain, is set to take on the flamboyant role of Caesar Flickerman in the upcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, Culkin, who also has Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his work on Succession, will step into the shoes previously filled by Stanley Tucci, who portrayed the veteran Hunger Games host in the original film franchise. Culkin’s addition to the highly anticipated movie, which will delve into the grim events of the 50th Hunger Games, promises a new and compelling interpretation of a character central to the spectacle and horror of Panem’s deadliest tradition.

“Kieran’s scene-stealing presence and undeniable charm are perfect for Caesar Flickerman, the sickeningly watchable host of Panem’s darkest spectacle,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman stated. “Stanley Tucci made Caesar unforgettable — and now Kieran will make the role entirely his own”. Producer Nina Jacobson added, “Kieran’s magnetism, wit, and unpredictability make him a perfect fit for Caesar Flickerman. A host like Caesar transforms brutality into entertainment, and an actor as layered as Kieran makes sure we don’t look away”.

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Caesar Flickerman is a fan-favorite figure within the Hunger Games universe, serving for decades as the charismatic and ever-smiling host of the annual bloodbath. His primary role is to interview the tributes before the Games, skillfully shaping their narratives for the Capitol audience, manufacturing drama, and eliciting sympathy or excitement to boost a tribute’s sponsorship chances. He is the public-facing veneer of a brutal regime, adept at sanitizing the horror of children murdering children and transforming it into must-see entertainment. Flickerman’s influence extends beyond mere hosting, as he is an active participant in the psychological warfare waged against the districts, his every gesture and intonation designed to reinforce the Capitol’s power and the Games’ inevitability, all while maintaining an air of jovial detachment. Sunrise on the Reaping chronicles the Second Quarter Quell, the same Games that District 12’s Haymitch Abernathy (originally played by Woody Harrelson) survived. This setting, 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s story begins, will showcase a Caesar still cementing his legendary status as an integral part of the Capitol’s propaganda machine.

Everything We Know About The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is based on Suzanne Collins’ latest novel of the same name, which was released in March 2025. The narrative plunges viewers into Panem 24 years before the events of the original The Hunger Games novel and a stark 40 years after the timeline of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The central focus is the 50th Hunger Games, a particularly brutal edition known as the Second Quarter Quell. This historical event in Panem’s dark past infamously required each district to send twice the number of tributes into the arena, drastically increasing the scale of the slaughter. This grim chapter serves as Haymitch Abernathy’s origin story, detailing his harrowing experience as a 16-year-old tribute from District 12 and his psychologically scarring victory.

Franchise veteran Francis Lawrence, who has directed every Hunger Games film since Catching Fire, including the recent prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is returning to helm this new installment, ensuring a consistent visual and thematic tone. Joseph Zada, a relative newcomer, has been tapped to play the young Haymitch Abernathy, tasked with embodying the character’s journey from defiant tribute to broken victor. He’s joined by Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend, and McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, a fellow District 12 tribute whose fate is tragically intertwined with Haymitch’s.

Adding to the star power, Jesse Plemons will portray a young Plutarch Heavensbee, offering an earlier glimpse of the future Head Gamemaker, while Ralph Fiennes is set to take on the formidable role of President Coriolanus Snow, continuing the exploration of his tyrannical reign. Other notable cast members announced include Elle Fanning as an early iteration of Effie Trinket, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, and Lili Taylor as Mags, further connecting this story to characters familiar to fans of the series.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to hit theaters on November 20, 2026.

Are you excited to see Kieran Culkin’s take on a younger Caesar Flickerman? Join the discussion in the comments!