Summary
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingis on the way, and there are several characters who could return for this new prequel movie. The upcoming film will be based on Suzanne Collins' newest book in theHunger Gamesfranchise, which has yet to be released. For this reason, we can only speculate about what characters fromThe Hunger Gamestrilogy andThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakeswill make an appearance inSunrise on the Reaping. Luckily, Collins has already shared details about when this installment will fall in the timeline.
Collins' newHunger Gamesbook was announced on August 23, 2025, with a release date already set for July 31, 2025. The author also revealed that the story would be set 40 years after the previousHunger Gamesprequel,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, on the mourning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games. Thanks to Katniss' story, we already know quite a bit about that year’s Games since this second Quarter Quell is when Haymitch Abernathy was crowned victor. Thisallows for some speculation regarding which characters will be included in the confirmedSunrise on the Reapingmovie.
Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date, Story, Updates & Everything We Know
Suzanne Collins has announced details about the upcoming novel in the Hunger Games series, which will be titled Sunrise on the Reaping.
10Haymitch Abernathy
Haymitch Is The Victor Of The 50th Hunger Games
Haymitch is the victor of the 50th Hunger Games, which means his presence inSunrise on the Reapingis guaranteed. Collins said that the story would pick up on the morning of the reaping, which, during this Quarter Quell, saw two boys and two girls reaped from each District. Movie audiences should, therefore, see a 16-year-old Haymitch reaped to participate in the games, along with another boy and two District 12 girls.
The 50th Hunger Games wasn’t mentioned in the movies, but theCatching Firebook included a scene in which Katniss and Peeta watched a recording of the reaping and tournament. Haymitch was described as aloof but charming—well-liked by the Capitol citizens. Like Katniss and Peeta, however,Haymitch won his Games in a way President Snow didn’t appreciate, making him a target of the dictator’s wrath.
9Coriolanus Snow
Snow Is President During The 50th Hunger Games
Snow had already been president for a long time by the 50th Hunger Games, so he is another character guaranteed to appear inSunrise on the Reaping. TheCatching Firebook already revealed a scene involving Snow and the Quarter Quell—the president announced on national TV that, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Games, twice as many tributes would be reaped from each District.
AfterThe Ballad of Songbirds and SnakesandThe Hunger Games, it will be interesting to see President Snow at full power. He will have come a long way since the 10th Hunger Games, and it’s possible thatSunrise on the Reapingwill fill in the details of what has happened in the dictator’s life since he returned to the Capitol from District 12. What’s more,the first District 12 victor since Lucy Gray is sure to bring up some painful memories for Snow, and this should make his part in this newest prequel interesting.
8Katniss' Mother
Mrs. Everdeen’s Best Friend Was Reaped For The 50th Hunger Games
Katniss' mother, who was never given a name inThe Hunger Games, was around the same age as Haymitch and was therefore also entered in the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games. She was not selected as one of the two female tributes, but her best friend, Maysilee Donner, was. Maysilee was a clever girl who wore afamiliar gold Mockingjay pininto the arena. She and Haymitch teamed up, though she tragically died after being stabbed in the neck by the long beak of a bird muttation.
A young Mrs. Everdeen may not play a major role inSunrise on the Reaping, but her friendship with Maysilee and her relation to Katniss means she is sure to make an appearance or two. Katniss hadn’t known until the third Quarter Quell that her mother had watched her childhood friend die in the arena or that her Mockingjay pin had once belonged to another Hunger Games tribute. All of this will surely come into play in the upcoming prequel movie.
Katniss' father could also make an appearance inSunrise on the Reaping, though he was never mentioned in the context of the 50th Hunger Games.
7Tigris Snow
Tigris May Be A Stylists In The 50th Hunger Games
Tigris was first introduced inThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay, where she was grotesquely transfigured by cosmetic surgeries to look like a humanoid tiger. During this time, she was a rebel who wanted nothing more than to see Coriolanus Snow burn. However,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesrevealed that she had once been a sweet young woman who loved her cousin Coryo more than anyone in the world.
It’s still unclear precisely what happened to Tigris Snow between Snow’s prequel andThe Hunger Games, but Sunrise on the Reaping may be able to provide some insight.
It’s stillunclear precisely what happened to Tigris Snow between Snow’s prequel andThe Hunger Games, butSunrise on the Reapingmay be able to provide some insight. Katniss remembered Tigris as one of the most celebrated stylists of the Hunger Games, so it’s likely that she will be the head of one of the tributes' prep teams during the 50th tournament. Whether she plays a prominent role in the plot, Tigris should at least be mentioned or briefly featured.
6Caesar Flickerman
Caesar Flickerman Should Be Host Of The 50th Hunger Games
Caesar Flickerman was a television personality and host of the Hunger Games inThe Hunger Games, and Katniss mentions that he had this job for as long as anyone could remember. Therefore, it’s likelythis character will play a similar role inSunrise on the Reaping.The eccentric character was often kindly toward the tributes, though there were signs throughoutThe Hunger Gamesthat he was wholly loyal to the Capitol and President Snow.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesalso featured a Flickerman, this time named Lucky, who was likely Caesar’s father. Coryo despised Lucky, which implies that he eventually disposed of the man and later gave the job of host to his son instead. Just as Snow’s prequel dropped subtle clues about the characters ofThe Hunger Games, it would be interesting ifSunrise on the Reapingdid something similar, filling in the details of Caesar’s role and moral alignment.
5Plutarch Heavensbee
Plutarch May Be A 50th Hunger Games Gamemaker
Plutarch Heavensbee became Head Gamemaker for the 75th Hunger Games after years of serving as an underling, but it was ultimately revealed that he was a rebel aiming to break the tributes out of the arena to join District 13. Little else is known about his life before this, but it seems likely thatSunrise on the Reapingwill fill in at least some of the finer details.
Plutarch’s age is unknown, but it’s probable that he was already working as a Gamemaker during the 50th Hunger Games. It’s also unclear when the man became a rebel or when Haymitch learned of his involvement with District 13 and became a silent ally. In all, it’s certainly possible that the seeds of Plutarch and Haymitch’s rebellion were planted as far back as the 50th Games.
4Greasy Sae
In theHunger Gamesmovie, Greasy Sae is only briefly shown when she gives Katniss her gold Mockingjay pin at the Hob. However, this old woman was a far more prevalent character in the book. Greasy Sae was well known and respected by the citizens of District 12 since growing old under such conditions was no easy task. She kept her eye on the younger residents of the Seam, andafter Katniss returned home inMockingjay, Greasy Sae was tasked with caring for her.
GivenGreasy Sae’s age, she would certainly have been around District 12 during the 50th Hunger Games, and since Haymitch is from the Seam, he surely knew the old woman in his youth. If she appeared inSunrise on the Reaping, it would be interesting to learn more about her. Her character could also be valuable to the plot since there needs to be an explanation as to how she ended up with Maysilee’s Mockingjay pin in the movie’s version of events.
Greasy Sae didn’t give Katniss the Mockingjay pin in the books, but theSunrise on the Reapingmovie will have to remain cohesive with the previous films.
3Mags Flanagan
Mags Is A Mentor In The 50th Hunger Games
Mags was one of the tributes in the Third Quarter Quell, and Katniss developed a great deal of affection toward the old woman. She was the oldest survivingvictor inThe Hunger Games, having won the 11th Games (just after Lucy Gray won the 10th). This means she would have been a mentor in Haymitch’s 50th Hunger Games, serving whoever the four District 4 tributes would have been.
Mags would be about 56 inSunrise on the Reaping, which is possibly before she suffered the stroke that garbled her speech. So, the prequel movie could be our first chance to actually hear Mags talk. Of course, Haymitch likely wouldn’t have had much to do with Mags until he became a Hunger Games mentor himself. So,if Mags is featured in the upcoming prequel book and movie, it may only be quick.
2Beetee Latier
Beetee Is A Mentor In The 50th Hunger Games
Beetee is another 75th Hunger Games tribute who would be a mentor in the 50th Hunger Games. Though it’s not known precisely which Games he had been the victor of, it’s believed it would have been before Haymitch’s. Beetee became victor when he used electrical traps to eliminate his opponents, earning him the nickname “Volts.”
Beetee and Haymitch were both rebels aware of the existence of District 13 inThe Hunger Games, though it’s never explained in Katniss' story how this came to be. Though it’s assumed that they were both wrapped into this plot closer to the events of the Second Quarter Quell, it’s certainly possible thatSunrise on the Reapingwill begin to dive into how so many of the Hunger Games' mentors came to be part of this secret movement.
1Chaff
Chaff Is A Mentor In The 50th Hunger Games
Haymitch introduces Katniss to Chaff inThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and it is evident that the two men are close friends. They had a lot in common since they were both victors, mentors, and alcoholics. There isn’t much more known about this friendship, including how and when it began. However, sinceChaff won the 45th Hunger Games, he should be around during Haymitch’s 50th Games victory.
Sunrise on the Reapingcould see the beginning of this friendship develop, though it likely wouldn’t happen until after Haymitch wins the 50th Games. Chaff would be one of the mentors for the four District 11 tributes, and there isn’t typically much reason for tributes to interact with the mentors of other Districts. Still, if the upcomingHunger Gamesprequel follows inBallad of Songbirds and Snakes’s footsteps, Haymitch’s Games may only take up about half of the novel and film.Sunrise on the Reapingcould dive into Haymitch’s life as a new mentor, which would most certainly include Chaff.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Cast
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores the dystopian world of Panem 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s story. This prequel focuses on the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, unveiling the origins of crucial events and traditions in the series.
