‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ New Trailer Shows the Franchise’s Darkest Games Yet
The ‘Hunger Games‘ franchise has built its entire legacy on forcing audiences to watch children fight for survival under an oppressive regime, and each new installment has found a way to push that brutality even further. With ‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ having laid the groundwork for Panem’s darker history three years ago, fans have spent months anticipating the franchise’s next chapter.
That anticipation centers on Haymitch Abernathy, the sharp-tongued mentor fans first came to know through Woody Harrelson’s performance in the original trilogy. ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ rewinds the clock to show a sixteen-year-old Haymitch competing in the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, an especially brutal edition of the games that doubles the usual tribute count to 48 children instead of 24.
Lionsgate has now released a new trailer for ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,’ pulling audiences back into Panem ahead of the film’s November 20 release in theaters and IMAX. The studio shared the clip alongside the message “Witness the beginning of the revolution,” continuing to build anticipation for what many are already calling one of the most emotionally devastating entries in the franchise.
Joseph Zada leads the film as young Haymitch, joined by Mckenna Grace as fellow tribute Maysilee Donner and Ben Wang as District 12 competitor Wyatt Callow. The new trailer leans into Haymitch’s growing bond with Maysilee while also hinting at his early conflict with a young Coriolanus Snow, giving fans a deeper look at the dynamic that will shape Haymitch’s future bitterness toward the Capitol.
The new trailer for ‘THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING’ has been released.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 16, 2026
In theaters on November 20. pic.twitter.com/Ah2GIvI9Rs
The Second Quarter Quell exists specifically as a show of force from the Capitol, designed to remind the districts of its absolute control by forcing double the usual number of tributes into the arena. That record-breaking pool of 48 competitors sets ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ apart from previous entries, promising a scale of violence and loss that even longtime fans of the franchise’s darker moments may not be fully prepared for.
Francis Lawrence returns to direct, marking his continued involvement with the franchise since taking over with ‘Catching Fire,’ working from a screenplay by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel. The film also brings back several other original trilogy characters in younger form, played by a cast that includes Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Whitney Peak, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, and Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee.
With the November 20 release date drawing closer and Lionsgate ramping up its marketing push through both trailers and new poster art, ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ looks positioned to deliver one of the most gutting chapters the franchise has attempted yet. Given how thoroughly the earlier films have proven willing to sit with grief and loss, this latest trailer suggests audiences should brace themselves accordingly.
How excited are you for ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’?
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