‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ IMAX Poster Blooms Into View as Tickets Go On Sale

Some movie moments are tied to a format. For ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise, that moment is the arena reveal in ‘Catching Fire’, when the picture grew taller as the tributes rose into the Quarter Quell. Fans who saw it in IMAX still remember how the screen seemed to open up at the exact moment the Games began.

Now the franchise is about to do it again, and this time it is going all in on the format. The latest chapter, ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’, has been branded the franchise’s first Filmed for IMAX release. The film is set 24 years before the original story and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada, during the 50th Hunger Games.

A new IMAX poster has arrived to mark the occasion. It carries a Filmed for IMAX banner across the top, with the letters themselves woven with flowers and butterflies. Below it, a young hero in a pale jacket stands among bright wildflowers under an erupting volcano, with a glowing blue light rising in the background, and the release date of November 20 appears at the bottom.

IMAX has confirmed that more than 45 minutes of the film will play in its expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio. The picture opens up the moment the tributes rise into the arena, echoing the ‘Catching Fire’ transition. With a running time of 158 minutes, that means a little under a third of the film plays taller.

Cinematographer Jo Willems has explained that the film was shot on IMAX-approved digital cameras rather than IMAX film cameras. These are high-resolution cameras with taller sensors, which make the expanded presentation possible. He said audiences will be more immersed in the full IMAX screen, a sign of how much the format matters to the production.

The film’s IMAX page also says the sound has been mixed for IMAX systems and that director Francis Lawrence worked closely with the company on the presentation. Lawrence has directed every installment since ‘Catching Fire’, which gives him a personal link to the technique. For fans, it is a way to relive one of the franchise’s best theater moments.

Tickets for early-access and regular screenings went on sale on October 28. Lionsgate has scheduled early-access screenings in premium large formats beginning November 18, including IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, ScreenX, Cinemark XD, Regal RPX and AMC Prime. Showtimes are available only at theaters participating in the early-access program.

The timing matters. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ takes over IMAX screens nationally from mid-December, and ‘Dune: Part Three’ is also built around the format, with 71 minutes of IMAX expanded footage. That leaves ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ a window of a few weeks, so the first weekends are the safest bets for anyone who wants the full experience.

Witness the beginning of the revolution. #TheHungerGames: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters & IMAX November 20. https://t.co/fKCrWXIk3T

— The Hunger Games (@TheHungerGames) September 16, 2026

The film’s final cut reportedly runs 2 hours and 38 minutes after a first cut that ran 4 hours and 12 minutes. Director Francis Lawrence has said that author Suzanne Collins is unafraid to make cuts when adapting her books. That bit of trivia hints at how much material was available.

The story begins on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell, when the Capitol doubled the tributes from 24 to 48. Zada leads the cast, with Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird and McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner. Ralph Fiennes plays President Snow, Elle Fanning plays a younger Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin plays Caesar Flickerman and Jesse Plemons plays Plutarch Heavensbee.

Jennifer Lawrence has also confirmed that she is returning as Katniss, alongside Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. That adds another reason for longtime fans to see the film in the biggest format available. The franchise has already earned more than $3.3 billion at the box office across 5 films.

For now, the poster is a reminder that premium screens will be part of the pitch. The flowers and butterflies contrast with the volcano and the arena, a nod to the series’ mix of beauty and danger. Whether the new film can recapture that feeling will become clear in less than 4 weeks.

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