Joseph Zada Wants in on Francis Lawrence’s ‘Red Rising’ After Starring in ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’
Few directors have shaped a franchise the way Francis Lawrence has shaped ‘The Hunger Games’. He has now directed five films in the series, and he tends to bring along the young actors he helps launch. With his next project already lined up, one of his newest discoveries is making it known that he’d like to join him again, and the Joseph Zada ‘Red Rising’ buzz is already building.
Zada, an Australian actor who was little known before 2025, was cast in April as a young Haymitch Abernathy in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’. He takes over a role that Woody Harrelson originated, and the film opens on November 20. Before that, he had appeared in ‘Invisible Boys’ and has been seen in Prime Video’s ‘We Were Liars’.
In remarks now making the rounds, Zada said he would love to get a part in ‘Red Rising’ and joked that he would have to twist the director’s arm to make it happen. It is a lighthearted pitch, but it comes at a moment when his stock is rising fast. No one has been cast in the film yet, so for now it is only a wish.
The comment fits the mood around the film. Early reactions to ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ have singled out his performance, and he has said he deliberately sought a strong contrast with Harrelson’s version of the character, building a younger Haymitch who pushes against authority but is also vulnerable.
Paramount has acquired the film rights to Pierce Brown’s bestselling ‘Red Rising’ series, with Lawrence attached to direct an adaptation of the first novel. Justin Rhodes, whose credits include ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ and Prime Video’s ‘Secret Level’, is writing the script. Lawrence, Cameron MacConomy and Francesco Goedhuis are producing, and Brown is an executive producer.
The story follows Darrow, a Red miner on Mars who learns that his people are enslaved by the ruling Gold caste. After being transformed to infiltrate Gold society, he joins a rebellion to overthrow the color-based hierarchy. No cast, release date or production start has been announced.
The project has been a long time coming. Lawrence has said he has been attached for about eight years, and the property spent time at Netflix, where it was first developed as a series. The rights eventually reverted to Brown, who took it to Paramount, and Lawrence says the studio is treating it as a priority and favors a theatrical and IMAX release.
The earlier television version is no longer moving forward, which makes the move to a feature film a significant shift. It also fits Paramount’s growing slate of high-profile book adaptations.
In an interview with /Film, Lawrence said he sees ‘Red Rising’ very differently from his other recent dystopian projects, ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘The Long Walk’. He acknowledged overlaps in competition, youth and high stakes, but pointed out that Darrow must penetrate a higher class to discover the truth. He also said he is drawn to stories that demand intense world-building.
That distinction matters for casting. A lead who can carry both the physical demands of the story and the emotional shift from oppressed worker to infiltrator would be a major find, and the role of Darrow is expected to attract attention.
Zada has the profile that makes fans speculate. Critics have praised his work in the prequel, with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff saying he repeatedly left her stunned and Next Best Picture’s Lauren LaMagna calling him heartbreakingly radiant. Others have described his turn as a star-making role.
Lawrence has also said he told his cast to make their own versions of the characters, which suggests he values actors who bring something personal. Still, it’s worth treating any casting talk as speculation. Nothing has been announced, and a project this size will likely attract a long list of contenders.
For now, Zada’s focus is on the November release of ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’. The reception could shape how seriously Lawrence considers him for future roles. If the early praise holds, the actor’s wish may not need much arm-twisting.
Meanwhile, ‘Red Rising’ remains in early development, and fans of Brown’s novels will be watching for any casting news. The adaptation has the potential to become a major sci-fi franchise if it lands the right team.
Who would you like to see play Darrow?
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