Casting on the next Hunger Games movie, Sunrise On the Reaping, is ramping up quickly. Deadline confirms the latest addition is the biggest name on the roster yet, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Gifted star McKenna Grace. She joins other newcomers to the franchise, Joseph Zada and Whitney Peak.
Grace will take on the role of Maysilee Donner, Haymitch Abernathy’s fellow District 12 Tribute. Zada will play Haymitch, the character previously played by Woody Harrelson. Peak plays Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.
There have been five previous movies in the franchise, earning Lionsgate over $3B at the global box office. This will be director Francis Lawrence’s fifth movie in the franchise, and screenwriter Billy Ray’s second.
Sunrise on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The story centers on 16-year-old Haymitch, a clever and resourceful boy from District 12, who’s unexpectedly chosen for this edition of the games, which will feature a deadly twist: twice the number of tributes, with 48 children sent into the arena to battle for their lives.
Only 18 years old, Grace has been working steadily for over a decade, delivering loads of impressive performances. She has a lot on her plate including Nobody 2, Josh Boone’s drama Regretting You, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and Scream 7.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On the Reaping hits theaters on November 20th 2026.
