Get ready, Hunger Games fans! Panem is rising once again! Lionsgate has officially announced the first two leads for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the highly anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ latest bestseller. We now have our Haymitch Abernathy and Lenore Dove Baird! This exciting announcement by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman sets the stage for a dramatic return to the Capitol and beyond.

SAY HELLO TO HAYMITCH ABERNATHY AND LENORE DOVE BAIRD!

Taking on the iconic role of a young Haymitch Abernathy is breakout star Joseph Zada, with Whitney Peak cast as his fierce and passionate girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird. Set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen stepped into the arena, the story begins on the fateful morning of the reaping for the Second Quarter Quell—aka the 50th Hunger Games.

Zada, already turning heads with upcoming roles in Amazon Prime’s We Were Liars and Netflix’s East of Eden, is poised for a star-making turn as District 12’s battle-hardened victor. Peak, known for Gossip Girl, Hocus Pocus 2, and her groundbreaking role as CHANEL’s COCO MADEMOISELLE ambassador, brings emotional depth and undeniable presence to Lenore Dove.

“Jo and Whitney carry the legacy of this franchise forward with heart, depth, and fire,” Westerman said. Fans can expect magic on-screen, as producers raved about the duo’s electric chemistry during auditions.

Directed by Hunger Games veteran Francis Lawrence and penned by Billy Ray, Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters November 20, 2026. With over $3.3 billion in global box office earnings, this franchise shows no signs of slowing down.

Tributes, prepare yourselves. The Games are back, and this time, it’s personal.