With The Hunger Games universe expanding, so is the cast of its latest installment: Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping. The studio has found its Haymitch Abernathy and his girlfriend Lenore Dove Baird, as well as Mayslie Donner.
Newcomer Joseph Zada will play Abernathy, Gossip Girl reboot star Whitney Peak will be Baird and McKenna Grace will play Mayslie. Fans of the franchise know Abernathy was played by Woody Harrelson earlier in the franchise.
Lionsgate heads and producer on Whitney Peak and Joseph Sada’s casting
“The Hunger Games franchise has long been a launching pad for remarkable young actors, and Jo and Whitney carry that legacy forward with incredible heart, depth, and fire,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erin Westerman said, per Deadline, about Zada and Peak. “After auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out — not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles. Haymitch has always been a fan favorite, and his origin story is one of the most anticipated in the franchise. His relationship with Lenore Dove is deeply woven into the emotional history of Panem. We can’t wait for fans to experience the story that shaped one of the most compelling characters in the series.”
Producer Nina Jacobson said, “Deb Zane and Dylan Jury oversaw an exhaustive (and exhausting!) search to find a young actor with the skill and imagination to embody young Haymitch. Jo prepared like crazy and stole our hearts. Then Whitney took our breath away as Lenore Dove. When we put the two of them together, it was one of those magical casting moments when you know your search has led you home.”
The ‘Donner’ role is said to be the closest to Katniss
Deadline reports of McKenna’s casting as Donner, “Like every part in this latest installment of the hit series, the role of Donner was highly sought as reps around town described it as the closest thing to the Katniss role that Jennifer Lawrence made famous in the previous films.”
Peak is best known for Max’s Gossip Girl reboot and Disney+’s Hocus Pocus 2. She will also star in Sony’s Shiver with Phoebe Dynevor and 4 Kids Walk into a Bank at Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures.
Zada can be seen on Stan Australia’s Invisible Boys now, and he can also be seen soon in Prime Video’s We Were Liars, which releases in June. Zada recently wrapped production on Netflix’s East of Eden, which he stars in alongside Florence Pugh, Mike Faist and others.
Grace is in post-production on several films, including Nobody 2 and Five Night’s At Freddy’s 2. She’s also filming Scream 7 and Regretting You.
The film will follow a teenage Abernathy as he competes in the games
The upcoming The Hunger Games film is based on the dystopian YA novel by Suzanne Collins of the same name, which was released on March 18. Viewers will return to Panem, the fictional state The Hunger Games tales are set, this time 24 years before the events of the first movie. Kicking off at the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, a teenage Abernathy— who, at the time, is just a smart young man from District 12— is chosen for the famous games but must compete against double the amount of tributes.
The film is set to release in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.
