As 2025 comes to an end, several previews and trailers have dropped that have raised the hype for next year. One in particular arrived sooner than expected: the trailer for the Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. The novel hit the shelves in March of this year, and three months later, Lionsgate made an official announcement that the film version would be released on November 20, 2026. With the date still being a year away, I thought it might still be some time before a trailer dropped, but alas, Lionsgate gifted us with one exactly one year before the movie hits theatres. And I have zero complaints because, sure, I was excited before the trailer–but after seeing it, I literally cannot wait for next November. Everything about it was absolutely perfect, and I am excited to tell you why.
First Impressions
Honestly, as trailers go, this was one of the best. Even for those who haven’t read the book, it includes several clues as to character identities and the overall story direction, with a heap of impactful scenes that allude to an equally impactful Hunger Games. One of the first aspects that stood out to me was the darker vibe. Don’t get me wrong–the Hunger Games franchise has never been sunshine and rainbows–but as the films progressed, there was an underlying brightness to it. This trailer removed that completely with a deeper colour palette and a heavier focus on the participants of the games rather than the Capitol spectacles.
It feels as if we are mirroring the beginning of Katniss’ journey, but in an even darker way. Which makes sense, being that the film will follow Haymitch through the Second Quarter Quell (the 50th Hunger Games), where instead of there being two tributes from the twelve districts, there will be four tributes.
The best part about the trailer is that it relies heavily on atmosphere versus plot. It shows us hints and tiny snippets of powerful moments without actually giving anything away.
The Cast and Characters
In addition to hinting at the plot and the tone of the movie, the trailer gave us significant hints as to who will play certain key characters. The first of which is the star of the movie, Haymitch Abernathy, who most of you know as Katniss’ mentor in the original four films, played by the talented Woody Harrelson. The movie takes place roughly twenty-five years before those events and follows the teenage Haymitch, who will be played by Joseph Zada, an Australian actor who is probably best known for his recent role in the TV series, We Were Liars. This will be his first big Blockbuster role, but from what we see in the trailer, I think he was the perfect choice. Not only does he have a physical likeness to a young Haymitch, but he also seems to manage to mimic Harrelson’s mannerisms fairly well.
The rest of the cast includes a few big-name actors whom I am ecstatic about. The first of which includes Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket. Fanning has played several larger roles, including Princess Aurora in Disney’s Maleficent, but I think this is going to be a defining moment for her. Similar to Zada, I think she has the capability to really embody the Effie that Elisabeth Banks created. The role requires an unnatural positivity mixed with an underlying genuine care for others, and even though the trailer only showed her for a millisecond, I felt like I could already see that in Fanning’s portrayal of the character.
Two other big names include Ralph Fiennes as a middle-aged Coriolanus Snow and Jesse Plemons as a younger Plutarch Heavensbee. Plemons has had roles in several well-known series, including Breaking Bad, Fargo, and Black Mirror. He has played a lot of villains, but usually the villains are ones that you can’t quite understand, which is why I think he will make a good Heavensbee. Deep down, Plutarch is a good guy, but he is also a guy who looks out for himself in a world where everyone has to watch their back constantly–Jesse Plemons is perfect for that. The ultimate villain in this franchise, however, will be played by Ralph Fiennes, and I mean, c’mon, Fiennes already has that title in the bag (he was Voldemort, after all). The only difficult part about his role is that Snow has already been portrayed by two other actors: Donald Sutherland from the original films and Tom Blyth as teenage Snow in A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. If anyone is up to the task, it is Ralph Fiennes…I just wish they had given him a better wig.
A Few Interesting Facts
- A large portion of the movie was filmed in a region of Spain known as Asturias. In the trailer, we see many of the arena scenes in that mountainous region. We can assume this means that the arena will be much larger in scale than we have seen before, and better yet, it’ll include these beautiful, real landscapes.
- Francis Lawrence, the director of every movie in the franchise besides the original Hunger Games, will once again direct the film. So far, every single film has been outstanding, so it makes me feel even more confident that this one will be too.
- Filming began in the summer of this year and is technically still ongoing, despite the trailer looking like a well-crafted finished product. This is actually good news because it means their early footage is already good enough to create a very compelling trailer.
All in all, the only negative about the trailer was the release date. After the trailer turned the excitement level for the film to MAX, one year seems like an awful long time to wait. Until then…
