Some fans have been lucky enough to have already seen Francis Lawrence’s new dystopian thriller “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” due in theaters on November 20, 2026, and they have taken to social media to express their opinions. If early reactions are to be trusted, “Sunrise” may prove to be another enormous hit for the “Hunger Games” film franchise. We have been quite excited, having talked about “Sunrise” when the first trailer dropped.
“Sunrise” takes place after the events of Lawrence’s 2023 film “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” but 24 years before the original 2012 “Hunger Games” movie. “Sunrise” concerns the plight of Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada), the character played by Woody Harrelson in four of the previous “Hunger Games” films.
/Film’s own Nina Starner kicked off the party on her Twitter/X account, saying she loved Zada in the role, and the way “Sunrise” linked up to the films set later on the “Hunger” timeline. She wrote:
“‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ is a worthy addition to the franchise. Casting is phenomenal (Joseph Zada couldn’t be better), it looks and feels terrifyingly real, and it bridges the gap perfectly between the original stories and ‘Ballad.’ ‘A’ from me.”
It should be noted that, upon looking at the cast of “Sunrise,” one will find that Harrelson is credited, as are original movie stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Lawrence has even commented on her return to the series. So, yes, this film will link very directly to the future timeline of “The Hunger Games.”
Other fans of “Sunrise” also chimed in on Twitter/X, and they weren’t there to merely gush. Based on some of these thoughtful posts, people aren’t just excited about “Sunrise”; they seem to be provoked by it.
Early reactions to Sunrise on the Reaping
Box office prognosticators might want to up their prognostications after early reactions like these. Griffin Schiller, one of the team members from Filmspeak, compared “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” favorably to the “Star Wars” film “Rogue One” and its prequel series “Andor,” saying it was a tale of devastating loss and the necessary cost of rebellion. He also said that Joseph Zada was “a revelation,” who was “charismatic, lovable, tender, and honest,” capturing the character of Haymitch perfectly. Schiller then analyzed the themes of the film by writing:
“Like the book, the film challenges our own implicit submission and acceptance of terms we’ve never agreed to when the odds ARE in our favor. It sympathizes with how easy it is to feel hopeless and apathetic about the world today, how futile resistance seems, yet insists that every small act of defiance paves the way for future change, that every platform we have, for as briefly we have it, is a chance to reclaim control over the narrative. Not because that change is immediate, but because what other choice do we have?”
Schiller also noted that director Francis Lawrence “has always excelled at squaring our growing nihilism with the desire to disrupt the system, and ‘Sunrise’ allows him to interrogate that tension more directly to great effect.” High praise indeed.
If anyone out there was concerned that “Sunrise” was being constructed to merely exploit fans — it is based on a hit novel and the sixth film in a series, after all — know that there is some actual thought and attention being paid to this movie.
The hits keep coming
Matt Negalia of Next Best Picture posted about “Sunrise on the Reaping” to praise its casting. He wrote that “Zada is beyond impressive in a highly demanding role that pushes him to the limit physically and emotionally.”
The Daws on Screen account wrote that “Sunrise” was the follow-up to “Catching Fire” that they had always longed for. “It’s a near-perfect ‘Hunger Games’ movie that is more brutal than you could imagine. Joseph Zada embodies a more hopeful Haymitch that I was enamored to see evolve into the Haymitch we know and love.”
Perri Nemiroff from Collider posted that the film “rocks a ton of stunning craftsmanship, yet another phenomenal cast, and an exhilarating narrative that serves as a powerful reminder that nothing is inevitable and it is possible to break a bad machine.” She, too, praised Zada’s performance, pointing out that the movie is on his shoulders, and that “he soars, tackling every ounce of it.”
Lyra Hale, editor at Fangirlish, tweeted that the fan edits of this movie were inevitably “going to kill me.” She continued, “Joseph Zada ran me through an emotional gauntlet as Haymitch. He had me crying half the time while Mckenna Grace had me falling in love with her again.” Grace plays a character named Maysilee Donner in “Sunrise.”
Lauren LaMagna, editor at Next Best Picture, wrote that “Francis Lawrence continues to breathe new life into this world. The unique production design doesn’t let familiar beats get too dull.”
And critic Clotilde Chinnici posted that “Sunrise” will make you cry, and that it’s “the best ‘Hunger Games’ yet. Beautiful cinematography and set designs with excellent acting, especially from Joseph Zada, to portray the most tragic story in the Hunger Games franchise.”
Yes, this all bodes well.