Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are set to reprise their iconic roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the forthcoming Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, according to reports from variety.com.
The Lionsgate film is based on the latest novel by Suzanne Collins and delves into the events of the 50th Hunger Games—the second Quarter Quell. This is set 24 years before Katniss and Peeta first entered the arena as tributes for District 12 with Haymitch Abernathy as their mentor.
The prequel primarily centres on a 16-year-old Haymitch’s harrowing experience in the Games. Joseph Zada takes on the role of the young victor, originally played by Woody Harrelson in the mainline film series.
The exact nature of Lawrence and Hutcherson’s return is being kept under strict wraps. However, for readers of the book, their beloved characters feature in the epilogue alongside Haymitch, strongly suggesting a flash-forward sequence in the film.
Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled for release on 20th November. Francis Lawrence, who has directed every instalment since 2012’s Catching Fire, is at the helm, working from a screenplay by Billy Ray. Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson are returning as producers. So far, the five films in the franchise have amassed over $3.3 billion at the global box office.
The film boasts an all-star supporting cast, including Elle Fanning as a younger Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks in the original films), Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland/Tom Blyth), Kieran Culkin as TV host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) and Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
Kelvin Harrison Jr., Glenn Close, Maya Hawke, Mckenna Grace, Billy Porter, Whitney Peak, Ben Wang, Molly McCann, Iona Bell, and Percy Daggs IV round out the impressive ensemble.
While the original Hunger Games movies made megastars of Lawrence, Hutcherson and their co-star Liam Hemsworth over a decade ago, the pair remain firmly in the spotlight. Jennifer Lawrence recently secured her seventh Golden Globe nomination for her latest film, Die My Love, adding to her impressive résumé which includes an Oscar for Best Actress.
Josh Hutcherson is also enjoying a run of successful projects, including Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and the acclaimed HBO series I Love L.A.
