Jennifer Lawrence finally confirms her return for new Hunger Games movie alongside two other original franchise stars

Katniss Everdeen is officially returning to The Hunger Games for the upcoming prequel movie, Sunrise on the Reaping.

Jennifer Lawrence, who played the rebellious heroine in the original trilogy, has confirmed she will be making a cameo appearance in a flash-forward in the new movie.

Following the release of the novel by Suzanne Collins in 2025, speculation swirled that Lawrence would return for the film, alongside Josh Hutcherson, who played her fellow tribute-turned-lover, Peeta Mellark.

Appearing on Call Her Daddy, Lawrence confirmed the rumours were true, and heaped praise on being back on set as she said: "Oh my! Unbelievable. It was so crazy, because it was the same crew. It was the same camera guys, the same AD who I've worked with a million times too, because I love him."

Lawrence also revealed that Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson will also be returning to the world of Panem too.

"Josh and Woody. It was emotional. Josh and I didn't walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful," she told host Alex Cooper.

"And Woody obviously came through the window of my hotel room, uninvited, because it wouldn't be the same if he listened to boundaries and used a door."

Sunrise on the Reaping, set 24 years before the events of the original story, will follow Haymitch Abernathy as he’s chosen to take part in the lethal games where only one tribute survives.

Joseph Zada will play the young Haymitch, a role originally played by Woody Harrelson in the original movie.

Taken as a tribute for District 12, the 50th annual version of the games marks the Second Quarter Quell – which, as decided by President Snow (Ralph Fiennes) – will mean there’s double the amount of tributes than normal in the games.

Forced to fight to the death for entertainment, the events set the stage for the embittered drunk we know Haymitch becomes.

But it also lays the groundwork for the revolution led by Katniss, as portrayed by Lawrence in the original Hunger Games trilogy, with key characters from the story making appearances as their younger selves.

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Among them is Effie Trinket (now played by Elle Fanning), Plutarch Heavensbee (Jesse Plemons), Wiress (Maya Hawke) and Caesar Flickerman (Kieran Culkin).

New characters added include Maysilee Donner (McKenna Grace), a fellow tribute and ally to Haymitch in the game, chaperone Drusilla Sickle (Glenn Close), costumier Magno Stift (Billy Porter) and Lenore Dove Baird (Whitney Peak) – Haymitch's love who is waiting for him back in District 12.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is released in UK cinemas on 20 November 2026.

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Authors

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.