'Sunrise on the Reaping' has found its President Snow, Haymitch Abernathy, and Effie Trinket. Here's everything we know so far about the 'Hunger Games' prequel.

Lionsgate announced it would be producing a film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' "Sunrise on the Reaping" before the book was even released.

• Suzanne Collins' "Sunrise on the Reaping" is a prequel to "The Hunger Games" about a young Haymitch.
• Lionsgate greenlit a movie adaptation in 2024, almost a year before the book hit shelves.
• The studio has announced most of the film's cast, as well as its November 2026 release date.

The release of Suzanne Collins' "Sunrise on the Reaping" marked a new dawn in the "Hunger Games" franchise.

The book, which hit shelves on March 19 and sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first week, is the second prequel to Collins' immensely popular dystopian series, following the 2020 release of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

"Sunrise on the Reaping" takes place several decades before the events of "The Hunger Games" trilogy and centers on a younger version of Haymitch Abernathy — played by Woody Harrelson in the original film franchise — as he fights for survival as a District 12 tribute in the Capitol arena.

Like "Ballad," the latest installment reveals key lore about the world of Panem, and fortunately for fans, it's also getting adapted for the big screen.

Here's everything we know about the movie, from a release date to the cast.

Some spoilers ahead for "Sunrise on the Reaping."

'Sunrise on the Reaping' will be the 6th 'Hunger Games' movie

Prior to the book's release, Lionsgate announced that it was turning the story into a feature film.

The news of the forthcoming movie was shared just hours after Collins announced in June 2024 that she was publishing another "Hunger Games" story.

At the time, Deadline reported that the film, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping," would be released on November 20, 2026.

Francis Lawrence, the filmmaker who helmed every movie in the series except the 2012 original, will direct the movie from a script adapted by Billy Ray.

Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson are confirmed as returning to produce the prequel under their Color Force banner.

The day before "Sunrise on the Reaping" was published, Jacobson spoke to Variety about the coming adaptation. She told the outlet her team has "a great draft" of the script still in progress and that they had "established our locations" for production.

"We're very far along for a book that's only going to come out tomorrow," she said at the time.

The film is in early production, but most of its main cast members have been announced

"Sunrise on the Reaping" is set to feature a massive cast. The Hunger Games that Haymitch is reaped into feature double the number of tributes competing. Collins also introduces readers to characters in District 12 who have connections to the other books in the series. Plus, the novel includes appearances from "Hunger Games" favorites like Effie Trinket and Plutarch Heavensbee.

Lionsgate has been revealing the film's cast on social media, showing snippets of the characters' introduction in the novel bursting into flame to reveal the actor portraying them.

The "Sunrise on the Reaping" cast so far includes:

• Haymitch Abernathy: Joseph Zada
• Lenore Dove Baird: Whitney Peak
• President Snow: Ralph Fiennes
• Effie Trinket: Elle Fanning
• Caesar Flickerman: Kieran Culkin
• Plutarch Heavensbee: Jesse Plemons
• Beetee Latier: Kelvin Harrison Jr.
• Wiress: Maya Hawke
• Mags Flanagan: Lili Taylor
• Maysilee Donner: Mckenna Grace
• Wyatt Callow: Ben Wang
• Louella McCoy: Molly McCann
• Lou Lou: Iona Bell

The film's star, Zada, is a relative newcomer with just a handful of roles to his name. In March, Jacobson told Variety that her team was looking to Woody Harrelson, who played Haymitch in the original "Hunger Games" trilogy, for inspiration when casting their next star.

She said she hoped the actor who landed the role could capture the "mischief" Harrelson brought to the role without "impersonating" him.

"You want somebody who very credibly feels like they could be a young version of this character, before the trauma and grief and rage that the fallout of the Games create," Jacobson said. "Nobody can be Woody Harrelson, but Woody Harrelson."

Of the roles announced to date, Fiennes and Fanning's castings have arguably generated the most buzz.

Fiennes, who is no stranger to film franchises after playing Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" films, will be offering the third cinematic iteration of President Coriolanus Snow.

Fans followed Snow as a young man in the first prequel, in which Tom Blyth portrayed him, and as the aging villain in the three original "Hunger Games" films, played by Donald Sutherland. Snow is the primary antagonist in "Sunrise on the Reaping," as he is in the original trilogy, and he makes some chilling appearances in the novel.

Elizabeth Banks played Effie Trinket, Katniss and Peeta's handler from the Capitol, in the original "Hunger Games" trilogy, and the character appears as a young stylist in "Sunrise on the Reaping." Fans were eager to see who would step into Banks' shoes because her performance was so beloved in the films.

Plemons will be taking over as Plutarch for Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jeffrey Wright played Beetee Latier before Kelvin Harrison Jr. Interestingly, both Plemons and Harrison previously played as Hoffman and Wright's children in other projects. Plemons was Hoffman's son in the 2012 film "The Master," and Harrison was Wright's son in "Monster," released in 2018.

A teaser clip announcing the release date promises that 'these games are going to be different'

Two weeks after the "Sunrise on the Reaping" book was released, Lionsgate unveiled the film's logo on Instagram in a teaser clip.

The clip consisted of a series of animated illustrations, starting with a shot of a volcano. The image nods to the story's plot, as a volcanic eruption wipes out many of the tributes in Haymitch's games.

Lava from the volcano explodes in the video, forming a bird and a snake symbol that connects through its tail. The striker, which is illustrated on the book's cover, plays an important role in the book, so it's a natural choice for the logo.

As the shape of the striker comes into view in the clip, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" appears on the screen. Then, Harrelson's voice can be heard saying, "I think these games are going to be different."

Fans are hopeful Harrelson, as well as Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, might appear in "Sunrise on the Reaping" to play out the novel's epilogue.

"Forty-eight tributes. One victor," the caption of the post read. "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping — in theaters November 20, 2026."