The Hunger Games Prequel Adds Two More Major Actors In Key Roles

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On Monday at CineEurope, Lionsgate announced that Glenn Close will play the escort to the Tributes from District 12, Drusilla Sickle, while Billy Porter will play their designer and Drusilla’s husband, Magno Stift. These are both new characters introduced in Suzanne Collins’ latest book, which takes place 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, and 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Sunrise on the Reaping begins filming in July, and is currently scheduled for release on November 20, 2026.

Close and Porter bring a lot of star power to this production — Close has been nominated for eight Oscars over the course of her career, and has won numerous other awards along the way. Porter is best known for his work on Broadway, where he has won three Tony Awards, but in recent years he has become a mainstream household name with more work in Hollywood. Of course, the Hunger Games series is no stranger to lauded actors, so in some ways, casting announcements like this are a franchise tradition.

Sunrise on the Reaping is about the 50th Hunger Games in Panem, in which Katniss’ mentor Haymitch Abernathy competed. Because it is set closer to the main series, there are more familiar characters appearing here — Haymitch was played by Woody Harrelson in the main series, and is now played by Joseph Zada; Plutarch Heavensbee was played by Philip Seymour Hoffman and will now be played by Jesse Plemons, and so on.

Close’s character Drusilla is the Capitol-assigned escort to the Tributes, just as Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) was the escort to Katniss and Peeta in the main series. A younger version of Effie will appear in this prequel, played by Elle Fanning. Similarly, the main series introduced Lenny Kravitz as the Tributes’ stylist Cinna. Here, that role will be filled by Porter’s character Magno. However, where Effie was chipper and Cinna was helpful, Drusilla is cruel while Magno is disinterested.

The cast of Sunrise on the Reaping has grown steadily in recent months, with more and more announcements trickling out from Lionsgate. Other notable stars include Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, Maya Hawke as Wiress, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee. Whitney Peak plays Haymitch’s girlfriend Lenore Dove, while Mckenna Grace, Molly McCann, and Ben Wang play his fellow Tributes Maysilee Donner, Louella McCoy, and Wyatt Callow respectively. The screenplay was written by Billy Ray, and it will be directed by Francis Lawrence who has directed every Hunger Games movie since Catching Fire.

Sunrise on the Reaping begins filming in July, and is scheduled to premiere on November 20, 2026. Collins’ novel is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats for those that want to read ahead.