The Hunger Games series just received a much-needed adrenaline boost in the form of Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins’ latest prequel, and its on-screen counterpart. This installment doesn’t revisit Panem so much as it blows it up bigger, with new characters, unexpected connections, and a crammed cast full of heavy-hitters. Casual fan or die-hard tribute, these announcements are going to make the Games feel like new again. Here are the 10 biggest casting and character surprises you’ll want to know about.
10. Billy Porter as Magno Stift
Billy Porter, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy winner, brings his panache to Magno Stift, a District 12 stylist and estranged husband of Drusilla Sickle. Producers say Porter is a one-in-a-generation performer who can deftly combine spectacle and emotion, and his Magno adds a pinch of Capitol drama to the narrative. Hold on to your hats for dramatic style and even more dramatic moments whenever he appears.
9. Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle
Glenn Close, one of the best living actors, rounds out the cast as Drusilla Sickle—the calculating District 12 escort. With a reputation for razor-sharp characters and unparalleled intensity, Close makes Drusilla instantly memorable. Producers hailed her casting as a dream come true, and it’s difficult to envision a more commanding presence to bring this Capitol player to life.
8. Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman
Kieran Culkin, hot off Succession’s awards sweep, is taking over the role of Caesar Flickerman, the Games’ outrageous host. Stanley Tucci cemented the character in his iconic way, but Culkin’s offbeat charm and attitude will put a completely new spin on Caesar. Studio executives have dubbed him “sickeningly watchable”—just what Panem’s biggest stage needs.
7. Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket
Effie Trinket’s backstory receives a fresh twist with Elle Fanning, cast as Haymitch’s personal stylist. Already a fan-favorite for her roles in The Great and Maleficent, Fanning injects the early life of Effie with youthful charm and sass. Fans are excited to see how she walks the line between respect for Elizabeth Banks’ portrayal while putting her own stamp on the character.
6. Ralph Fiennes as President Snow
Ralph Fiennes, the villain master, plays Coriolanus Snow. After Donald Sutherland and Tom Blyth, Fiennes plays Snow at his zenith—cold, calculating, and chillingly human. Fiennes has explained that he will not copy Sutherland but will try to replicate the psychological complexity of his role. It’s a chilling comeback for one of the saga’s most villainous characters.
5. Lili Taylor as Mags
Lili Taylor, an indie film star with Emmy-nominated appearances, becomes Mags Flanagan, the intelligent and toughest of mentors from District 4. Fans long remembered Mags as the older winner of Catching Fire, but here she’s displayed in her best years—sharply intelligent, robust, and supporting Haymitch through his vicious Games. Taylor’s warmth is the ideal casting.
4. Maya Hawke as Wiress
Maya Hawke lends her quirky charm to Wiress, the quirky District 3 champion. We encounter her in Sunrise on the Reaping as a younger woman shortly after her bloodless victory, already sharp and delicate. Hawke’s performance is set to fill out the character Amanda Plummer immortalized in Catching Fire.
3. Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee
Kelvin Harrison Jr., one of Hollywood’s most dynamic up-and-coming stars, plays a younger Beetee Latier. Formerly portrayed by Jeffrey Wright, Beetee in this film is already a genius in technology and an admired winner. Harrison’s knack for balancing intelligence with emotional resonance allows Beetee’s heritage to stay firm while introducing new facets to his background.
2. Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
Jesse Plemons takes over as Plutarch Heavensbee, the would-be Gamemaker-turned-revolutionary genius. Plemons’ casting is double-edged—he used to play opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman (the first Plutarch) in The Master. That shared history makes this role particularly bittersweet. In Sunrise on the Reaping, Plutarch is younger, ambitious, and already showing the cunning that will later transform Panem.
1. Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, and McKenna Grace as Haymitch, Lenore Dove Baird, and Maysilee Donner
At the center of Sunrise on the Reaping are its adolescent leads. Joseph Zada stars as Haymitch Abernathy at the age of 16, uncovering the bare trauma and rebellion that define him to come. Whitney Peak is radiant as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s Covey girlfriend and connection to Lucy Gray’s past. Mckenna Grace fills the role of Maysilee Donner, the first owner of the mockingjay pin and Haymitch’s arena partner. Their performances together create the emotional foundation of the story, weaving new strands into the broader Hunger Games fabric.
From Capitol insiders to secret rebellion connections, Sunrise on the Reaping guarantees the most daring and interwoven Hunger Games installment yet. Featuring a cast this strong, Panem’s history has never been more electrifying. May the odds be ever in your favor as we return to the arena.