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Okay, so clearly the odds were very much in our favor because check out this cast.
When I found out that not only was another The Hunger Games book releasing regarding Haymitch Abernathy’s games, but also a new movie, I was so excited to see what was going to come from that. The moment the book was released, I raced to my local Barnes and Noble and strided through every aisle until it landed on the very last copy. I brought it up and consumed it as if the fire had begun to catch me already.
After my heart was ripped out, stomped on, spat at, and then somehow restored by the end of finishing this novel, casting for the film finally began to release. And now, we pretty much have nearly the entire cast for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – and it is literally everything fans could have dreamed of. If you’re curious about who is playing who, check it out below.
Joseph Zada Will Play Haymitch Abernathy
Now this is a great pick. Joseph Zada is set to play the main character, Haymitch Abernathy. In the original The Hunger Games films, he was played by Woody Harrelson, but now, we’ll be experiencing teenage Haymitch and having our hearts broken all over again.
Zada is relatively new to Hollywood in comparison to many of the others on this list. He’s appeared in a few TV shows before – Invisible Boys and Total Control, and will also appear in the upcoming adaptation of We Were Liars on Amazon Prime. I think this is a great choice. I really wanted someone unknown to the world to take on this role, and I believe they have done that with Zada.
Whitney Peak Will Play Lenore Dove
Lenore Dove is Haymitch’s girlfriend in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and honestly, Whitney Peak is the perfect pick for her. The actress has appeared in various roles before, like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Hocus Pocus 2, and I think she fits the role of Lenore perfectly.
She has that essence of loveliness but also rebellion, which is exactly what I imagine Lenore to be like. Ugh, I can’t wait to see her and Zada on the big screen.
McKenna Grace, Ben Wang, And Molly McCann Will Play The Other District 12 Tributes
Mckenna Grace, Ben Wang, and Molly Mccann will play the other three tributes alongside Haymitch in the games for Sunrise on the Reaping. Grace will play Maysilee Donner, Wang will play Wyatt Callow, and McCaan will play Louella.
All three of these are perfect. Grace has appeared in some of the best films of the last decade, like Gifted, I, Tonya, and more, so I’m eager to see her in a role like this. Wang is also going to appear in the upcoming Karate Kid: Legends so that’ll be fun. McCaan is new to the industry, and while there’s been some discourse online about Louella in general, I think she’s the perfect pick.
There’s also another character who will surround these others—Lou Lou, played by Iona Bell. I will not tell you who she is because that would be a major spoiler, so you can all wait and see.
Elle Fanning Will Play Effie Trinket
THE FANS GOT WHAT THEY ASKED FOR. SHE PICKED UP THE PHONE.
When it was first reported a month ago that Elle Fanning was in talks to play younger Effie Trinket in Sunrise on the Reaping, fans of the franchise were feral for this pick. And now, it was just confirmed that Elle Fanning will take on Effie.
And honestly? What a pick. The casting director really popped off with this one. Elle Fanning perfectly exudes that exact energy that Effie has, and I literally could not picture a better actress playing the younger version of her. Fanning has made strides for her lead role in The Great cast (which also happens to be one of the best shows on Hulu), but she’s appeared in so many other significant roles. I’m so down for this.
Ralph Fiennes Will Play President Snow
You know, the fact that Ralph Fiennes is going to play President Snow, and also happened to play Voldemort, another major villain in Hollywood, is such a weird flex – but I love it. Out of everyone who could take on this role, Fiennes is a great choice.
I think all fans across the franchise wondered how we would feel about President Snow after his origin story in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Sonbirds and Snakes, but if Fiennes is going to play him now, I think we’re all set. I don’t even need to get into why he’s a great pick; you already know. Just watch the Harry Potter films and find out.
Maya Hawke And Lili Taylor Will Play Wiress And Mags
Two other excellent picks here. Maya Hawke will play younger Wiress, and Lili Taylor will play younger Mags. If you recall, both of those characters were major players within The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but now, we’re going to see them essentially train Haymitch and the other District 12 tributes.
Why? Because there were no known winners for District 12 at the time. The only other one was Lucy Gray Baird, and her win was essentially erased from history, so they needed people to train them. Hawke is known mainly for her role in Stranger Things. Lili Taylor has been around for years and has appeared in so many great movies and TV shows, we could never list them all.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. Will Play Beetee
Beetee was a huge part of The Hunger Games series, and this pick for the younger version? Yes, all the rewards. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is an excellent pick for Beetee, and I know he can fully bring the same talent to the role as Jeffrey Wright did as the older Beetee.
The actor is primarily known for his roles in Ender’s Game, 12 Years a Slave, Cyrano, and Elvis, among many others.
Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman
Another pick that we are absolutely stoked for. Kieran Culkin has officially been picked to play young Caesar Flickerman, who was played by Stanley Tucci in the original movies.
Culkin has had massive amounts of success over the last few years, including a starring role in Succession and an Academy Award win. Out of everyone who could have played this role, I can already imagine Culkin so vividly. I can not wait.
Jesse Plemons Will Play Plutarch Heavensbee
Last but not least, in confirmed casting news, we have Jesse Plemons, who will play the younger version of Plutarch Heavensbee. I feel like Plutarch is the kind of character that you don’t really realize is so important until the very end, but Plemons was the perfect pick to portray the younger version of him. The original, in the first four films, was played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Plemons has appeared in so many movies and TV shows that I can almost guarantee you have seen him somewhere. I first recognized him from his time in the Breaking Bad cast, but he’s had roles in so many movies and TV shows that you know who he is. His latest are Kinds of Kindness and Civil War.
Gosh, this just makes me want to see The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping even more!