USAToday has announced that Kieran Culkin is the latest actor to join the cast of the upcoming prequel film “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping”. According to a May 21 news release, the Oscar-winning actor will play the role of Caesar Flickerman, a masochistic TV personality who hosts Panem’s darkest spectacle, the Hunger Games.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-president Erin Westerman described Flickerman as “the sickeningly watchable host of Panem’s darkest spectacle” in the studio’s statement. This casting news comes just a day after it was announced that 27-year-old “Maleficent” star Elle Fanning would be playing the younger version of flamboyant Capitol resident Effie Trinket, a character originally portrayed by Elizabeth Banks in the first four “Hunger Games” movies.
Fanning, who is also set to star in the upcoming “Predator: Badlands”, will be another major franchise added to her resume with her role in “The Hunger Games”. The Emmy nominee has previously starred opposite Timothée Chalamet in the Oscar-nominated Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown”. In an interview with a leading entertainment publication, Fanning expressed her excitement to be a part of the project, stating that she is “thrilled to be joining the cast of ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping'”.
The casting news was announced on May 20, with Iona Bell and Molly McCann also confirmed for the cast as Lou Lou and Louella McCoy respectively. The film, based on author Suzanne Collins’ prequel book, takes place 24 years before the events of the original “Hunger Games” and follows the fictional 50th Hunger Games. This event forces representatives from each district in Panem to fight to the death.
As reported by USAToday, the first “Hunger Games” book and its 2012 film adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence focused on the 74th Hunger Games. The prequel film, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping”, will also feature younger versions of several other characters from the original series, including Beetee Latier, Plutarch Heavensbee, and President Coriolanus Snow.
Joseph Zada will star in “Sunrise on the Reaping” as a young Haymitch Abernathy, a District 12 tribute previously played by Woody Harrelson. According to USAToday, a younger version of Coriolanus Snow played by Tom Blyth was the protagonist of the most recent “Hunger Games” movie, 2023’s “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”, another prequel centered on the 10th Hunger Games, which also starred Rachel Zegler.
The current cast list for “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” includes Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus Snow, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Iona Bell as Lou Lou, Molly McCann as Louella McCoy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier, Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow, and Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee.
The film “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. Fans of the franchise can expect an action-packed and thrilling ride, with a star-studded cast bringing the prequel to life. As noted by USAToday, the “Hunger Games” series has become a cultural phenomenon, with a devoted fan base eagerly anticipating the release of the prequel.
In a statement, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-president Erin Westerman expressed her excitement for the upcoming film, stating that it will be “a thrilling addition to the ‘Hunger Games’ franchise”. With a talented cast and a gripping storyline, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is shaping up to be a must-see movie event in 2026.
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