“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” cast tease dark chapter of Panem’s history in exclusive EW cover portraits
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” cast tease dark chapter of Panem’s history in exclusive EW cover portraits
Shania RussellTue, August 25, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC
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Mckenna Grace, Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Glenn Close, and Elle Fanning photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
Prepare to reenter the arena.
The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping is taking fans of the dystopian franchise back to Panem for the Second Quarter Quell, in which one Haymitch Abernathy (now played by Aussie actor Joseph Zada) will be forced to fight for his life.
“This movie is kind of the first domino,” actress Whitney Peak teases in Entertainment Weekly’s latest cover story.
Indeed, Haymitch’s Games mark a key moment for the bubbling rebellion that Katniss Everdeen will one day lead. But they also mark a milestone for the Games themselves. Haymitch will step into the arena for the 50th annual Hunger Games, which double as Panem’s second Quarter Quell. To mark the occasion, the Capitol has decreed that each district of the dystopian country must send twice the amount of tributes into the arena — pitting 48 children against one another rather than 24.
“Even though we don’t get to know every one of the 48 tributes, you still have 48 actors that are in every scene,” director Francis Lawrence tells EW. “In a scene where they’re all gonna start fighting, that also means you have to have 48 stunt doubles. That’s twice the costumes, twice the amount of people.”
Zada admits that he was “s--- scared” when it came to filming the cornucopia run with his fellow tributes. The scale was momentous, and it happened to mark his first day of filming.
“We were on the podiums. We were getting ready to run for the Cornucopia, which was very fitting,” he recalls. “That’s how it felt, being ready to jump and having to wait for the countdown. And looking around and seeing all your competition around you and trying to keep you focused.”
The film will see Haymitch cross paths with characters both new and familiar, including Mckenna Grace‘s Maysilee Donner, Elle Fanning‘s Effie Trinket, and Glenn Close‘s Drusilla Sickle.
For more, dive into the full cover story, and check out exclusive photos from the shoot below.
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Joseph Zada
Joseph Zada photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Whitney Peak
Whitney Peak photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Mckenna Grace
Mckenna Grace photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Glenn Close
Glenn Close photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Joseph Zada
Joseph Zada photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Whitney Peak
Whitney Peak photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Mckenna Grace
Mckenna Grace photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Glenn Close
Glenn Close photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Mckenna Grace, Joseph Zada, and Whitney Peak
Mckenna Grace, Joseph Zada, and Whitney Peak photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Glenn Close
Glenn Close photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Elle Fanning and Glenn Close
Elle Fanning and Glenn Close photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Joseph Zada
Joseph Zada photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Mckenna Grace
Mckenna Grace photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Whitney Peak
Whitney Peak photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Glenn Close
Glenn Close photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Mckenna Grace, Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Glenn Close, and Elle Fanning
Mckenna Grace, Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Glenn Close, and Elle Fanning photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Mckenna Grace
Mckenna Grace photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Whitney Peak
Whitney Peak photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
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Joseph Zada
Joseph Zada photographed exclusively for EWCredit: Dana Trippe
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
