'Sunrise on the Reaping': Jennifer Lawrence confirms Katniss return as Elle Fanning kicks off press in Effie style

With tickets now on sale and the release three weeks away, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” got two fresh jolts of attention on Wednesday: Jennifer Lawrence spoke for the first time about playing Katniss Everdeen again, and Elle Fanning opened the film’s press tour in London dressed in full Effie Trinket spirit.

Is Jennifer Lawrence in Sunrise on the Reaping?

Yes. On the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Lawrence talked about reprising Katniss for the first time in 11 years, Variety and Deadline reported.

“It was unbelievable,” Lawrence said. “It was so crazy. It was the same crew. … And with Josh [Hutcherson] and Woody [Harrelson] … it was so emotional. Josh and I didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful.”

She joked that Harrelson “came through the window of my hotel room uninvited,” adding, “It wouldn’t be the same if he listened to boundaries or used a door.”

Variety reported last December that Lawrence and Hutcherson would return as Katniss and Peeta Mellark for a scene. Lawrence’s comments now indicate Harrelson is back as the older Haymitch, too. Readers of Suzanne Collins’ novel know the book ends with a flash-forward epilogue featuring Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch, so the film appears to follow suit, according to Variety.

Lawrence also reflected on taking the role at 20, saying her biggest worry was how the franchise “could negatively affect my acting career and my personal life.”

Elle Fanning’s Effie Trinket look

Fanning, who plays a young Effie Trinket (the role Elizabeth Banks played in the original films), began press for the movie at an event in London, Vogue reported. She and stylist Samantha McMillen chose a pale pink Robert Wun dress from the designer’s fall 2026 couture collection, with a lace-up corset, a tea-length tulle tutu skirt and a sculpted outer bodice.

The headline piece was a pink pillbox hat topped by a tiny ballerina, a nod to the music-box look of the runway styling. Vogue called it “method dressing” and said it looks like “only the start of a wild press tour.”

What is Sunrise on the Reaping about?

Set 24 years before “The Hunger Games,” the film follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) of District 12 from the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell, which has twice as many tributes, Deadline reported. In the arena he forms an alliance with Maysilee Donner (Mckenna Grace) and joins a group trying to challenge the Capitol under President Snow (Ralph Fiennes).

Francis Lawrence directs from a screenplay by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie. The cast also includes Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Wang.

How big is the Hunger Games franchise?

Lawrence led four “Hunger Games” films from 2012 to 2015. Including the 2023 prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” the franchise has grossed $3.3 billion worldwide, Variety reported.

When does Sunrise on the Reaping come out?

The movie opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, from Lionsgate. Tickets went on sale Oct. 28; our earlier coverage, linked below, has the ticket and early-screening details. Check your local theater for showtimes and formats.

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Earlier coverage: 'Sunrise on the Reaping' tickets are on sale now ahead of the Nov. 20 release (Oct 28)