The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Release Date and Details

The world of The Hunger Games is expanding once again—this time with fresh faces ready to take on Panem’s brutal legacy. Mckenna Grace has officially been cast as Maysilee Donner in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, stepping into one of the most pivotal roles from District 12’s past. Grace will join Joseph Zada, who takes on the highly anticipated role of a young Haymitch Abernathy, and Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend before the Games changed everything.

Directed by franchise veteran Francis Lawrence and based on Suzanne Collins’ latest novel, the film dives into the infamous 50th Hunger Games—also known as the Second Quarter Quell. This chapter in the Hunger Games saga transports us 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered for her sister, focusing instead on the sharp, clever Haymitch as he’s thrust into an arena with double the tributes and none of the mercy.

Maysilee Donner, Grace’s character, is a name that fans of the original series will remember from a haunting tale in Mockingjay. She was the other tribute from District 12 in Haymitch’s Games—and someone whose fate left a lasting scar. Bringing Grace onboard for this emotionally charged and critical role signals just how seriously Lionsgate is treating this origin story.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erin Westerman praised the casting, saying that both Zada and Peak “stood out not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought.” According to producer Nina Jacobson, the moment Grace joined Zada and Peak, it felt like the creative team “knew [their] search had led [them] home.”

Grace’s casting adds a familiar-yet-fresh face to the franchise, continuing her track record of scene-stealing performances in The Haunting of Hill House, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and The Bad Seed. Her ability to portray intensity, vulnerability, and youthful courage makes her an ideal Maysilee, whose friendship with Haymitch and ultimate sacrifice shaped his future cynicism and trauma.

With a release date set for November 20, 2026, Sunrise on the Reaping not only marks a return to one of pop culture’s most impactful dystopias but promises to unpack the origin of one of its most compelling characters. For longtime fans and new audiences alike, this looks like a return worth anticipating.

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