‘Hunger Games’ unleashes prequel ‘Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’
Rachel Zegler stars as the tribute from District 12 and Tom Blyth plays her mentor in the prequel “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
May the odds be ever in Elle Fanning’s favor.
The “Maleficent” star, 27, is the latest to join the cast of “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” according to an announcement on the film’s official social media channels.
Fanning is set to play a younger version of Effie Trinket, the character portrayed by Elizabeth Banks in the first four “Hunger Games” movies. Also confirmed for the cast on May 20 were Iona Bell as Lou Lou and Molly McCann as Louella McCoy.
“The Hunger Games” will be another major franchise added to Fanning’s resume coming off her role in the upcoming “Predator: Badlands.” The Emmy nominee starred opposite Timothée Chalamet in the Oscar-nominated Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” last year.
Based on author Suzanne Collins’ prequel book, “Sunrise on the Reaping” takes place 24 years before the events of the original “Hunger Games” and follows the fictional 50th Hunger Games, the annual event where representatives from each district in Panem are forced to fight to the death. The first “Hunger Games” book, and its 2012 film adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence, focused on the 74th Hunger Games.
Joseph Zada will star in “Sunrise on the Reaping” as a young Haymitch Abernathy, a District 12 tribute previously played by Woody Harrelson. The film will also feature younger versions of several other characters from the original series, including Beetee Latier, previously played by Jeffrey Wright; Plutarch Heavensbee, previously played by Philip Seymour Hoffman; and President Coriolanus Snow, previously played by Donald Sutherland.
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. Rachel Zegler also starred.
‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ cast list
With Fanning on board, here’s how the cast of “Sunrise on the Reaping” is shaping up so far:
- Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket
- Iona Bell as Lou Lou
- Molly McCann as Louella McCoy
- Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy
- Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus Snow
- Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird
- Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner
- Maya Hawke as Wiress
- Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier
- Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow
- Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ release date
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is set to hit theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.
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