Peeta and Katniss in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
By
Cooper Hood
Published 19 minutes ago
Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.
He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years.
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The Hunger Games franchise gained popularity throughout the 2010s, culminating in the conclusion of Katniss and Peeta's story with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 in 2015. The divisive two-part finale for the series left audiences wanting more, not only in terms of additional stories in this world but also in terms of a more satisfying overall conclusion.
While we've since got the Snow-focused prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the question looming over the franchise has been whether Jennifer Lawrence and other original stars would ever come back and provide another glimpse of what happens after Mockingjay Part 2's ending. This became a lot more possible with the Haymitch prequel book, Sunrise on the Reaping.
The novel includes an epilogue where Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch are briefly back together. With The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping coming out next year, the possibility of Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Woody Harrelson returning has remained a key point of speculation. It now appears more likely than ever before.
Sunrise On The Reaping's Ending May Be Bringing Back The Original Hunger Games Stars
After the launch of the Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping trailer, questions about the original stars being featured only heightened. Nothing has been confirmed by Lionsgate, but it always seemed logical that Harrelson would come back in some capacity.
Lawrence's Hunger Games return would seem like the biggest question mark on paper, but the Oscar-winning actress has vocalized her willingness to return as Katniss in the past. In 2023, she said happily accept the chance to play her again, "100 percent."
Rather than it all hinging on Lawrence, Peeta actor Josh Hutcherson could have been viewed as an obstacle from bringing Sunrise on the Reaping's epilogue to life in the movie. He didn't love the level of fame that the franchise brought him originally and distanced himself from the series whenever questions came about coming back.
Yet, his tune started to change in early 2025 after Suzanne Collins' Haymitch prequel book came out. He stated he "would happily play Peeta again" if the opportunity arose. The actor has now suggested that said opportunity did come. Responding to direct questions about Peeta's Sunrise on the Reaping return, Hutcherson said, "That would be a dream come true. Do dreams come true? Sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes, yeah."
The actor's answer stops short of directly confirming anything, but it is about as positive an answer as he could've given. He makes it sound more likely that we'll see Peeta back in Sunrise on the Reaping. And if Hutcherson was back on set, Harrelson and Lawrence certainly accompanied him.
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, & Woody Harrelson's Returns Would Be A Great Way To End The Hunger Games Franchise
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss ready to fire an arrow in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Lionsgate and director Francis Lawrence getting three of the main cast members from the original Hunger Games movies back for Sunirse on the Reaping would be a perfect way to wrap up this series. The film is a prequel that brings back several key characters, albeit with different actors playing the younger iterations.
The movie can primarily focus on showing Haymitch's time in the 50th Hunger Games and setting him up to be the great mentor to Katniss and Peeta. But the film also lays the foundation for the rebel plot that becomes so important to Katniss' life, allowing the narrative to lay the groundwork for those original films.
In that sense, having Lawrence, Hutcherson, and Harrelson in the very end of Sunrise on the Reaping can bring it all full circle. Audiences can experience the thrill of Haymitch's games, better understand how long the rebellion was building, and see the franchise's three biggest characters back together one last time.
With Collins not yet writing more books that could be adapted into future films, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping could very well be the last movie in this franchise. And if so, what better way to close out The Hunger Games than to see Lawrence as Katniss, Hutcherson as Peeta, and Harrelson as Haymitch enjoying the peaceful life together that they fought for.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Like Follow Followed Action Adventure Sci-Fi Release Date November 20, 2026 Director Francis Lawrence Writers Billy Ray, Suzanne CollinsCast
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Joseph Zada
Haymitch Abernathy
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Mckenna Grace
Maysilee Donner
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Whitney Peak
Lenore Dove Baird
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Jesse Plemons
Plutarch Heavensbee
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Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping
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The Hunger Games
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