‘The Hunger Games’ Return in ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ Trailer

The Hunger Games has remained popular for a surprisingly long time. Unlike the Harry Potter prequel series, Fantastic Beasts, which ended after three unsuccessful movies, The Hunger Games continues to thrive, even after adapting all the original books back in 2015.

Lionsgate was fortunate that Suzanne Collins wrote two additional books set before the events of The Hunger Games, and both have now been adapted into films. The first, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is set 64 years earlier and tells the story of a young Coriolanus Snow, who later becomes the ruthless leader of the dystopian nation of Panem.

The movie was a big success, earning $350 million around the world. Now, Lionsgate is making a new prequel based on Suzanne Collins’ book, Sunrise on the Reaping. This film will explore the younger years of Haymitch Abernathy, a character who later helps Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) in The Hunger Games.

Although Jennifer Lawrence isn’t featured in the trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping, she’s expected to reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen, alongside Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, as their characters appeared in an epilogue of the book. The trailer does showcase a strong cast, including Ralph Fiennes as Snow, as well as Jesse Plemons, Mckenna Grace, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, and many other talented actors.

Watch the trailer below:

There is a new poster for the movie as well.

Here is Sunrise on the Reaping’s official synopsis:

THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING takes readers back to the world of Panem, 24 years before the original Hunger Games trilogy. The story begins on the day of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, also called the Second Quarter Quell.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to open in theaters on November 20, 2026.

10 Horror Movies That Saved Bad Franchises

1. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Released well before films like Scream, Jason Lives cleverly poked fun at the predictable tropes of slasher movies. The Friday the 13th series had become known for increasingly over-the-top violence, and Jason Lives arrived to satirize that trend. The film is unique because characters often break the fourth wall, and openly discuss the silly decisions people make in horror movies. While many Friday the 13th films were unintentionally humorous due to their low quality, Jason Lives, written by Tom McLoughlin, is genuinely witty and revitalized the franchise’s tired zombie villain.

2. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Even before the 2003 film Freddy vs. Jason, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger were connected in the minds of horror fans. Both series were hugely influential in 1980s horror, but both eventually became self-aware and somewhat silly. While later Nightmare on Elm Street movies had occasional bright spots, it wasn’t until New Nightmare in 1994 that the series regained its truly frightening edge. Notably, it was the first Freddy film since the original to be directed by creator Wes Craven.

Similar to Jason Lives, New Nightmare offered a clever twist on a tired idea. The film centers around the making of a new Freddy sequel, and features many of the original actors – including Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp – playing themselves. Because movies are often compared to dreams, a Hollywood film set is the ideal place for Freddy Krueger to return, tormenting the cast and crew who are trying to bring him back for more profits. Later attempts to reboot A Nightmare on Elm Street as a more traditional slasher film haven’t fared as well.

3. Bride of Chucky (1998)

The first two sequels to Child’s Play didn’t just bring back the killer doll, Chucky; they continued the story of his conflict with his original owner, Andy Barclay. Starting with the fourth film, the series changed its title format – from Child’s Play ___ to ___ of Chucky – signaling a new direction that breathed life back into the franchise. Instead of repeating the same story of a child versus an evil doll, the films became more unusual and dreamlike, with a stronger emphasis on humor and even some dark romance.

In Bride of Chucky, Chucky finds a partner in both crime and love – Jennifer Tilly, who was perfectly cast in the role – and the pair embark on a road trip to regain their human bodies. The film features over-the-top violence, surprisingly suggestive scenes with puppets, and even killer baby dolls! It’s no surprise that Bride of Chucky became a cult hit and re-introduced Chucky to a new generation of fans, who have continued to support the many sequels, a reboot, and even a TV series.

4. Saw VI (2009)

Though James Wan and Leigh Whannell launched the Saw series, many fans agree the best installment came later. Saw VI stands out because it features a truly deserving target for Jigsaw’s traps – a callous insurance executive – and cleverly connects the gruesome games to the problems within our healthcare system. It’s similar to A Christmas Carol, but with buzzsaws and torture devices instead of ghosts. The film also boasts what’s arguably the best trap in the entire franchise: the insurance executive (Peter Outerbridge) is forced to decide which of his employees lives or dies while they’re strapped to a spinning merry-go-round rigged with a shotgun. As the merry-go-round whirls, he must choose who survives while his colleagues desperately plead for their lives – and quickly turn on each other. It’s a darkly satirical commentary on American priorities!

5. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

It’s tough for horror movie sequels to become scarier than the original, often relying on more gore and violence. This was a particular challenge for the Paranormal Activity series, because the first film’s power came from its realistic, shaky camcorder footage of a couple seemingly experiencing a subtle haunting. Once the sequels introduced more obvious supernatural events, like in Paranormal Activity 2, the illusion of it being genuine surveillance footage was lost. The third film tried something different by going back in time and using VHS tapes, which brought a fun, retro feel to the series. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman cleverly used the grainy video quality, but later installments returned to the present and struggled to come up with fresh ideas. Eventually, the films became unbelievable and lost their appeal with audiences.

6. Riddick (2013)

The movie Riddick cleverly flips the script from the first film, Pitch Black, where Riddick used his night vision to escape monsters. Now, he is the monster lurking in the dark. This sequel is better than both previous films, including the sprawling The Chronicles of Riddick, and doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre. It feels like three interconnected short films.

The first part is a tense survival story, with Riddick stranded on a harsh, deserted planet. Then, the focus shifts to a team of mercenaries hunting him, and he begins to systematically eliminate them. The final section revisits elements from Pitch Black, which prevents the movie from being truly exceptional. However, the ride is exciting, and Vin Diesel shines as a lone hero, especially with his unlikely but charming partnership with an alien dog who helps him hunt. If you’re looking for a good Vin Diesel film outside of the Fast & Furious series, this is the one to watch.

7. Alien: Covenant (2017)

The Alien series stands out because it has several strong sequels – I even defend Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection. However, despite being visually impressive and exploring thought-provoking themes, I’ve always struggled with the plot holes and illogical moments in Prometheus (seriously, why run straight towards that rolling ship?!). I much prefer Alien: Covenant. While it’s not perfect, Michael Fassbender delivers an amazing performance playing two different androids. His roles make this Alien prequel feel more like a spiritual successor to Blade Runner, which is a welcome change from the usual xenomorphs attacking astronauts – though, admittedly, there’s still plenty of that happening too.

8. Halloween (2018)

David Gordon Green’s Halloween aimed to revitalize a series that had become increasingly complicated and outlandish after the original 1978 film. While the Halloween franchise had eleven movies, opinions varied on how many were actually good. Subsequent sequels added bizarre elements – Druids, cults, and unexpected family connections – making the story increasingly silly. Green’s approach was to ignore everything except the first film, returning Halloween to its roots as a genuinely scary horror series. However, even he couldn’t maintain the quality with sequels like Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, which repeated the same formula with less impact. Eventually, the films made Michael Myers seem weak, leading to his apparent final defeat… at least until the next attempt to reboot the series.

9. Prey (2022)

While many 1980s monster movies failed to launch successful franchises, the Predator series has had some strong entries. Predator 2 is a wildly entertaining action film, and Predators feels like a thrilling Twilight Zone story with alien hunters. However, the Alien vs. Predator movies didn’t quite deliver on their exciting concept, and The Predator seemed heavily altered from its original vision. The franchise recently found its footing again with Prey, a prequel set in colonial America that pits the Predator against Comanche warriors. Prey was so well-received that it led to a new theatrical sequel for its director, Dan Trachtenberg, as well as an animated Predator film called Predator: Killer of Killers on Hulu.

10. Scream (2022)

The original Scream brilliantly satirized decades of tired slasher movie tropes. Scream 2 continued this by poking fun at sequel conventions. However, the series began to lose its edge. Scream 3, while aiming to critique trilogies, didn’t offer much beyond what had already been done with sequels. Scream 4 attempted to lampoon remakes, but since it wasn’t one itself, it awkwardly included commentary on early YouTube culture.

The long break before Scream (2022) was beneficial, allowing the filmmakers to target a new trend: “legacyquels” – sequels that revisit older franchises. This fresh satire proved successful, leading to another sequel, Scream VI, just a year later.

2026-04-13 17:28