‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ Casts Joseph Zada as Haymitch, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove

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In ‘The Hunger Games: Dawn of the Reaping,’ the main characters have been cast. Joseph Zada is set to portray Haymitch Abernathy from District 12, with Whitney Peak taking on the role of his romantic interest Lenore Dove Baird.

The movie produced by Lionsgate, which shares its title with a popular book penned by Suzanne Collins, who is also known for “The Hunger Games,” unfolds 40 years after the storyline of the prequel “The Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes” and 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s participation in the arena.

The film titled ‘Sunrise on the Reaping‘ is set to premiere on November 20, 2026. The director for this entire franchise since ‘Catching Fire’ in 2012, Francis Lawrence, will be at the helm for this project. Billy Ray has penned the screenplay adaptation of the story. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson from Color Force will produce, while Cameron MacConomy will serve as executive producer.

The story “Sunrise on the Reaping,” published on March 18, takes us back to the world of Panem, exactly 24 years prior to the events depicted in “The Hunger Games.” This tale begins during the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, or as it’s also known, the Second Quarter Quell.

In June, you’ll find Zada appearing in the Prime Video series titled “We Were Liars.” Recently, he finished filming for Netflix’s “East of Eden,” where he acts alongside Florence Pugh, Mike Faist, Martha Plimpton, Tracy Letts, and Chris Abbott. The seven-episode limited series is adapted from John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel by Zoe Kazan, who also serves as an executive producer. Additionally, Zada takes on the lead role of Charlie in the upcoming Stan Australia Original Series “Invisible Boys,” which is based on the bestselling novel by Holden Sheppard.

In the upcoming future, Peak will take on the lead role for Sony Pictures’ chilling shark movie titled “Shiver,” alongside Phoebe Dynevor. Additionally, she is set to act alongside Liam Neeson and Teresa Palmer in the Amazon MGM production “4 Kids Walk into a Bank.” Most notably, she gained popularity for her part as Zoya Lott on Max’s reboot of “Gossip Girl.” Furthermore, Peak shared screen time with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimi in the sequel to “Hocus Pocus” titled “Hocus Pocus 2.” Presently, she serves as a global ambassador for Chanel. In 2023, she was chosen as the newest representative for the Coco Mademoiselle fragrance, making her the first Black individual to represent a Chanel scent.

Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, stated that ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise has consistently launched outstanding young actors, and Jo and Whitney continue this trend with their heartfelt, deep, and passionate performances. Out of hundreds of talented actors from various parts of the world, these two stood out – not just due to their acting skills, but because they brought authentic emotion to these iconic roles. Haymitch is a beloved character, and his backstory is one of the most awaited in the series. The story of his relationship with Lenore Dove is deeply intertwined in the emotional history of Panem. We are eager for fans to live the story that molded such a captivating character.

Jacobson mentioned that Deb Zane and Dylan Jury undertook an extensive (and tiring) audition process to find a talented young actor suitable for portraying young Haymitch. Jo impressed us immensely with her preparation and captivated our hearts. Whitney left us spellbound as Lenore Dove. When they both came together, it was one of those exceptional casting instances where you feel certain that your search has brought you to the right place.

The movie series known as “The Hunger Games” has grossed more than $3.3 billion globally and boasts a star-studded cast featuring Viola Davis, Julianne Moore, and Donald Sutherland.

Earlier this year, Jacobson candidly discussed with EbMaster the difficulty of finding a replacement for Woody Harrelson’s character Haymitch in the younger films. “No one can replace Woody Harrelson like Woody Harrelson himself,” she stated. “However, it’s essential to discover that playful spirit he possesses and comprehend who this character was prior to his appearance in ‘The Hunger Games’, how he transformed into what we see at the start.

In its initial release, “Sunrise on the Reaping” saw a remarkable sales figure of 1.5 million copies across the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This is particularly impressive when considering that 1.2 million of these were sold in the United States alone – doubling the first-week sales of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Moreover, it also surpassed the first-week sales of the final book of the original trilogy, “Mockingjay,” by a factor of three.

Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien serve as the project supervisors at Lionsgate, while Robert Melnik handles the negotiations on behalf of the studio for the related deals.

Zada is associated with CAA, Untitled Entertainment, RGM, Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher; whereas Peak is linked to CAA, Canopy Media Partners, Play Management, The Initiative Group, Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.

Zada and Peak are represented by different sets of agencies. Both have CAA (Creative Artists Agency) in common, but the others are distinct, including Untitled Entertainment for Zada, Canopy Media Partners, Play Management, The Initiative Group, Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein for Peak.

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2025-04-24 01:18