Joseph Zada poses for a headshot ; Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy in ‘The Hunger Games’ (2012). Photo:
Hugh Stewart ; Murray Close/©Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection
A new generation of stars are joining The Hunger Games franchise.
Based on Suzanne Collins‘ 2025 dystopian book of the same name, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem 24 years before the events of the first movie. The prequel, which will release on Nov. 20, 2026, follows a young Haymitch Abernathy (originally played by Woody Harrelson) as he competes in the 50th Hunger Games, otherwise known as the Second Quarter Quell.
On April 23, Lionsgate announced the first two cast members: Joseph Zada will star as Haymitch Abernathy, and Whitney Peak will portray his girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird. One day later, the studio added that Mckenna Grace will play Maysilee Donner.
“The Hunger Games franchise has long been a launching pad for remarkable young actors, and Jo and Whitney carry that legacy forward with incredible heart, depth, and fire,” co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Erin Westerman said in a press release, adding that they “stood out” for their “talent” and “the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles.”
“Haymitch has always been a fan favorite, and his origin story is one of the most anticipated in the franchise,” she continued. “We can’t wait for fans to experience the story that shaped one of the most compelling characters in the series.”
From their previous roles to their personal lives, here’s everything to know about the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Joseph Zada on the set of ‘We Were Liars’. Prime Video/ Instagram
Joseph Zada will play Haymitch, a tribute from District 12 who is chosen to compete in the 50th Hunger Games.
In the original movie, Haymitch — who is District 12’s second and only living victor — mentors Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) as they enter the 74th annual Hunger Games.
Prior to the casting announcement, producer Nina Jacobson spoke to Variety in March 2025 and reflected on the “challenge” of casting a young Haymitch, because “nobody can be Woody Harrelson but Woody Harrelson.”
“I think that what we’re looking for in that role is, you don’t want somebody who’s impersonating Woody, but you want somebody who very credibly feels like they could be a young version of this character, before the trauma and grief and rage that the fallout of the Games create,” she said.
After an “exhaustive (and exhausting!) search,” casting directors chose Zada, whom Jacobson wrote in the press release “prepared like crazy and stole our hearts.”
In addition to joining The Hunger Games franchise, Zada has several other projects in the works. He will next star in the series adaptation of We Were Liars, which will be released on Amazon Prime in June 2025.
He also has a leading role in the Stan Australia Original Series Invisible Boys and will appear in Netflix’s East of Eden, alongside a star-studded cast that includes Florence Pugh and Mike Faist.
The young actor is from Australia, but not much is known about his life off-screen.
Whitney Peak attends the “Annees Palace” – 20th “Diner De La Mode” as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 06, 2023 in Paris, France. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
Whitney Peak will play Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.
“Whitney took our breath away as Lenore Dove,” Jacobson wrote in the press release, adding that when Peak and Zada united, it was “one of those magical casting moments when you know your search has led you home.”
Peak is best known for her starring role as Zoya Lott in Max’s reboot of Gossip Girl. She auditioned for the role when she was 17, and told The Face in September 2022 that she “didn’t think [she] stood a chance at all.”
The young actress also played Becca in 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2 alongside Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy.
As for her personal life, Peak moved from Kampala, Uganda, to Vancouver, Canada, at a young age (though she now considers New York home).
Although she is set to star in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Peak didn’t always imagine this path for herself.
“For the longest time, acting was just this little thing that I did on the side, a little hobby,” she told The New York Times in July 2021.
But when she moved to North America, she began to take acting classes, which led her to stop “looking at it as a hobby” and shift to something she was interested in pursuing more seriously.
Mckenna Grace attends the ‘Cazafantasmas: El Imperio Helado’ photocall on March 18, 2024, in Madrid. Pablo Cuadra/Getty
Mckenna Grace will portray Maysilee Donner, one of the two female District 12 tributes who enter the 50th Hunger Games alongside Haymitch.
The actress is best known for starring as Phoebe in 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its 2024 sequel, as well as 2017’s Gifted. She has also appeared in several television series, such as Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, for which she earned an Emmy nomination.
Grace is also slated to star in many upcoming projects in 2025, including the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel Regretting You, which will release in October.
Grace will also appear in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and Scream 7, where she will star alongside Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox.
Although the Texas native is already booked and busy, she opened up to Glamour in March 2024 about still having imposter syndrome.
“I love acting, I love what I do, but I feel like I don’t think of myself as an actor,” Grace said. “I feel like I’m just a fan that sneaks onto sets and I’m like, ‘Somebody’s going to find me out. Somebody’s going to discover how I got in, and they’re going to kick me out.’ “
