London premiere ignites buzz for Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping premiered in London on Wednesday, drawing near-unanimous praise for Joseph Zada's young Haymitch and giving Lionsgate a warm send-off for the revival of a $3.3 billion franchise.

The red carpet was rolled out in the British capital on Wednesday October 28. The film reaches theaters on November 20. For British audiences, the timing matters: the first verdicts came on home soil, a little over three weeks before the doors open here.

The story returns to Panem more than two decades before Katniss. Lionsgate's official logline places the film 24 years before Katniss' saga and says it starts on the day of the 50th Hunger Games reaping, when a young Haymitch Abernathy is among those taking part. The Games are also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

Jennifer Lawrence has confirmed she is returning as Katniss Everdeen, her first time in the role since The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 in 2015. She discussed the decision on the Call Her Daddy podcast.

Josh Hutcherson returns as Peeta, and Woody Harrelson returns as Haymitch alongside her. In front of them, Zada takes on the younger Haymitch Abernathy, the part Harrelson played in the earlier movies.

Back in the director's chair is Francis Lawrence. He has helmed every Hunger Games movie except the first installment, directed by Gary Ross.

The film adapts Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel of the same name. It follows 2023's The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which centered on young Coriolanus Snow. This latest prequel brings back more familiar characters.

Accounts differ on how the new film sits in the series. One describes it as the sixth in the franchise and as both a sequel to Ballad and a prequel to 2012's The Hunger Games; another calls it simply the second prequel movie after Ballad. Both place it sixth overall.

The verdicts from London were enthusiastic and, in several cases, placed the new film at the top of the series.

The Nerds of Color's Nikita Francois said it was easily the best film in the franchise, singled out Zada as electrifying and called the film a must-see in theaters.

Schiller's comparison with Rogue One and Andor came with a fuller assessment: he described a sobering but powerful story of devastating loss and the cost of rebellion, and, as a fan of the book, said he could not have asked for a more perfect adaptation. He credited Francis Lawrence with capturing both the spark of revolution and the tragedy of Haymitch's journey.

Collider's Perri Nemiroff wrote that the franchise remains a favourite, praising what she called stunning craftsmanship, another phenomenal cast and an exhilarating narrative that reminds the audience nothing is inevitable. She named Zada among the film's biggest highlights.

Lauren LaMagna, of Next Best Picture, said Francis Lawrence continues to breathe new life into the world and that the production design keeps familiar beats from going dull. Her verdict on Zada was the line several reactions converged on.

The movie account DawsOnScreen said the film delivers the kind of Catching Fire follow-up it had hoped for, combining a harsher take on the Hunger Games with an almost flawless execution. Zada plays a more hopeful Haymitch, before he becomes the character audiences know.

Journalist Nina Starner called it a worthy addition to the franchise, praised the casting and said it looks and feels terrifyingly real. She also judged that it closes the gap between the original stories and Ballad, and graded it A.

Film Hounds's Gavin Spoors said the story revisits familiar ground, but its third act pulls the rug out from under the audience. He praised the execution, citing terrific performances and calling Zada a star.

Matt Neglia, editor-in-chief of Next Best Picture, said the film's casting ranks among the year's strongest and praised Glenn Close as a scene-stealer. He also compared Jesse Plemons to a late, celebrated actor.

The casting is what the reactions keep returning to, and the roll call is long.

• Glenn Close singled out by Matt Neglia as a scene-stealer.
• Jesse Plemons plays Plutarch, and Neglia said he embodies the spirit of Philip Seymour Hoffman.
• Ralph Fiennes plays President Snow.
• Kieran Culkin plays Caesar Flickerman.
• Elle Fanning plays Effie Trinket.
• Maya Hawke plays Wiress.
• Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Beetee.
• Mckenna Grace, Whitney Peak and Billy Porter also feature in the cast.

Full reviews remain under embargo, so the praise so far is brief by design. Critics and influencers at the London premiere were encouraged to share short reactions on social media rather than full notices.

How Lawrence's Katniss and Hutcherson's Peeta figure in a story set 24 years before Katniss has yet to be revealed. Readers of Collins' novel know it ends with a flash-forward epilogue featuring Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch. The adaptation appears to follow suit, though the film's method is unexplained for now.

Only one source reported the runtime, putting the film at almost three hours.

Worldwide, The Hunger Games series has earned $3.3 billion, making it the 21st-highest-grossing film franchise of all time. Lionsgate is trying to restart it with a prequel centered on a character audiences already know from Harrelson's performance.

Released in 2023, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes went back to the young Coriolanus Snow. This one goes back to Haymitch and fills in how he ended up in the Games, which he won before going on to mentor Katniss and Peeta.

1. 2012The Hunger Games

   The first film, directed by Gary Ross, opens the series.

2. 2015Mockingjay – Part 2

   Jennifer Lawrence's most recent appearance as Katniss Everdeen.

3. 2023The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

   Francis Lawrence directs a prequel about young Coriolanus Snow.

4. 2025The novel

   Suzanne Collins publishes Sunrise on the Reaping.

5. 28 OctoberLondon premiere

   First reactions are posted from the red carpet.

6. 20 NovemberRelease

   The film opens in theaters.

The film opens in theaters on 20 November 2026.