The Hunger Games: Glenn Close Cast for Prequel "Sunrise on the Reaping"
Emmy award-winner Billy Porter will also take on a role
The cast of the upcoming "Hunger Games" prequel "Sunrise on the Reaping" continues to grow: after numerous cast members have already been announced in recent weeks, two more actors have now officially signed on.
Like all previous films, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" is once again based on a recently published novel by author Suzanne Collins. The main character here is Katniss' later mentor Haymitch Abernathy, who is taking part in the 50th Hunger Games. The new film is therefore set 24 years before the first "The Hunger Games" movie.
Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle
Glenn Close has now been cast. The Golden Globes winner has appeared in numerous productions in her long Hollywood career. These include the 90s cult films "Mars Attacks!" and "101 Dalmatians". The actress was also seen in a supporting role in "Guardians of the Galaxy".
In the new "Panem" film, she will take on the role of Drusilla Sickle. The character has a similar function to Effie Trinket in the original films. Drusilla is the escort of the tributes from District 12, but she is far less cordial towards her protégés than Effie. Drusilla is a career-driven woman who is considered cruel and uncompromising.
Billy Porter as Magno Stift
Incidentally, Drusilla's husband was announced at the same time. Billy Porter was cast as Magno Stift. Porter's best-known productions include the anthology series "American Horror Story". He also took on the leading role in the rather unknown but award-winning series "Pose". Porter won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in "Pose".
His character is the stylist of the tributes. This makes him the predecessor of Cinna, played by Lenny Kravitz, who took on this role in the first films. However, the marriage between Magno and his wife Drusilla is anything but smooth. In fact, the two have a strained relationship.
Cast of "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping"
The two actors join the already familiar cast of the prequel, which also includes one or two Hollywood stars. One of them is "Harry Potter" actor Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes will take on the role of the main antagonist of the original series: Coriolanus Snow. In the first four films, he was played by the now deceased Hollywood legend Donald Sutherland. Snow also played a central role in the prequel "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes". In it, Tom Blyth played the young Coriolanus, set around 60 years before the main storyline.
Haymitch Abernathy and Lenore Dove Baird
Joseph Zada was cast as the young Haymitch Abernathy. The newcomer has previously appeared in smaller productions and will soon also be starring in the Netflix series "East of Eden". In the original films, Haymitch was of course played by Woody Harrelson. Whitney Peak, meanwhile, takes on the role of Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch's girlfriend. The two are separated by his participation in the Hunger Games. Peak is known from the "Gossip Girl" reboot and "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina".
Maysilee Donner and Wiress
McKenna Grace, known from "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and "Frozen Empire", plays Maysilee Donner, another tribute from District 12. The character is considered one of the central female roles in the new film. Maya Hawke also takes on the role of Wiress, winner of the 49th Hunger Games and mentor to the tributes from District 12. Hawke is best known for the Netflix hit "Stranger Things". In "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire", Wiress was played by Amanda Plummer.
Wyatt Callow and Plutarch Heavensbee
Ben Wang will play Wyatt Callow – another tribute from District 12. Wang can currently also be seen in "Karate Kid: Legends". He will also soon be taking on a role in the Stephen King adaptation "The Long Walk". Jesse Plemons will portray Plutarch Heavensbee, who was previously played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Plemons is best known for the cult series "Breaking Bad".
Beetee Latier, Mags Flanagan and Caesar Flickerman
Meanwhile, Kelvin Harrison Jr. takes on the role of Beetee Latier, winner of the 34th Hunger Games. He is also known from "Catching Fire" and was played by Jeffrey Wright back then. Lili Taylor ("The Conjuring") plays Mags Flanagan, the winner of the 11th Hunger Games. "Succession" star Kieran Culkin will play the popular role of Caesar Flickerman. The character was previously played by Stanley Tucci.
Start date
Filming on the prequel is scheduled to begin in July 2025. Francis Lawrence, who has directed every film in the "Panem" series since "Catching Fire" and is also known for "I Am Legend", will once again direct. The theatrical release is scheduled for November 20, 2026.
