Joseph Zada and Whitney Peak Join The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Young Haymitch and Lenore Dove Baird cast in new Hunger Games film.

Lionsgate has officially announced the first two lead roles in the highly anticipated prequel The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Joseph Zada is set to star as a young Haymitch Abernathy and Whitney Peak cast as Lenore Dove Baird. The news was shared Tuesday by Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

The upcoming film, based on Suzanne Collins’s bestselling novel, will hit theaters on Nov. 20, 2026. It revisits the dystopian world of Panem 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games series. It focuses on the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games—also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

Francis Lawrence returns to direct from a screenplay by Billy Ray. Producers include Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, with Cameron MacConomy serving as executive producer. The Hunger Games franchise has earned over $3.3 billion globally across five films.

Zada will portray Haymitch Abernathy, the District 12 tribute who becomes a key figure in the original series. The actor is known for his upcoming lead role in Amazon Prime’s We Were Liars, premiering this June. He also recently wrapped Netflix’s East of Eden, a limited series based on John Steinbeck’s novel. He also stars in the upcoming Stan Australia series Invisible Boys.

Peak will play Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend.

She is a character deeply intertwined with his emotional journey. The actress is best known for playing Zoya Lott in the Max reboot of Gossip Girl and for appearing in Hocus Pocus 2. She also stars in the upcoming shark thriller Shiver for Sony Pictures and 4 Kids Walk into a Bank alongside Liam Neeson. Peak is a global CHANEL ambassador and the first Black face of the brand’s COCO MADEMOISELLE fragrance.

“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,” Westerman said. “After auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out—not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles.”

Jacobson praised the casting process led by Deb Zane and Dylan Jury. “Jo prepared like crazy and stole our hearts,” she said. “Then Whitney took our breath away as Lenore Dove. When we put the two of them together, it was one of those magical casting moments when you know your search has led you home.”

Sunrise on the Reaping was published March 18 and sold 1.5 million copies in its first week across the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. U.S. sales alone hit 1.2 million—twice that of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and triple the first-week sales of Mockingjay.

The film promises to explore the roots of one of Panem’s most beloved characters and introduce audiences to new faces who helped shape the dark legacy of the Hunger Games.

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