Lili Taylor joins 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' as Mags ahead of 2026 release

Lili Taylor has joined the cast of Lionsgate’s upcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Mags, a former champion from District 4 and later mentor in the Games.

Taylor steps into the role originally portrayed by Lynn Cohen in Catching Fire. The new film, based on the latest novel by Suzanne Collins, is set for release on November 20, 2026.

Taylor joins an ensemble cast that includes Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence with a screenplay by Billy Ray. Producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson return alongside executive producer Cameron MacConomy.

Taylor is a three-time Emmy nominee and will soon appear in season two of Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again, Netflix’s Fear Street: Prom Queen, and Amazon’s Outer Range and The Conjuring. She recently released her debut book “Turning to Birds,” reflecting on her passion for birding.

Sunrise on the Reaping explores events twenty-four years before the original Hunger Games storyline, beginning with the morning of the reaping for the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

The novel was published on March 18, 2025, and achieved significant commercial success with 1.5 million copies sold in its first week across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The Hunger Games franchise has grossed more than $3.3 billion at the global box office. Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien are overseeing the project at Lionsgate, with the deal negotiated by Robert Melnik.