‘Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ prequel casts Iris Apatow and Edvin Ryding in key roles

Lionsgate has announced major casting updates for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, with Iris Apatow and Edvin Ryding joining the anticipated prequel as new faces in the Capitol. The film, set for release in November 2026, centres on a young Haymitch Abernathy, years before he becomes Katniss Everdeen’s drunken mentor and takes audiences back to the 50th Hunger Games.

Apatow, known for her roles in The Bubble and Love, will portray Proserpina Trinket, a Capitol stylist who appears to share more than a surname with Effie. Edvin Ryding, best recognised for his breakout in Netflix’s Young Royals, steps in as Vitus, Haymitch’s image strategist during his time in the Games. Their characters form part of the prep team tasked with turning Haymitch into a presentable tribute for the deadly arena.

Joining them are Jax Guerrero as Tibby and Sandra Förster as Hersilia, both playing original characters created for the film. Joseph Zada, already confirmed to play young Haymitch, leads the cast.

Sunrise on the Reaping explores the events of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, which forced each district to send double the usual number of tributes. The film promises a grittier look into how the Capitol manufactures spectacle and trauma. Fans can expect an origin story that delves into how Haymitch’s cynicism and survival instincts were forged in blood and betrayal.

With Lionsgate banking on a successful return to Panem after the modest success of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, this cast announcement signals a bold move to blend rising Gen Z talent with an established franchise. As excitement builds, eyes now turn to how this new ensemble will reinvent a familiar dystopia for a new generation.