Jennifer Lawrence’s witty comment puts ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ in spotlight

Jennifer Lawrence has shared a cheeky exchange with the official Hunger Games account after responding to a post connected to the upcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

“U guys are great. What are you promoting?” Lawrence wrote in a comment, prompting a playful response from the franchise’s official account: “a movie! think you'd like it!”

Fans quickly noticed the exchange. Its humour came from Lawrence’s history with the franchise, in which she played Katniss Everdeen across four films, beginning with The Hunger Games in 2012.

The upcoming film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, returns audiences to Panem decades before Katniss’s story. Based on Suzanne Collins’s novel, it follows a young Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. Joseph Zada plays the younger version of the character, originally portrayed by Woody Harrelson.

The new instalment features a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Maya Hawke and Mckenna Grace. Francis Lawrence, who directed several previous films in the series, returns behind the camera, with the screenplay adapted by Billy Ray.

Lawrence’s comment is not, by itself, confirmation that she will appear in the prequel or take part in its promotional campaign. Reports have previously linked her to a possible return as Katniss, alongside Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, but Lionsgate has not officially confirmed either actor’s involvement in the film.

With the story centred on Haymitch’s experience in the arena, the prequel introduces a younger generation of characters while revisiting the world that made Lawrence a global star. The account's reply has also renewed interest in whether Lawrence might revisit Katniss in a future instalment.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to open in cinemas on November 20, 2026.