'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' Trailer Gives Michael Jackson a Run for His Money in Record-Breaking Debut

'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' Trailer Gives Michael Jackson a Run for His Money in Record-Breaking Debut Image via Lionsgate By  Rahul Malhotra Published 56 minutes ago Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema. 

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him). Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

After a disappointing last couple of years, Lionsgate probably can't wait for November 2026 to get here already. That's when the studio will debut the second of its two major offerings for next year, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The latest installment of the blockbuster dystopian franchise is a prequel to the original set of films, which launched Jennifer Lawrence to stardom. The new movie will tell the origin story of Haymitch Abernathy, who was played in the original series by Woody Harrelson as a has-been drunk who rises to the occasion when called to action. Sunrise on the Reaping debuted its first teaser earlier this week, not too long after Lionsgate unveiled the first teaser of its other 2026 tent pole, Michael, the controversial biopic of the late Michael Jackson. Encouragingly, both promotional assets have set viewership records for the struggling studio.

The Sunrise on the Reaping teaser trailer generated 109 million views across platforms in the first 24 hours of release, the second-biggest in Lionsgate's history. This comes on the heels of the Michael teaser trailer breaking records for the studio, and the musical biopic genre; the Michael teaser has now generated over 300 million views across platforms already. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael is set for release in April, while Sunrise on the Reaping will debut in November. The unveiling of the film's first teaser also resulted in a spike in interest for some of the franchise's earlier hits. For instance, the very first installment jumped to the number two spot on the domestic iTunes charts on Friday, while The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes found a spot for itself in the top 20.

The Hunger Games Franchise Has Grossed Over $3.3 Billion Worldwide

The franchise began in 2012 with Gary Ross' The Hunger Games, which grossed nearly $700 million worldwide. Every subsequent film in the franchise has been directed by Francis Lawrence, who recently took a brief break with the Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk. The Hunger Games series is based on the best-selling books by Suzanne Collins, and has grossed a combined total of over $3.3 billion worldwide. The new movie is produced on a reported budget of $185 million, which marks a considerable leap from the $100 million that the previous prequel reportedly cost. Starring Joseph Zada, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, Kelvin Harrison Jr., the movie will debut in theaters on November 20, 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Like Follow Followed Action Adventure Sci-Fi Release Date November 20, 2026 Director Francis Lawrence Writers Billy Ray, Suzanne Collins Producers Brad Simpson, Nina Jacobson

Cast

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• Joseph Zada Haymitch Abernathy
• Mckenna Grace Maysilee Donner
• Whitney Peak Lenore Dove Baird
• Jesse Plemons Plutarch Heavensbee

Main Genre Sci-Fi Genres Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Powered by Expand Collapse

• Movie News
• The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
• Michael

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