Jennifer Lawrence is officially returning as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and reuniting with her former co-stars after 11 years proved to be an emotional experience. The Oscar-winning actress confirmed her appearance during a conversation with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, describing the reunion as “unbelievable,” “crazy” and “so beautiful.”
Lawrence last played Katniss in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, released in 2015. Her return to the franchise brings her back alongside Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.
“It was unbelievable,” Lawrence said about reprising the role. “It was so crazy. It was the same crew. It was the same AD, who I’ve worked with a million times because I love him. And with Josh [Hutcherson] and Woody [Harrelson] … it was so emotional.”
She also described just how close she and Hutcherson felt during filming, saying, “Josh and I didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful.”
Woody Harrelson Brings His Usual Antics
Lawrence’s reunion with Harrelson also came with a familiar dose of mischief. Recalling one incident, she joked that the actor entered her hotel room through a window without being invited.
“And Woody, obviously, came through the window of my hotel room uninvited. It wouldn’t be the same if he listened to boundaries or used a door,” she said.
The anecdote captures the affection Lawrence still has for her former castmates. The original films helped establish the trio’s on-screen relationships, and their return offers fans a chance to revisit those characters in a story set years before Katniss’s rebellion.
What Is Sunrise on the Reaping About?
Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping adapts Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name. The prequel centres on a young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada, as he enters the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
The film’s main story takes place 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games series. Its cast also includes Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke and Kieran Culkin.
Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch’s appearances are expected to connect with the story’s later timeline, although the precise details of their screen time have not been fully revealed.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to arrive in theatres on November 20, 2026. Lawrence’s confirmation adds another major draw to the latest Panem story, particularly for fans who have followed Katniss since the franchise began in 2012.
