--- title: "'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' draws first reactions that call it the Rogue One of the franchise" description: "Social media reactions from the London premiere praise Joseph Zada's Haymitch and a third act one critic calls stellar." url: https://tv-movies.skoop.news/8216-the-hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-8217-first-reac-72eb59/ published: 2026-10-30T04:21:54.875722-04:00 modified: 2026-10-30T04:21:54.875749-04:00 section: "TV & Movies" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Hunger Games", "Joseph Zada", "Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes", "Ralph Fiennes", "Andor of The Hunger Games", "Annual Hunger Games", "Lionsgate", "Reaping", "Sunrise", "Oct"] hashtags: ["#HungerGames", "#JosephZada", "#BalladOfSongbirdsSnakes", "#Movie", "#movieclips"] image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Joseph_Zada_pour_la_promotion_d%27Hunger_Games_%C3%A0_Sydney.webp?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled --- # 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' draws first reactions that call it the Rogue One of the franchise > Social media reactions from the London premiere praise Joseph Zada's Haymitch and a third act one critic calls stellar. Published 2026-10-30 · Updated 2026-10-30 · TV & Movies, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping held its London premiere on a Wednesday, and brief first reactions appeared on social media. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) - Film critic Griffin Schiller called the movie the Rogue One and Andor of The Hunger Games franchise. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) - The film follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada, from District 12. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) ## What happened at the premiere The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping held its London premiere on a Wednesday, and brief first reactions appeared on social media. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Lionsgate allowed people who attended Oct. 28 screenings to post limited reactions ahead of opening day. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Full critics reviews are not expected until much closer to the film's theatrical release. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) ## What the first reactions say Film critic Griffin Schiller called the movie the Rogue One and Andor of The Hunger Games franchise. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) Filmhounds Magazine editor-in-chief Gavin Spoors praised the film's third act as stellar. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) Casting drew the most attention. Next Best Picture editor Matt Neglia wrote that the film features some of the best casting of the year. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) Static Media writer Nina Starner said Zada's casting couldn't be better. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) Collider's Perri Nemiroff wrote that Joseph Zada is one of the biggest highlights of the film. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) Lauren LaMagna wrote that Joseph Zada is heartbreakingly radiant as Haymitch. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) ## The story and the cast The film follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada, from District 12. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Zada plays a young Haymitch, taking over the role from Woody Harrelson. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) The story begins on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Annual Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, which has twice as many tributes as usual. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) In the arena, Haymitch forms an unlikely alliance with fellow tribute Maysilee Donner, played by Mckenna Grace. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Haymitch joins a coalition determined to challenge the Capitol's control under President Snow, played by Ralph Fiennes. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Haymitch risks everything to take down the Games from within the arena, setting in motion the rebellion that will change Panem forever. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) The cast includes Jesse Plemons as Plutarch, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, and Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket. [[2]](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) ## Where the film fits Lionsgate revived the Hunger Games property in 2023 with the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. [[3]](https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-used-ai-adr-1235223271/) Sunrise on the Reaping is a direct sequel to the 2023 film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Both prequels serve as prequels to Lionsgate's main Hunger Games series, which was released from 2012 to 2015. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) The film is set 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Nina Jacobson said the franchise is not made unless Suzanne Collins writes a book. [[3]](https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-used-ai-adr-1235223271/) Jacobson said the film is about resistance and the cost of it. [[3]](https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-used-ai-adr-1235223271/) ## How AI was used The production team used AI approximations of actors to test new line readings for Sunrise on the Reaping. [[3]](https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-used-ai-adr-1235223271/) Lines tested with AI would then be recorded with the cast in a traditional automated dialogue replacement process. [[3]](https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-used-ai-adr-1235223271/) Jacobson said AI was never used to replace any of the artists or anything seen onscreen. [[3]](https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-used-ai-adr-1235223271/) ## What this means for you The posts from the Oct. 28 screenings are limited reactions that Lionsgate allowed ahead of opening day. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) Full critics reviews are not expected until much closer to the film's theatrical release. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) If you want to catch up first, Sunrise on the Reaping is a direct sequel to the 2023 film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) ## Sources 1. [‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ First Reactions](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236742404/) — The Hollywood Reporter 2. ['Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' First Reactions Praise Prequel](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-first-reactions-1236933573/) — Variety 3. ['Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' Used AI for ADR Testing](https://www.indiewire.com/news/events/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-used-ai-adr-1235223271/) — IndieWire Image: Photo: Bronte Gossling / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Zada_pour_la_promotion_d%27Hunger_Games_%C3%A0_Sydney.webp) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. 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