Lionsgate’s release of the new trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping marks a return in full force to the dystopian landscape that dominated pop culture over a decade ago. Directed by franchise veteran Francis Lawrence, the film adapts Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name, and chronicles the tragic origins of District 12’s infamous mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, portrayed by Joseph Zada.
Set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute, this latest footage provides our most expansive look yet at the 50th Annual Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell. for which the Capitol mandates that each district supply four tributes instead of the usual two.
“Twice the number of tributes, twice the glory,” we hear in the trailer. To that I would add, “Twice the horror.”
Watch the trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping below.
Beware: there might be spoilers for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping in this analysis.
The first thing my eyes perceived was the abundance of colours and the brilliant color-grading choices. Everything we see in the trailer — from the luxurious train station in the Capitol and the paradise-like arena to the grim, dark, and gloomy District 12 — is made of full and vivid colors. Especially when talking about the arena, the vibrant aesthetic of this man-made hell creates an uncomfortable contrast with the carnage that happens within.
As a book reader, I was genuinely surprised to see on my screen some of the most haunting and dramatic scenes written by Suzanne Collins. A standout scene is the Tribute Parade, where an accident leads to the death of Louella McCoy (Molly McCann), one of District 12’s four tributes. Although we never see her body in the trailer, we do see the death of her body double, Lou Lou, who replaced Louella right before the Games.
In a goosebump-worthy sequence of the trailer, Haymitch slowly claps at President Snow (Ralph Fiennes). Book readers will know the significance of this scene: it impacts Haymitch’s future in the arena more than anything else. It’s also what leads him to try and destroy the arena from within. We see some parts of his attempt in the trailer, in particular when Haymitch is working with concealed explosives in the basement level of the arena, to sabotage the force field that entraps all the tributes inside it.
While being the fifth installment of the Hunger Games franchise, this movie doesn’t look like anything we’ve seen before. The resemblance with Catching Fire is what first comes to mind for obvious reasons: after all, both movies are set during a Quarter Quell, and Haymitch Abernathy’s story is often in parallel with the original protagonist, Katniss Everdeen.
But Haymitch’s movie will be “more” everything: more deaths, more sadness, more violence, and, most of all, more hope. Without Haymitch’s failings, we wouldn’t have Katniss’ successes.
Alongside the new trailer, Lionsgate has released two new promotional posters, each completing the other. When put beside each other, the poster on the left represents the tributes, the districts, and their resistance.
The right side represents the Capitol hegemony, with President Snow and his Hunger Games industry pawns — some of which also happen to be part of the resistance.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping comes out in theaters on November 20, 2026. While we wait for more promotional content, may the odds be ever in your favor!
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