A Look Into the 2026 Games

The First Teaser for the Upcoming “Sunrise on the Reaping” Hunger Games Movie

Photo from Heute.at / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

On Nov. 20, the official teaser trailer for the upcoming “Sunrise on the Reaping” movie was released on YouTube. Based on Suzanne Collins’ latest novel, the film will be a new addition to the “The Hunger Games” movie franchise. It focuses on District 12’s second victor, Haymitch Abernathy, as he participates in the Second Quarter Quell Hunger Games. The trailer, which was posted by Lionsgate Movies, gained over 100 million global views within a day, and offers an early look into the film’s approach to Abernathy’s games, where the number of tributes doubles to 48.

The teaser opens with Drusilla announcing the Reaping in District 12, creating a tense atmosphere. Viewers then get glimpses of the arena: bright fields, meadows, floral patches, woods and a golden cornucopia, beautiful but uncanny. The music builds from tense to haunting before transforming into an almost heroic tone by the end. A countdown sequence leads to the start of the Games, featuring quick flashes of characters and landscapes. 

The footage then shows brief moments of Abernathy (Joseph Zada) forming alliances, spending time with Lenore Dove and navigating traumatic and emotional experiences before, during and after the Games. The teaser includes scenes familiar to readers, such as a volcanic eruption, a burning house, attempts to break the arena, fights, the handcrafted flint striker and geese.

Appearances are made from anticipated actors including Ralph Finneas, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close and McKenna Grace, establishing the world and increasing excitement among fans. The teaser ends with Woody Harrelson’s voice as an older Haymitch saying, “I think these Games are gonna be different,” building anticipation for the movie’s release in November of 2026.