Sunrise on the Reaping just released their cast list, and there has been a lot of hype over it. Some choices were perfect, and a lot of people have a lot of thoughts about them. With Haymitch’s book being such an anticipated movie, seeing who will be playing our favorite characters determines whether everything feels real.
The Cast
Joseph Zada, known for playing Johnny in We Were Liars, is Haymitch Abernathy. He is a 20-year-old Australian actor.
Whitney Peak, who is playing Lenore Dove Baird, is also not a well-known actress. She is known for playing Stella in Molly’s Game, and Judith in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, but this is her first large role.
Maysilee Donner is being played by the wonderful Mckenna Grace, who is only 19, but has been in 77 productions, including: Scoob!, The Handmaid’s Tail, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and many more. She is in five other upcoming movies not including The Hunger Games.
Jesse Plemons was chosen to play Plutarch Heavensbee. He is well-known for playing Chuckie in the Irishman, and Gary in Game Night. He has also been in quite a few episodes of Breaking Bad as Todd Alquist.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. is playing Beetee Latier. He is most known for voice acting Taka in the live-action The Lion King. He also played Travis in It Comes at Night.
Maya Hawke, most known for playing Robin in Stranger Things, and is now playing young Wiress in Hunger Games. She is also known for voice acting Anxiety in Inside Out 2.
Lili Taylor is playing Mags Flanagan; she is known for playing Anne Blaine in the series American Crime. She also was in The Conjuring as Carolyn Perron.
Ben Wang, who was in the movie Karate Kid: Legends, is playing Wyatt Callow. He also played Hank Olson in The Long Walk, and Jacob in Mean Girls.
Ralph Fiennes is playing President Snow. He is most well known as Voldemort from the Harry Potter franchise, but also played Roald Dahl in all of the movies Dahl has written.
Molly McCann and Iona Bell were chosen to play Louella and Lou Lou. They are both young actors who have only played in a few other productions.
Elle Fanning has been chosen to play Effie Trinket, after a lot of fans posted about how much they needed her as Effie. She is known as Sleeping Beauty in Maleficent, and Tessa in Predator: Badlands. She has been in much, much more, but those are her main, best-known roles.
Kieran Culkin, whose family has a huge presence in Hollywood, is playing Caesar Flickman. He has been in many productions, including playing Roman Roy from Succession.
Drusilla Sickle is played by Glenn Close. She is in eight other upcoming movies as well, and has already been in over 100 films, including Fatal Attraction, playing Alex.
Billy Porter is playing Magno Stift, a stylist for District 12. Stift is known for playing the Godmother in Camilla Cabello’s Cinderella.
Iris Apatow, known for playing Ingrid in Funny People, is playing Proserpina Trinket in Hunger Games. She also played Amanda in Tell Me Lies, a 2026 series.
Finally, Edvin Ryding is playing Vitus. He is a Swedish actor who is mostly in Swedish films, but is well known for playing Wilhelm in Young Royals.
Opinions
A lot of people feel like the casting announcements were done very professionally and thoughtfully. It was also said Joseph Zada sounds a lot like Woody Harrelson, and that the resemblance was uncanny. However, some people wished he were a bit shorter. Everyone liked that he was a smaller actor; the character feels more real.
A lot of people said it’s a good thing President Snow isn’t shown as a generally attractive man, because it’s easier to see him as a villain. People wished Kiefer Sutherland would’ve been cast to play him, since his dad played the original Snow. However, with the passing of his father happening last June, it makes sense why they wouldn’t choose him. Most people, though, think Ralph Fiennes brings the kind of villain energy President Snow deserves.
People think Maya Hawke looks amazing as Wiress, and Elle Fanning not only looks like Effie Trinket, but also has the perfect energy to play her. People say how Whitney Peak looks just as ethereal as the love interest, Lenore Dove, should, and that Mckenna Grace has the perfect animated energy for Mayislee, but a lot of people wished they used a lesser-known actress. A lot of people pointed out just how young Louella and Lou Lou were, which feels unsettling knowing it was a choice made to show the evilness of President Snow.
Overall, people seem to think that it’s good that the actors playing kids are actually the right age, and that the casting director deserves a raise.
Conclusion
Looking at the cast as a whole, it’s clear a lot of thought went into these choices- choices that exceed fan expectations. There is a clear effort to match the characters in both looks and energy. The reactions of those fans add a layer, since people are really excited. This shows how much people care about getting Suzanne Collins’ book right. In the end, it feels like a cast with a lot of potential, and it’ll all come down to the fans watching it on November 20th.
