The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping The 50th Hunger Games & the Making of Haymitch

The prequel trend reaches one of its most promising entries with Sunrise on the Reaping, which adapts Suzanne Collins' novel about the 50th Hunger Games — the Second Quarter Quell won by a young Haymitch Abernathy. Francis Lawrence, who directed four of the franchise's best entries, returns, and Lionsgate has surrounded newcomer Joseph Zada with a genuinely prestige cast: Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch, and Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman.

This is the rare franchise extension that feels creatively motivated rather than cynical. Haymitch is one of the saga's most beloved characters, and the Quarter Quell structure gives the film a built-in tournament tension. Slotted for late November, it's positioned as both a crowd-pleaser and — given that cast — a dark horse awards player.