All 5 ‘Hunger Games’ Movies Return to Theaters With ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ Sneak Peek
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- Lionsgate and Fathom Entertainment will re-release all five "Hunger Games" films in theaters Sept. 3–7, with each screening paired to an exclusive sneak peek of the next franchise installment, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping."
- Lionsgate Worldwide Distribution president Kevin Grayson called the theatrical marathon a chance for audiences to "experience all five original films together" ahead of the Nov. 20 premiere of "Sunrise on the Reaping."
- The theatrical schedule runs one film per day: "The Hunger Games" on Sept. 3, "Catching Fire" on Sept. 4, "Mockingjay — Part 1" on Sept. 5, "Mockingjay — Part 2" on Sept. 6, and "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" on Sept. 7, with tickets already on sale.
- "Sunrise on the Reaping" is set 24 years before the original film and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) through the Second Quarter Quell, with Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. rounding out the cast.
- Francis Lawrence directs and produces the prequel from a screenplay by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie, with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson also producing.
- Tickets are on sale now through Lionsgate and Fathom Entertainment ahead of the Nov. 20 theatrical debut of "Sunrise on the Reaping."
Why it matters: By bundling a sneak peek onto every re-release, Lionsgate converts a nostalgia re-release into a five-day marketing funnel aimed at the same fans who will buy tickets for "Sunrise on the Reaping" on Nov. 20. The one-film-per-day schedule is a built-in rewatch ramp for a prequel that hinges on franchise continuity, giving the studio a low-cost way to re-acclimate audiences before the new entry opens.
