The Hunger Games movies became a sensation upon their release, with the public obsessed with the book-to-screen adaptations. Luckily for fans, we’re returned to Panem thanks to Suzanne Collins’ prequels. We’re very close to the release of Francis Lawrence‘s Sunrise on the Reaping, which tells the story of Haymitch’s Games. But should moviegoers read the novel before heading to theaters? I asked that very question to both the director and star, Joseph Zada.
What we know about Sunrise on the Reaping depends on if you read the source material, but fans are preparing for a heartbreaking story about the second Quarter Quell. I had the privilege of speaking with Zada about the blockbuster and asked him if fans should read the book or go in blind. He told me:
I think, I think actually maybe if you have read the book, because you know it’s coming the whole time. That’s always such a horrible feeling when you know what’s coming. I brought that into the last bit of the film. It’s like my character in the back of his head knows what’s, what’s coming. Horrible. Horrible. But I also think, yeah, it would be a bit shocking having no idea coming back. Either or. Each their own. You don’t have to be a fan either to watch this.
There’s no correct way to watch the new Hunger Games flick, but those who read Sunrise on the Reaping know exactly what tragedies are coming. That’s how I watched the film, and as soon as certain doomed characters appeared, my stomach dropped, knowing when they would die and how. You can see my conversation with the East of Eden star below:
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Of course, I had to ask the movie’s director this same question. Francis Lawrence has a long history with the franchise, having directed five out of the six Hunger Games movies. He weighed in on whether he thinks one should go into Sunrise on the Reaping with or without knowledge of what happened in its corresponding novel. He told me:
What I like about this story is that I think, quite honestly, you could come, this could be your entry point into the series. And I think you could come in fresh, don’t know anything about the movies, go and see this thing. You start, you get behind this kid that you love, and you go on this ride, and you start to meet these characters, and then you could go out from there. ‘Cause I think a lot of the times people think, ‘Oh, you have to have this to then be able to sort of look at and understand who the young people are.’ But I think you can go the other way too. But I think you can, you could go into this fresh not knowing anything. And not even having read the book, and I think you’ll have a very emotional experience.
He’s not wrong. While there will be fans who have read and watched every single Hunger Games story, newbies can also walk in fresh to Sunrise on the Reaping. Any essential exposition is dropped to help those moviegoers, while the hardcore fandom will watch the prequel with the knowledge of what came before and after Haymitch’s games.
Of course, there are plenty of moments in this new movie that longtime fans will especially appreciate. Namely the spot-on impressions of Woody Harrelson and Jeffrey Wright that are being performed by Joseph Zada and Kelvin Harrison Jr. respectively. Conversely, folks who read the book are burdened with knowing what happens to the characters in the new Hunger Games movie, while casual fans will be able to be shocked by all of the new movie’s twists.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will hit theaters on November 20th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Meanwhile, fans can rewatch all of the previous movies with their Hulu subscription.