Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are to return to The Hunger Games franchise for the prequel movie Sunrise on the Reaping.
The duo are expected to reprise their roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the flick — which is scheduled for release in November 2026.
It is not yet clear how Jennifer and Josh will be returning, but readers of Suzanne Collins’ novels will be aware that their characters appear alongside Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) in the story’s epilogue.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is based on the latest book by Collins and follows the events of the 50th Hunger Games, 24 years prior to Katniss and Peeta entering the killing field as tributes for District 12.
The story centres on Haymitch’s — who was portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original Hunger Games movies — experience in the games when he was 16.
The movie will once again be directed by Francis Lawrence, who has helmed four of the previous films in the dystopian sci-fi franchise, and will also star the likes of Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes and Kieran Culkin.
Hutcherson had recently suggested that he would be keen to make a return to The Hunger Games with his co-stars.
The 33-year-old actor told Variety: “I would love to be back on set with Francis, with Jen, with Liam (Hemsworth), with Woody. It would not take any convincing at all. I’d be there in a heartbeat.”
When questioned further, Josh added: “That would be a dream come true. Do dreams come true? Sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes, yeah.”
Jennifer also previously admitted that she would jump at the opportunity to return as Katniss in a future Hunger Games flick.
Asked about the possibility during a 2023 interview with Variety, the 35-year-old actress said: “Oh, my God — totally! If Katniss ever could ever come back into my life, 100 per cent.
“My producing partner just clutched her heart.”
However, Hunger Games producer Nina Jacobson stated later that year that Jennifer’s return would be dependent on whether Collins wrote another novel featuring her alter ego and expressed her belief that Katniss’ story was “complete”.
Jacobson told Yahoo Entertainment: “If Suzanne has something to say, then she’ll write a book about it.
“Honestly, as much as I love Katniss, I think her story is complete. And I think that Suzanne feels that her story is complete.”
She added: “But if that changes, and Suzanne has something she wants to say, and it involves Katniss, then I would be thrilled. But really any chance to be back in this world, and lead with Francis (Lawrence) and Suzanne, I would take regardless of who it was about.”
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