Lionsgate has formally introduced the primary main casting information for The Starvation Video games: Dawn on the Reaping, and it’s a giant one. Rising stars Joseph Zada and Whitney Peak have landed two of probably the most coveted roles in current YA movie historical past — younger Haymitch Abernathy and his love curiosity, Lenore Dove Baird. This new installment dives into Panem’s haunting previous, setting the stage for a brand new era of tributes.
Zada will step into the footwear of Haymitch Abernathy, the District 12 tribute first portrayed by Woody Harrelson within the authentic franchise. The movie takes place 24 years earlier than The Starvation Video games, through the fiftieth Starvation Video games — identified infamously because the Second Quarter Quell — the place 48 tributes are compelled into the sector. Whitney Peak joins as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend and a personality deeply tied to his emotional origin story.
Lionsgate Movement Image Group Co-President Erin Westerman praised the casting, saying, “Jo and Whitney carry that legacy ahead with unimaginable coronary heart, depth, and fireplace.” Producer Nina Jacobson added that the chemistry between the 2 actors was “a magical casting second” that sealed the deal after an exhaustive world search.
Directed by franchise veteran Francis Lawrence and scripted by Billy Ray, the movie is predicated on Suzanne Collins’ newest prequel novel launched in March 2024. With a launch date set for November 20, 2026, anticipation is excessive as this story guarantees to discover the trauma, sacrifice, and insurrection that formed one in every of Panem’s most complicated characters.
Zada is at the moment making waves in Invisible Boys and can seem within the upcoming We Have been Liars sequence and East of Eden. In the meantime, Peak is ready to star within the shark thriller Shiver and Amazon MGM’s 4 Youngsters Stroll right into a Financial institution.
With The Starvation Video games: Dawn on the Reaping, Lionsgate goals to reignite the fireplace of a beloved franchise — this time by delving into the untold story of a fan-favorite mentor. As Joseph Zada and Whitney Peak take middle stage, followers can anticipate a gripping new chapter full of coronary heart, historical past, and the haunting legacy of the video games.
ALSO READ: Forward of Dawn on the Reaping, right here’s how previous Starvation Video games motion pictures fared on the field workplace