A few weeks after the initial announcements, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping continues to expand its cast with six new additions. Lionsgate has confirmed that Glenn Close and Billy Porter, along with four other actors, will play key characters in the new film.
Glenn Close, known for her role in Damages, will play Drusilla Sickle, a cruel escort responsible for accompanying the District 12 tributes to the 50th Hunger Games. Glenn Close will be joined by Billy Porter (Pose) as Magno Stift, Drusilla’s estranged husband and designer of the District 12 tributes’ outfits. Nina Jacobson, producer of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, expressed enthusiasm about the additions: “Glenn Close is a dream Drusilla. She brings so much of her intellect and imagination to each role, creating characters who are unforgettable and iconic”, she said, before adding about Billy Porter: “Billy is one of those rare performers who can dazzle and devastate in equal measure on stage and screen. He made an indelible impression on me when we worked together on ‘Pose,’ both as an actor and a human being.”
Laura Marcus (Bad Education), Percy Daggs IV (Paradise), Rada Rae (House of David) and Jhaleil Swaby (Supergirl) also join the The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping cast as tributes. They will play Silka (District 1), Beetee’s son Ampert (District 3), Wellie (District 6) and Panache (District 1) respectively.
They join an already impressive cast that includes Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, and Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee.
As a reminder, the new installment will be an adaptation of Suzanne Collins‘s novel of the same name, exploring the youth of Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games. Chosen as District 12’s tribute, Haymitch must survive the rigged Games, knowing his actions could have repercussions beyond the arena. The feature film, directed by Francis Lawrence, is set to premiere in November 2026.
