Washington DC [US], May 22– Oscar and Emmy-winning actor Kieran Culkin is set to join the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as the flamboyant and charismatic host Caesar Flickerman, a role originally portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the iconic film series, reports Variety.
Culkin joins a star-studded ensemble that includes Joseph Zada as the young Haymitch Abernathy—the film’s central character—alongside Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lili Taylor, Ben Wang, Elle Fanning, and Ralph Fiennes as President Snow.
The film is a prequel, based on Suzanne Collins’ novel Sunrise on the Reaping, and is set 24 years before the original Hunger Games films. The narrative focuses on the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, and follows Haymitch Abernathy—mentor to Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the original saga—as he faces the brutal arena for the first time.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, who has helmed the franchise since 2012’s Catching Fire, the film will feature a screenplay by Billy Ray. It is slated for a November 20, 2026 release.
Culkin’s casting marks a major addition to the franchise. He recently won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain and the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama for his acclaimed role as Roman Roy in HBO’s Succession. He is currently performing on Broadway in a sold-out run of Glengarry Glen Ross, alongside Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr.
Fans can expect a fresh, emotionally gripping chapter in the Hunger Games universe, exploring themes of survival, leadership, and the moral cost of spectacle.