A new casting update for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping has fans buzzing. Oscar winner Kieran Culkin will play Caesar Flickerman. The announcement renews interest in the prequel’s growing cast and Culkin’s take on the iconic host, a role originally played by Stanley Tucci in the first four films of the franchise.
Kieran Culkin cast as Caesar Flickerman in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman confirmed the casting in the official press release, stating, “Kieran’s scene-stealing presence and undeniable charm are perfect for Caesar Flickerman, the sickeningly watchable host of Panem’s darkest spectacle.”
Producer Nina Jacobson also said in the release, “Kieran’s magnetism, wit, and unpredictability make him a perfect fit for Caesar Flickerman. A host like Caesar transforms brutality into entertainment, and an actor as layered as Kieran makes sure we don’t look away.”
The film adaptation, directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Billy Ray, will release on November 20, 2026. It is based on Suzanne Collins’ novel Sunrise on the Reaping, which revisits Panem 24 years before the original series.
The story follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada. It takes place during the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. This version of the Games is deadlier than the annual event. The cast also includes Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Ben Wang, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Molly McCann, and Iona Bell.
Sunrise on the Reaping sold more than 1.5 million copies in its first week, including 1.2 million in the U.S., doubling The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and tripling Mockingjay’s debut. Kieran Culkin recently won an Oscar for A Real Pain and an Emmy for Succession. He currently stars in Broadway’s sold-out Glengarry Glen Ross. He is professionally represented by WME, Brookside Artist Management, and Relevant.
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