Josh Hutcherson Open to Reprising Peeta Mellark in Upcoming Hunger Games Prequel
As excitement builds for the next prequel in The Hunger Games series, set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026, fans are eager to see familiar faces return. Josh Hutcherson, who famously portrayed Peeta Mellark in the 2012 film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ beloved novel, recently expressed his openness to reprising his iconic role in the upcoming film, titled Sunrise on the Reaping. In an interview with Brit + Co, Hutcherson said, “That’d be cool. No, I know nothing in that world right now. Hunger Games is amazing, and I’ve loved it for many years and I will love it forever.”
Although Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games, the book does feature a glimpse of an adult Peeta and Katniss Everdeen, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence. The story unfolds as Haymitch Abernathy, a character played by Joseph Zada in the new film, reminisces about his own Hunger Games experience.
In March, Collins released the fifth book in the franchise, marking it as the second prequel following 2020’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Fans can look forward to a feature adaptation of this new story, scheduled for a fall 2026 release.
The cast of Sunrise on the Reaping is impressive, featuring Whitney Peak as Haymitch’s love interest Lenore Dove Baird, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, and many more, including Ralph Fiennes as President Snow.
Hutcherson’s journey as Peeta began with the original Hunger Games (2012) and continued through Catching Fire (2013), Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014), and Part 2 (2015), where he starred alongside Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne. The actor has previously expressed his enthusiasm for returning to the role, stating, “I would happily play Peeta again. I’m curious to know what happens between when they have their family and when the story ends, just to understand what happened in the world, how they got to that place. If you can talk to Suzanne Collins and tell her to write a book, I’m in. Sign me up.”
Stay tuned for more updates on The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as the release date approaches!
