Glenn Close and Billy Porter have officially joined the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the upcoming film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ latest Hunger Games novel. Lionsgate announced the casting today, confirming Close as Drusilla Sickle, the cruel escort of District 12 Tributes, and Porter as Magno Stift, her estranged husband and the disillusioned designer assigned to the doomed pair.

The pair join an already unbelievable ensemble cast, which includes Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, and Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman. Producer Nina Jacobson praised the latest additions, saying:

“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. I think Glenn and Francis will have a ball bringing Drusilla from the page to the screen.”

On Porter’s casting, Jacobson added:

“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. To be able to announce Glenn Close and Billy Porter together is an embarrassment of riches that we can all celebrate.”

What Is ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ About?

Directed by Francis Lawrence from a script by Billy Ray, Sunrise on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute. The film opens on the morning of the reaping for the Fiftieth Hunger Games — better known as the Second Quarter Quell. It follows a new generation of tributes and Capitol figures whose choices will shape the future of Panem.

The book, released March 18, was an immediate hit, selling 1.5 million copies across English-speaking territories in its first week — including 1.2 million in the U.S. alone, doubling the launch numbers for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The franchise now spans five films and over $3.3 billion in global box office earnings.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be drawn into theaters on November 20, 2026.

via Collider