Glenn Close and Billy Porter have joined the sprawling cast of “Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.”
Close will play Drusilla Sickle, the cruel escort to the District 12 Tributes, while Porter will portray Magno Stift, her estranged husband and designer to the Tributes. They’ll joined the previously announced ensemble of Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Ben Wang, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning and Kieran Culkin.
Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name, “Sunrise on the Reaping” will revisit the world of Panem nearly a quarter of a century before the events of the original “Hunger Games” saga. It starts on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, in which Haymitch Abernathy enters the deadly arena. In 2012’s “Hunger Games,” Haymitch serves as a mentor to Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta Mellark.
Close, an eight-time Oscar nominee for “Fatal Attraction,” “Dangerous Liaisons” and “The Big Chill,” will appear next in Rian Johnson’s next “Knives Out” sequel,” Wake Up Dead Man.” Porter, a Tony and Grammy nominee for “Kinky Boots” and Emmy winner for “Pose,” recently made his West End debut as the Emcee in “Cabaret” and will star in Gurinder Chandha’s upcoming film “Christmas Karma.”
“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,” said producer Nina Jacobson. “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.”
“Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” will open in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.
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