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Sunrise On The Reaping: Glenn Close And Billy Porter Join The Cast

Glenn Close and Billy Porter have joined the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Drusilla Sickle and Magno Stift, respectively.



Article Summary

  • Glenn Close and Billy Porter join The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Drusilla Sickle and Magno Stift.
  • Lionsgate unveils casting news with producer Nina Jacobson praising Close and Porter's unique talents.
  • Close will play District 12's eccentric escort, while Porter takes on the role of her estranged designer husband.
  • The film dives into Panem’s history, set 24 years before the original saga, and releases November 20, 2026.

It seems The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping casting wasn't quite done yet, and they're coming out swinging with some big names. Over the last month or so, Lionsgate has been slowly announcing the cast for the next Hunger Games film, and it was a mixture of new faces, some up-and-comers, and some veteran actors with a ton of experience behind them. These next two additions are absolutely the latter, and you already know they will have a ball in this film. According to a press release sent out by Lionsgate, Glenn Close has been cast as Drusilla Sickle, the escort to the District 12 Tributes, while Billy Porter has been cast as Magno Stift, her estranged husband and the Tributes' uninspired designer.

Producer Nina Jacobson said in the press release, "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."

Regarding Porter, 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. Casting this show has felt like winning the lottery every time one of our idols said yes to us. To be able to announce Glenn Close and Billy Porter together is an embarrassment of riches that we can all celebrate."

Have we reached the end of the line for Sunrise on the Reaping casting?

A split image features Glenn Close, a white woman with short, wavy gray hair and striking green eyes, wearing a white blouse, and Billy Porter, a Black man dressed in black with a large hat and a statement necklace, posing on a stool against a dark background.
L-R: Glenn Close Photo Credit: Andy Anderson | Billy Porter Photo Credit: Afshin Feiz (via Lionsgate PR)

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Book Summary

Summary: "Sunrise on the Reaping will revisit the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena."

The film adaptation of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released on November 20, 2026. Francis Lawrence will direct from a screenplay adaptation by Billy Ray. Color Force's Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce. Cameron MacConomy will executive produce. The cast so far includes Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Haymitch's girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Haymitch's fellow District 12 Tribute, Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Iona Bell as Lou Lou, Molly McCann as Louella, and Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman. While The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' success will likely shut up anyone who does the whole "who asked for this" dance, this is your reminder that Rachel Zegler very much asked for Sunrise on the Reaping to exist.

 


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Kaitlyn BoothAbout Kaitlyn Booth

Kaitlyn is the Editor-in-Chief at Bleeding Cool. Film critic and pop culture writer since 2013. Ace. Leftist. Nerd. Feminist. Writer. Replicant Translator. Cinephillic Virtue Signaler. She/Her. UFCA/GALECA Member. 🍅 Approved. Follow her Threads, Instagram, and Twitter @katiesmovies.
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