Kieran Culkin will join the star-studded cast of Sunrise on the Reaping as Caesar Flickerman, host of the Hunger Games
Stanley Tucci played the role in the original quartet of films
The film will be released on Nov. 20, 2026
Kieran Culkin has secured his next role, which happens to be part of a beloved franchise.
The Oscar winner will join the star-studded cast of Sunrise on the Reaping, which will be directed by Francis Lawrence. It is the second Hunger Games prequel, and is set after 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
PEOPLE can confirm that Culkin has been cast in the sixth overall installment of the Hunger Games franchise as Caesar Flickerman, host of the Hunger Games. Stanley Tucci played the role in the original quartet of films starring Jennifer Lawrence.
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Stanley Tucci in ‘The Hunger Games – Mockingjay – Part 1’
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According to Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman, Kieran was a “perfect” fit for the role.
“Kieran’s scene-stealing presence and undeniable charm are perfect for Caesar Flickerman, the sickeningly watchable host of Panem’s darkest spectacle. Stanley Tucci made Caesar unforgettable—and now Kieran will make the role entirely his own,” said Westerman.
Producer Nina Jacobson added in her own statement that what makes Culkin a “perfect fit” for Caesar Flickerman is his “magnetism, wit, and unpredictability.”
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Kieran Culkin attends the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 23, 2025
“A host like Caesar transforms brutality into entertainment, and an actor as layered as Kieran makes sure we don’t look away,” her statement continued.
The prequel is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 dystopian book of the same name. Set 24 years before 2008’s The Hunger Games, the upcoming film will follow a young Haymitch Abernathy (originally played by Woody Harrelson) as he competes in the 50th Hunger Games, otherwise known as the Second Quarter Quell.
In April, Lionsgate announced that Joseph Zada would star as Haymitch Abernathy in the new adaptation, while Whitney Peak would portray his girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.
Other recently announced cast members include McKenna Grace, who will play Maysilee Donner, and Jesse Plemons, who will portray Plutarch Heavensbee. Ralph Fiennes will play President Snow, and Elle Fanning has been cast as Effie Trinket.
Additional members of the cast are Kelvin Harrison Jr., who will play Beetee, and Maya Hawke, who is set to take on the role of Wiress. Lili Taylor will play Mags and Ben Wang has been cast as Wyatt Callow, per Variety.
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‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ by Suzanne Collins
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The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026. Culkin’s Oscar-winning performance in A Real Pain is now available to stream on Hulu.
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