‘The Most Surreal Part’ Of Filming A Hunger Games Movie, According To Newcomer McKenna Grace

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As a huge movie fan, I’m really excited about Sunrise on the Reaping, the new Hunger Games prequel coming out in 2026. It’s going to take us back to Panem and show us Haymitch Abernathy’s time in the Games, which is awesome. I just read that McKenna Grace, who’s in the movie, said filming it was incredibly surreal, and I can only imagine! It sounds like they’re really bringing that brutal world to life.

As Regretting You came out on the 2025 movie schedule, McKenna Grace’s co-star in that movie, Mason Thames, interviewed her for ET. During that chat, he specifically asked her what “the most surreal part” of filming her next movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, has been. Her answer was about a specific scene, as she said:

Hearing my name get called out at The Reaping.

That really makes sense. In Sunrise on the Reaping, we’ll see the Second Quarter Quell unfold, and this time, twice as many tributes will be competing. This means that in District 12, along with Haymitch being selected, three other tributes will also be chosen. Grace plays Maysilee Donner, one of those tributes, and she’s important to Haymitch’s storyline. Therefore, the moment her name is called is a significant one in the film.

The reaping is a hugely important and memorable part of The Hunger Games. It’s the event that starts the entire story, and it’s always shocking to watch the children’s names being drawn.

The trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping offered a glimpse of the reaping ceremony, introduced by Glenn Close’s character, Drusilla, in a disturbingly cheerful way. Grace has suggested that hearing Drusilla call Maysilee’s name was particularly impactful, saying:

Whenever she started to call my name, my heart would race and I’d think, ‘Oh no, she’s about to call me! I’ll have to go up there.’

I’ve read the book and am familiar with the Reaping in District 12. Similar to how Katniss volunteers in The Hunger Games, the events surrounding Haymitch, Maysilee, and the other tributes being sent to the Capitol are incredibly dramatic and memorable. Bringing those scenes to life on film must have been a very strange experience.

That scene is always intense, as it’s when Grace’s character is chosen for the Games. But the Reaping is a key part of every Hunger Games story, so filming it for this new movie felt particularly important. That’s why the Sunrise on the Reaping cast member immediately mentioned it when asked about the shoot.

You can experience the scene McKenna Grace mentioned, and see what happens in the 50th Hunger Games, when Sunrise on the Reaping comes to theaters on November 20, 2026. Or, if you can’t wait, you can read the book the movie is based on now.

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2025-11-24 17:38