Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Projected to Earn m-m

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Projected to Earn $55m-$65m

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Lionsgate is preparing to test the box office staying power of its dystopian intellectual property once again as The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping heads toward a domestic opening weekend range projected between $55M and $65M, according to Boxoffice Pro tracking data. Ahead of its Nov. 20 release date, early press screenings in London have triggered an enthusiastic wave of positive reactions from film critics, positioning the sixth franchise installment as a major contender for the late-autumn theatrical market.

London Premiere Kicks Off Global Rollout

The cultural machinery of Panem descended upon London’s Westfield shopping centre on Wednesday night for the high-profile U.K. launch of the prequel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, fans and journalists gathered beneath a towering cornucopia and purple carpeting, flanked by massive tapestries featuring Ralph Fiennes as President Snow with the proclamation “Panem’s No. 1.”

The red carpet played host to the ensemble cast, including Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, and Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove. Fanning detailed to reporters the grueling physical preparation required for her role as the Capitol chaperone, noting that a special prosthetic and face-stretching techniques required three and a half hours in the makeup chair. “She’s vile to the core,” Fanning told The Hollywood Reporter regarding her character’s lack of redemption.

Critical Reception and the “Rogue One” Comparison

Variety reported that early press reactions have lauded the film as a “perfect adaptation” that breathes new life into Suzanne Collins’ literary universe. Based on Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name, the story takes place 24 years before the events of the original trilogy and charts the 50th Hunger Games through the harrowing experiences of a young Haymitch Abernathy.

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Projected to Earn $55m-$65m
Photo: Page Six

Film critic Griffin Schiller hailed the feature on X as the “Rogue One and Andor of The Hunger Games franchise,” calling it a “sobering, yet powerful story of devastating loss and the necessary cost of rebellion for a sunrise we may never see.”

Performance praise centered heavily on newcomer Joseph Zada, who steps into the role immortalized by Woody Harrelson. Collider’s Perri Nemiroff wrote that Zada “soars tackling every ounce of it,” while Next Best Picture editor-in-chief Matt Neglia highlighted the broader ensemble. Neglia praised Glenn Close as a scene-stealing, “horror-inducing” presence and noted that Jesse Plemons successfully embodies the spirit of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Box Office Landscape and Franchise Precedents

Financially, Lionsgate is looking to replicate the steady trajectory of 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which opened to a modest $44.6M before leggy box office runs pushed its domestic total to $166.3M. Boxoffice Pro notes that while Ballad had to share its opening frame with Trolls Band Together, Sunrise on the Reaping enjoys a clearer runway in late November, though it faces subsequent holiday frame competition from Disney’s Hexed and the comedy Focker-In-Law.

Beyond the 50th Hunger Games narrative, the film’s conclusion brings the overarching timeline full circle. Book readers and industry watchers have confirmed that original trilogy leads Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Woody Harrelson reprise their respective roles as Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch for a flash-forward epilogue. Jennifer Lawrence recently discussed the emotional nature of returning to the set with the original crew on the Call Her Daddy podcast, describing the experience of stepping back into the franchise as surreal and deeply moving.

Disclaimer: The cultural analyses and financial data presented in this article are based on available public records and industry metrics at the time of publication.

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