The world of Panem is preparing to return to cinemas, but this time, audiences will have a different way to experience the Games.
Lionsgate has announced a partnership with Meta to bring The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping to theatres in 3D, marking the first time the technology company has worked with a major Hollywood studio to convert a feature film for its theatrical debut.
The upcoming prequel takes audiences back 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games story, focusing on a younger Haymitch Abernathy, the character later portrayed by Woody Harrelson.
Played by Joseph Zada, the 16-year-old Haymitch is selected to participate in the 50th Hunger Games, a particularly brutal edition known as the Second Quarter Quell.
The film also stars McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, alongside a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close and Maya Hawke.
Director Francis Lawrence worked with visual effects company DNEG on the 3D conversion, which is intended to make the film’s fictional world feel more immersive.
But the partnership extends beyond cinema screens. Meta also plans to make the film available in 3D through its upcoming VR glasses in 2027, potentially giving viewers another way to experience the story outside traditional theatres.
For Hollywood, the collaboration reflects a growing interest in connecting major entertainment franchises with immersive technology.
For fans, the immediate attraction is simpler: a return to Panem that promises to bring the arena, its dangers and its atmosphere closer to the audience.
Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled for theatrical release on November 20, 2026.
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