Ascot Elite Entertainment secures rights to "The Hunger Games: Sunrise On the Reaping"

Following on from "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes", Ascot Elite Entertainment will also be distributing the latest instalment of Lionsgate's successful franchise in Switzerland: "The Hunger Games: Sunrise On the Reaping" is the eagerly awaited sixth instalment of the iconic Hunger Games series.

The film is based on the prequel novel of the same name. It explores the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games and begins on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the second Quarter Quell.

The cast includes Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Jesse Plemons, Billy Porter and Lili Taylor, as well as up-and-coming young stars such as Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace and Ben Wang.

Francis Lawrence returns to direct. The screenplay is by Oscar-nominated writer Billy Ray (Terminator: Dark Fate, The Hunger Games).

The latest Hunger Games prequel by Suzanne Collins was released in March 2025 and sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first week, making it the biggest launch in the series to date. In the US alone, 1.2 million copies were sold in the week of release – more than twice as many as for "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" and three times as many as for "Mockingjay". The title currently ranks third in the novel charts on #BookTok. The hashtag has several million views per month in Switzerland.

Francis Lawrence's latest film, the Stephen King adaptation "The Long Walk", is also being released by Ascot Elite Entertainment and will be shown in Swiss cinemas this autumn.

"The Hunger Games: Sunrise On the Reaping" is expected to be released in Swiss cinemas in November 2026.