EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate‘s The Starvation Video games: Dawn on the Reaping has closed offers for its first two leads, enlisting Joseph Zada for the position of Haymitch Abernathy, Tribute from District 12, with Whitney Peak to play Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.
As you’ll recall, Haymitch is the character performed earlier within the Starvation Video games franchise by Woody Harrelson. The rumor mill round casting for the undertaking has gone into overdrive in current weeks, with Zada and Peak’s roles being two of essentially the most wanted amongst younger actors in current reminiscence.
“The Starvation Video games franchise has lengthy been a launching pad for exceptional younger actors, and Jo and Whitney carry that legacy ahead with unimaginable coronary heart, depth, and hearth,” mentioned Lionsgate Movement Image Group Co-President Erin Westerman. “After auditioning lots of of gifted performers from world wide, these two stood out—not only for their expertise, however for the emotional reality they introduced to those iconic roles. Haymitch has all the time been a fan favourite, and his origin story is among the most anticipated within the franchise. His relationship with Lenore Dove is deeply woven into the emotional historical past of Panem. We are able to’t look ahead to followers to expertise the story that formed some of the compelling characters within the collection.”
Added producer Nina Jacobson of Colour Drive, “Deb Zane and Dylan Jury oversaw an exhaustive (and exhausting!) search to discover a younger actor with the ability and creativeness to embody younger Haymitch. Jo ready like loopy and stole our hearts. Then Whitney took our breath away as Lenore Dove. Once we put the 2 of them collectively, it was a kind of magical casting moments when you understand your search has led you house.”
Based mostly on the bestselling dystopian YA novel by Suzanne Collins, printed on March 18, Dawn on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem 24 years earlier than the occasions of The Starvation Video games, beginning on the morning of the reaping of the fiftieth Starvation Video games, often known as the Second Quarter Quell. The story facilities on 16-year-old Haymitch, a intelligent and resourceful boy from District 12, who’s unexpectedly chosen for this version of the video games, which is able to characteristic a lethal twist: twice the variety of tributes, with 48 youngsters despatched into the world to battle for his or her lives.
Francis Lawrence will direct from a script by Billy Ray. Colour Drive’s Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce, with Cameron MacConomy exec producing. Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien are overseeing the undertaking for Lionsgate, for whom Robert Melnik negotiated the offers. Slated for launch on November 20, 2026, the brand new movie comes on the heels of 5 installments within the franchise which have grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide.
At present taking part in the lead position of Charlie within the Stan Australia Authentic Collection Invisible Boys, based mostly on the bestselling novel by Holden Sheppard, Zada will subsequent be seen starring in Prime Video’s collection We Have been Liars, which premieres this June. Most not too long ago, he accomplished manufacturing for Zoe Kazan’s Netflix collection East of Eden, the place he stars alongside Florence Pugh, Mike Faist and extra. He’s repped by CAA, Untitled Leisure, RGM and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.
Greatest identified for starring in Max’s Gossip Woman reboot and Hocus Pocus 2, Peak will subsequent be seen because the lead in Sony’s upcoming shark thriller Shiver reverse Phoebe Dynevor, in addition to alongside Liam Neeson and Teresa Palmer in 4 Youngsters Stroll right into a Financial institution for Amazon MGM’s Orion. She is is repped by CAA, Cover Media Companions, Play Administration, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
