The Hunger Games love birds Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are reunited in the new prequel Sunrise at the Reaping, which will bring fans back to Panem.
The Hunger Games’ Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, the iconic duo who captured our hearts as Panem’s greatest rebels, are confirmed to be coming back to the franchise with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and we’re just not emotionally prepared for what this means.
The revelation was made on 10 December 2025, and it reverberated across the entertainment industry like a hovercraft. For more than 10 years, we’ve seen these two gifted performers breathe life into the characters created by Suzanne Collins, and seeing them in this new prequel feels like that chance encounter with an old friend that really throws you for a loop. While Jennifer Lawrence will be reprising her role as Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, there is a fun twist to this - they are not the main characters in this movie.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is turning out to be something I don’t think we’ve seen from the series yet. Taking place 24 years prior to the original Hunger Games trilogy, the prequel follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, the surly yet surprisingly endearing mentor we are familiar with through Woody Harrelson’s version of the character.
To those of you who read the novelization, Lawrence and Hutcherson are set to appear in a flash forward sequence near the end of the film, showing where our favorite characters ended. It’s that perfect kind of callback that makes longtime fans feel seen and appreciated.
The extraordinary cast lined up for this prequel is the first reason for this excitement. Joseph Zada as young Haymitch, who confronts the terrifying 50th Hunger Games (the Second Quarter Quell) — where the stakes are doubled with 48 tributes instead of 24.
That’s right, this isn’t just any Hunger Games, it’s a barbaric, monstrous edition that will tell us exactly how Haymitch became the shattered man who then leads Katniss through her own.
Backing up the extraordinary young talent is a star-studded cast that feels like a who’s who of Hollywood: Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes (as a younger President Snow), Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Maya Hawke, and so many more incredible actors. Kieran Culkin, just coming off an Academy Award win for A Real Pain, will be taking over Stanley Tucci’s role as Caesar Flickerman, and Ralph Fiennes lends his gravitas to a youthful iteration of the tyrannical President Snow. This level of casting in this prequel is just jaw dropping.
Francis Lawrence, having directed all but one of the Hunger Games movies since 2012, is back to lend his deft hand to this dark origin story. Billy Ray’s screenplay is a faithful, attentive adaptation of Collins’ novel, so those familiar with the books will pick out the key scenes, but the uninitiated gain a new, cinematic interpretation.
The enthusiasm What’s really exciting about this project is that it comes full circle for the Hunger Games franchise. Following the unprecedented popularity of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2023, which gave a glimpse of a young Coriolanus Snow, Lionsgate are clearly interested in delving further back into this universe’ s past. The franchise has grossed $3.3 billion worldwide over five films, and with this star-packed cast and gripping story, Sunrise on the Reaping is set to be another blockbuster.
The film is set to blaze its way into theaters on November 20, 2026, giving fans almost a year to speculate on what a Lawrence and Hutcherson cameo might entail, be it a fleeting appearance or a substantial chunk of the story, it’s unclear at the moment, but whatever it is: getting Katniss and Peeta back on the big screen – even in this unusual capacity, is a treat for the series’ fanatics.
To those of us who have grown up with these characters, this is like coming home. The Hunger Games world keeps expanding and surprising us, and with Lawrence and Hutcherson’s return, it’s clear why this franchise ever really captured our hearts.
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The Avatar: Fire and Ash world premiere reveals the Ash People, a violent new Na'vi tribe, and a dark, unpredictable Pandora. Releasing on 19th December 2025.
If you thought Pandora was just about bioluminescent forests and spiritual connections with whales, James Cameron is about to torch that image, literally. Hell, we’ve been falling in love with the Na’vi for more than a decade. They are the good guys, the protagonists, the noble-savage environmentalists who are being persecuted by evil, rapacious humans.
However, the Avatar: Fire and Ash World Premiere, this new film of the franchise is coming out on 19 December 2025, which is going to turn the whole series on its head. It’s not only all about “save the trees,” it’s a journey into the moral tangle of a world we thought we knew.
For the first time, the danger is not just falling from the sky, but arising from Pandora itself.
The biggest revelation at the world premiere of Avatar 3 events is the introduction of the Ash People. Residing in the volcanic wastelands of Pandora, this mysterious new tribe represents a total opposite to the Omatikaya, who live in the forests, and the Metkayina, who dwell on the ocean reefs.
Under the leadership of the cruel Varang (Game of Thrones alum Oona Chaplin), the Ash People are fire incarnate. Cameron has been clear on what this means, if water symbolized adaptation and flow, fire symbolized rage, violence, and destruction. These are not the peaceful natives we’re accustomed to. They’re aggressive and territorial, and maybe most shockingly, they could be the antagonists of the story.
It’s a superb narrative turn. Cameron introduces us to a “bad” Na’vi clan, thus complicating the simple Nature vs Technology binary established in the first two films.
It raises the question, What if the native population is as divided and as flawed as the invaders?
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Visually, we’re in for a surprise. The cool blues and greens are historical. Concept art and trailer descriptions show a terrain covered with charcoal blacks, melting lavas, and blinding smoke. The Ash People themselves are said to have a unique appearance — ghostly, ash-covered skin, perhaps even physical mutations evolved for life in a volcanic environment.
Volcanoes are not the full story. The film introduces the Wind Traders as well. This nomadic group traverses the air over Pandora. New zones range from oceans to molten mountains and open skies. Pandora makes for a real, profound world. Not just a plain movie backdrop.
Let’s not lose track of that point. The Way of Water ends with an agonizing blow—the death of Neteyam. Fire and Ash now with Jake and Neytiri against the crushing weight of grief. The title itself hints at this theme, “Ash” is more than just volcanic debris, it’s what remains after a fire has burnt through. It’s like an intermission in grieving.
Rumors suggest this grief will drive a wedge in the Sully family, potentially pushing characters toward darker choices. And then there’s Colonel Quaritch. Now fully embedded in his Avatar body, he’s no longer just a soldier following orders.
He’s undergoing an identity crisis, and some theories suggest he might find a strange kinship with the aggressive philosophy of the Ash People. Could we see a team-up between the RDA and the Fire Clan? It’s a terrifying possibility.
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James Cameron never plays it safe. He held off on the sequel for 13 years because the technology needed to catch up to his vision. Now, just three years after The Way of Water, he’s coming with Fire and Ash, suggesting an — no pun intended — fiery confidence in the story.
He has vowed to “break the mold” and reveal that Pandora, like Earth, is “both a place of stunning beauty and unimaginable savagery.” As we slowly begin our journey to December 2025 one thing is becoming clear that the war for Pandora is not black and white. It’s in shades of grey and red.
So you can pack your rebreathers and make it hot. Pandora is burning, and we get a front-row seat.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is more than just another sequel — it is a reimagining of Pandora. New tribes, darker feelings, volcano landscapes, and morally ambiguous conflicts, James Cameron is bringing the series to new levels. The bravest, most intense chapter of Avatar is set to deliver in December 2025.
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Discover how The Conjuring: Last Rites broke records with a $187M global debut, audience love, and franchise milestones despite mixed critic reviews.
The Conjuring Last Rites opened on 5 September 2025 in theatres, earning an estimated $83 million domestically. It pulled in around $104 million internationally, which sums up a massive $187 million global opening. While the budget is about $55 million for the Last Rites for its record breaking release. It makes 44% domestic and 56% internationally which blows the previous films record. As compared to, The Devil Made Me Do It opening record is about $65.6 million domestic and $206.4 million worldwide back in 2021.
The Conjuring Last Rites blows its first weekend with $83 million, marking a record for the franchise. It surpassed the $53 million record of 2018 The Nun. It became the third largest horror opening ever and expected to surpass the top two It films. Variety notes that this is Warner Bros’ the seventh successful movie with a $40 million opening in this year.
This part makes more money in its first weekend than previous Conjuring parts. Its $83 million opening is exceeding the previous series opening of the horror movies domestically, The Devil Made Me Do It with $65.6 million, Annabelle Comes Home ($74.1 million), The Curse of La Llorona ($54.7 million), and almost matched first Annabelle movie ($84.3 million).
The Conjuring: Last Rites became the highest-grossing “Conjuring” franchise opening ever. Its $187 million shattered records for the franchise and pushed its universe past $2.3 billion. Analysts observed that Last Rites became the biggest blockbuster hit as it surpassed its opening record, making it the third-best horror movie. As BoxOfficePro noted, It will soon make a huge commercial win and beat other horror movies including The Devil Made Me Do It ($206.4M) and The Nun ($366M) which was franchise’s current highest earner.
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The Conjuring Last Rites opening is 3X larger than the entire box office collection of The Devil Made Me Do It, about $65.6 million total in the US. it also beats other Conjuring movies like Conjuring 3 made about $206 million worldwide but Last Rites opening was much stronger. As reported in EW.
The Conjuring 2025 release matches Annabelle opening record of $84 million, showing its stronger opening than the recent three movies of Conjuring Franchise. Taking a strong turn for Franchise’s box office power with this powerful debut.
As Hollywood Reporter notes, critics were divided on the Conjuring Last Rites film. While Rotten Tomatoes gave a 55% score for this film, audiences gave a warmer response to this film. It received a B cinemascore and critical PostTrak rating about 79%. Critics also criticized its untwisted plot that led to a lower review score but audiences enjoyed the movie as shown by CinemaScore.
Warner Bros. decided to launch Last Rites only in theaters and did not follow up the last film release strategy in 2021. TheWrap reports that the film was not yet streaming but it is set to arrive later on HBO Max.
The old-school theater first strategy works well to maximize the box office potential. Analysts also noted that last year’s mixed release also hurt the movie’s theater run.
Variety’s Rebecca Rubin noted that Last Rites fuel the box office for the movie franchise. It is expected that more movies will add up to this series even though it was called the “final” film. Warner Bros. surprised with its opening and now the Conjuring universe is worth $2.5 billion. Peter Safran sees that as a win, it also opens the door for more horror movies from Warner.
The Conjuring Last Rites break the opening record in its first weekend of run in theaters. Becoming the third best horror movie with audiences love while critics gave a rough rating to this film. Analysts and media were effusive about the results and also surprised Warner Bros. with its high grossing popularity.
