Kieran Culkin, who was recently cast as Caesar Flickerman in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, humorously told fans to “lower those expectations” about his performance. The role was originally portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the previous Hunger Games films.
In a TikTok video by @lielbernis, filmed while Culkin was signing autographs in New York, a fan told him he would be an amazing Caesar Flickerman. Culkin replied, “Lower those expectations. I have no idea what I’m doing with that.”
Later, when Entertainment Tonight Online asked Culkin to comment further, he shook his head and said, “Did I say that? F—.” It seems he didn’t want to disappoint fans or overhype his portrayal.
Sunrise on the Reaping is the fifth Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins — and a prequel to the main series — taking place 14 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute.
The new film’s plot follows Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) — as he is reaped to be a tribute for District 12 during the 50th Hunger Games (also known as the Second Quarter Quell) — along with Maysilee Donner (Mckenna Grace), Wyatt Callow (Ben Wang), and Louella McCoy (Molly McCann). While the main Hunger Games novels shared bits of detail about what happened in Haymitch’s games, Sunrise on the Reaping retells the entire story — and how the Capitol has altered and edited events in order to continue the propaganda and lies that it feeds to its citizens.
Speaking to Screen Rant during the Karate Kid: Legends NYC premiere, Wang confirmed that this is his “understanding” and that they are already “starting” to prepare for the movie. Filming will begin in July 2025, and pre-production is already underway.
Wang said, “Yes, we’re starting… yeah, that’s my understanding. Honestly, right now I’m just getting onboarded so I know about as much as you.”
The film is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Billy Ray, based on Collins’ novel of the same name.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” sold 1.5 million copies in its first week across the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In the U.S. alone, it sold 1.2 million copies—twice as many as “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and three times more than “Mockingjay” in their first weeks.
The cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping includes Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, Wang as Wyatt Callow, Ralph Fiennes as Coriolanus Snow, McCann as Louella McCoy, Iona Bell as Lou Lou, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, and Culkin as Caesar Flickerman.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will hit theaters on November 20, 2026 by Lionsgate.
Source: Entertainment Tonight Online
