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Kelvin Harrison Jr. has found his next big project in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Deadline has confirmed. He’ll take on the role of Beetee, champion of the 34th Hunger Games and father of Ampert Latier, Tribute in the 50th Hunger Games.

Harrison joins an ensemble led by Joseph Zada and Whitney Peak, who respectively play Haymitch Abernathy and Lenore Dove Baird . Others set include Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner and Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee.

Based on the bestselling dystopian YA novel by Suzanne Collins, published March 18, the Lionsgate pic revisits the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The story centers on 16-year-old Haymitch, a clever and resourceful boy from District 12, who’s unexpectedly chosen for this edition of the games, which...

Kelvin Harrison Jr. is the latest big name to volunteer as tribute. The Mufasa: The Lion King and Elvis star has officially joined Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Beetee, the tech-savvy victor of the 34th Hunger Games — a role previously played by Jeffrey Wright in the original franchise. Harrison joins an impressive ensemble cast that includes Joseph Zada as a young Haymitch Abernathy and Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend. Mckenna Grace and Jesse Plemons are also on board for the high-profile prequel, with franchise veteran Francis Lawrence once again stepping behind the camera to direct.

The book by Suzanne Collins, which takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s rebellion, sold 1.5 million copies in its first week — triple the opening week numbers of Mockingjay and well ahead of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In this timeline, Haymitch is still a District 12 tribute,...

Kelvin Harrison Jr. has been cast as Beetee in Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” an adaptation of the bestselling book by Suzanne Collins. He joins previously announced cast members Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner and Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee.

Harrison Jr. recently voiced the role of Taka in “Mufasa: The Lion King” and will star as Jean-Michel Basquiat in “Samo Lives,” for which he will also serve as executive producer.

Beetee Latier, portrayed by Jeffrey Wright in the original “Hunger Games” films beginning with “Catching Fire,” is the champion of the 34th Hunger Games and father of Ampert Latier, Tribute in the 50th Hunger Games.

The “Sunrise on the Reaping” film will be released on Nov. 20, 2026. Francis Lawrence will direct from a screenplay adaptation by Billy Ray. Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce.