Kieran Culkin to Play Caesar Flickerman in Upcoming Hunger Games Prequel

Published: May 22, 2025

Kieran Culkin has been cast as Caesar Flickerman in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. The film, which is set to be released on November 2026, will be directed by Francis Lawrence and will be the second Hunger Games prequel, following 2023's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Culkin will take on the role of Caesar Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games, which was previously played by Stanley Tucci. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman praised Culkin's casting, stating that he is a "perfect fit" for the role.

"Kieran's scene-stealing presence and undeniable charm are perfect for Caesar Flickerman, the sickeningly watchable host of Panem's darkest spectacle," Westerman said. "Stanley Tucci made Caesar unforgettable—and now Kieran will make the role entirely his own."

Producer Nina Jacobson also praised Culkin's casting, stating that his "magnetism, wit, and unpredictability" make him a "perfect fit" for the role.

"A host like Caesar transforms brutality into entertainment, and an actor as layered as Kieran makes sure we don't look away," Jacobson said.

The prequel is based on Suzanne Collins' 2025 dystopian book of the same name and will follow a young Haymitch Abernathy (originally played by Woody Harrelson) as he competes in the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

In addition to Culkin, the film will also star Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags, and Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow.

Sunrise on the Reaping is set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026.

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