Summary
- Kieran Culkin joins The Hunger Games franchise as young Caesar Flickerman for the upcoming prequel.
- Culkin, known for Succession, has a long Hollywood career and an Oscar win.
- A star-studded cast, including Ralph Fiennes and Elle Fanning, will feature in Sunshine on the Reaping.
The Hunger Games franchise is returning with a new prequel film highlighting the younger days of numerous memorable characters. As such, someone has been brought on board to play Caesar Flickerman, and the casting is a doozy.
After Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games series of novels took the world by storm in the late 2000s, a film franchise became a no-brainer. The resulting movies became a sensation, earning billions of dollars and turning Jennifer Lawrence into a household name overnight. Of course, Lawrence wasn't alone onscreen, and many famous faces joined the fray over the course of the four original films. It is genuinely impressive how many character acting greats were brought on board for the Hunger Games films. Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Julianne Moore, and Mahershala Ali are just a few of the many names who graced the big screen in the franchise. Now, new actors are being brought in to play younger versions of these beloved characters, and Lionsgate has come out swinging.
Snow White Star Has Cheeky Response To Ralph Fiennes' Hunger Games Prequel Casting
A Snow White star reacted to Ralph Fiennes’ casting as President Snow in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Deadline is reporting that, after endless rumors suggesting the possibility, Kieran Culkin is set to take over the role of Caesar Flickerman from Stanley Tucci for 2026's Sunshine on the Reaping. Culkin is the latest in a long line of big names to join the picture, but he is coming off an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor just a few months ago, making his addition somewhat of a coup for Lionsgate. If anyone is game to match Tucci's manic energy as the Hunger Games' Master of Ceremonies, it is Culkin.
Kieran Culkin Is A Perfect Addition To The Hunger Games Franchise As A Young Caesar Flickerman
Although Culkin's star has really taken off in recent years with Succession and A Real Pain, the actor has been working in Hollywood for nearly forty years. After all, Culkin did make his feature film debut alongside his older brother Macaulay in 1990's Home Alone. Over the decades, Culkin has shown up in films like The Cider House Rules and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and television series such as Fargo and Solar Opposites. Though his fame will surely never reach the heights of his older brother circa the early 1990s, Culkin has carved out a solid career of his own through hard work and dedication to his craft.
Of course, Culkin isn't the only big actor to join Sunrise on the Reaping in recent weeks. Voldemort himself—Ralph Fiennes—is taking over the role of Coriolanus Snow from Donald Sutherland, Elle Fanning is stepping into Effie Trinket's shoes (previously worn by Elizabeth Banks), and Jessie Plemons has the unenviable task of acting in Philip Seymour Hoffman's shadow as Plutarch Heavensbee. Throw in more acclaimed young stars like Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Mckenna Grace, and it becomes clear that Sunshine on the Reaping is looking to follow in the footsteps of earlier Hunger Games films and bring a star-studded affair to the masses.
The Hunger Games: Sunshine on the Reaping is currently set to release in theaters on November 20, 2026.
- Created by
- Suzanne Collins
- First Film
- The Hunger Games
- Latest Film
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
- Cast
- Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Stanley Tucci
- Movies
- The Hunger Games (2012), The Hunger Games catching fire (2013), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part Two (2015), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
Source: Deadline