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With every name that has joined The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the cast list for the upcoming prequel has become the certified stuff of dreams for fans of the franchise. Ralph Feinnes, Maya Hawke, Jesse Plemons, and Elle Fanning are just some of the names that have signed up to adapt Suzanne Collins' book that focuses on games won by Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson in the earlier films and played here by Joseph Zada). One of the latest casting additions is a perfect match after it was announced that Kieran Culkin would be taking on the role of Caesar Flickerman, previously played by Stanley Tucci.
In the world of the Hunger Games, Flickerman was the hype man of sorts, tasked with interviewing the tributes the night before the games. Interestingly, of the many pivotal characters in the books, by the end of the events of Mockingjay, Flickerman's status is never confirmed, with no clarification on whether he was executed for his involvement in the games. Of course, it's years until that happens, and for now, Culkin's take on the character who will be promoting Abernathy and a handful of other tributes years before Katniss Everdeen comes on the scene. Regardless of the time, though, the actor has advised fans that when it comes to bringing his take of the character to the screen, he doesn't have it quite there yet.
Appearing in a TikTok during an autograph signing for a fan, @lielbernis, Culkin was assured that he'd be a great Flickerman for the upcoming film, to which the actor swiftly shot down in his signature fashion. "Lower those expectations, please. Please do. I have no idea what I'm gonna do with that."
While he might be nervous about taking on the role, his current endeavors suggest he really doesn't need to be. Besides his critically acclaimed turn in Succession, Culkin walked away with an Oscar this year for his performance in A Real Pain. Sunrise on the Reaping isn't the only book adaptation he'll be able to handle with ease, either, given that he's hopped in the recording room to lend his voice to the Andy Serkis-directed animated adaptation of Animal Farm, where he'll play Squealer. Joining him for that is Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Woody Harrelson, Glenn Close, Steve Buscemi, Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, Iman Vellani, and Serkis because, well, of course.
As for his Hunger Games appearance, that'll be handled by director Francis Lawrence, who is returning once more to the franchise he helped build since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. You can see how he handles Sunrise on the Reaping when it arrives in theaters on November 20, 2026. In the event that you want to get a sci-fi fix in the meantime, why not check out our list of the best sci-fi movies here.
