Jennifer Lawrence is officially heading back to Panem. More than a decade after her last appearance as Katniss Everdeen, the Oscar-winning actress has confirmed her return in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, reuniting with familiar faces from the original films.

Speaking to Alex Cooper on the October 28 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Lawrence described the experience of returning to the franchise alongside Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson as deeply emotional.

For an actress who last played Katniss in 2015's Mockingjay – Part 2, stepping onto a familiar set was apparently enough to bring back some powerful memories.

"It was unbelievable," Lawrence recalled, explaining that several members of the original production crew were also involved in the new film.

Her reunion with Hutcherson, who played Peeta Mellark throughout the original four-film series, was particularly affectionate.

"Josh and I didn't walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other," she revealed, describing the experience as beautiful.

And apparently, Woody Harrelson hasn't changed much either.

Lawrence joked that her former co-star had entered her hotel room through a window without being invited, adding that it wouldn't have felt like a proper reunion if he had suddenly started respecting boundaries and using doors.

How can Katniss return in a Hunger Games prequel?

Lawrence's confirmation settles months of speculation surrounding her involvement, but it also raises an obvious question: how does Katniss fit into a story set 24 years before the original Hunger Games?

The answer may lie in the structure of Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel, Sunrise on the Reaping.

The main story follows a 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. However, the book also features an epilogue set after the events of the original trilogy, in which an older Haymitch reflects on his past and his relationship with Katniss and Peeta.

That gives the filmmakers an established narrative route for bringing back the original actors without changing the prequel's central timeline.

Crucially, though, Lawrence has not explained exactly how her scenes fit into the finished movie. The existence of the book's epilogue makes a later-set sequence plausible, but it does not establish precisely what audiences will see on screen.

Her comments also provide new insight into the production's connections with the original films. While Lawrence and Hutcherson's involvement had been reported previously, the actress had avoided directly confirming her appearance until this interview.

What is Sunrise on the Reaping about?

The upcoming film shifts the spotlight away from Katniss and onto Haymitch, the troubled District 12 victor who eventually becomes her mentor.

Joseph Zada plays the younger Haymitch, who is selected for a particularly brutal edition of the Games featuring 48 tributes rather than the usual 24.

The cast includes Mckenna Grace as fellow District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket and Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously helmed several Hunger Games instalments, the film explores Haymitch's experiences in the arena and the events that shaped his future.

As shown in Lionsgate's official trailer, the story also examines his attempts to challenge the Capitol's control from within the Games themselves.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping arrives in cinemas on November 20, 2026. For viewers who have followed the franchise since 2012, Lawrence's confirmed return adds a familiar connection to a story primarily concerned with Panem's past.