Leading German media company LEONINE Studios has secured the long-term exclusive distribution rights for Germany and Austria to THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING (OT), the sequel to the mega Hunger Games franchise, from renowned US studio Lionsgate.
THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING (OT) is the sixth installment in the blockbuster series, which has grossed over USD $3.3 billion in worldwide box office to date. The previous installment of the hit franchise, THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, was the most successful theatrical release of the fall in Germany, debuting at number 1 on the German box office charts in November 2023 and reaching an audience of more than 1.6 million people in German theaters.
THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING (OT) is based on the bestseller "Die Tribute von Panem L – Der Tag bricht an" by Suzanne Collins and will be released in theaters on November 20, 2026. Suzanne Collins is one of the most successful authors in the world. Her novel was published in March 2025 and has held the top spot on Amazon and USA Today ever since, while the Hunger Games series continues to rank number one on the New York Times bestseller list. In its first week, 1.5 million copies were sold worldwide and 1.2 million in the US alone – double the first week sales of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" and triple those of "Mockingjay." In Germany, "Die Tribute von Panem L – Der Tag bricht an" also immediately jumped to number one on the SPIEGEL bestseller list, where it has remained in the top 20 ever since. The title also rose to number one on #BookTok. Around 200,000 copies of the novel have been sold in the DACH region to date.
Fred Kogel, CEO of LEONINE Studios, says: "THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING will be one of the biggest film releases of 2026. In Germany alone, the franchise has attracted more than 15 million people to cinemas to date. With this and other high-profile titles that we will be announcing shortly, we are consistently expanding our premium IPs. This will enable us to achieve our goal of continuously offering outstanding content as the No. 1 independent distributor to audiences in Germany and Austria and to all our partners in cinema, home entertainment, pay TV, and free TV - including major tentpole productions with international appeal."
THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING (OT) features an award-winning top cast: Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Jesse Plemons, Billy Porter, and Lili Taylor, as well as rising stars Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, and Ben Wang, among others.
The new installment in the series is set 24 years before the story of the first film and focuses on the 50th Hunger Games, the so-called second Quarter Quell. Francis Lawrence returns to direct. The screenplay was written by Oscar® -nominated writer Billy Ray (CAPTAIN PHILIPS, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, THE HUNGER GAMES). The film is produced by the acclaimed producers Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and Francis Lawrence, and executive produced by Cameron MacConomy.
