Jennifer Lawrence has spent the better part of the last decade moving away from the “Girl on Fire” persona that turned her into a global household name. But Panem might not be finished with Katniss Everdeen just yet. In a move that has sent the Hunger Games fandom into a digital tailspin, Lawrence recently addressed growing speculation that she is set to reprise her most iconic role in the upcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
During a live appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast on January 12, 2026, the Oscar winner provided what many are calling the “ultimate wink” to the reports.
The “Ultimate Wink” on Happy Sad Confused
When host Josh Horowitz playfully suggested that she should “catch up” with director Francis Lawrence, who is helming the new prequel, Jennifer didn’t miss a beat. “Maybe we already have,” she replied with a coy smile. When Horowitz pushed further, mentioning that the internet is already convinced of her return, she laughed and added, “Oh, yeah. It is out on the internet, isn’t it?”
While not a formal press release from Lionsgate, the exchange marks the first time Lawrence has leaned into the rumors rather than dodging them. The timing is particularly noteworthy given that her Sunrise on the Reaping co-star, Maya Hawke, seemingly let the cat out of the bag just days earlier during an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
When Fallon asked Hawke if Lawrence “actually came back” for the project, the Stranger Things star looked momentarily panicked. “We’re allowed to say that? People know?” Hawke asked, to which Fallon hilariously replied, “They know now!”
Rooted in the Source Material
The speculation isn’t just based on celebrity banter; it’s rooted in the source material. Sunrise on the Reaping, based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel, is primarily set 24 years before the original trilogy, focusing on the 50th Hunger Games and a young Haymitch Abernathy.
However, the book concludes with a present-day epilogue featuring an older Haymitch in conversation with Katniss and Peeta. This narrative framing device provides a logical, “lore-accurate” way for Lawrence and her former co-star Josh Hutcherson to return without the need for de-aging technology or complex timeline shifts.
A New Chapter in a Storied Career
This potential return comes at a pivotal moment in Lawrence’s career. Since the conclusion of the original series in 2015, she has focused on prestige dramas like Causeway and her recent psychological thriller Die My Love. She has also moved into producing through her company, Excellent Cadaver.
Her willingness to revisit Katniss signals a broader industry shift where “prestige” actors are becoming more comfortable returning to the franchises that built their foundations. In a 2023 interview with Variety, Lawrence had already planted the seeds for this comeback, stating, “If Katniss ever could come back into my life, 100 percent.”
The discourse surrounding Lawrence’s return also touches on a deeper cultural fascination with celebrity evolution. Online communities have spent months dissecting her public appearances, often veering into scrutiny of her appearance, a topic Lawrence herself has addressed with her signature bluntness.
During an interview with Kylie Jenner for Interview Magazine, Lawrence responded to online chatter about her face, clarifying that her look has changed due to aging and different makeup techniques rather than the cosmetic procedures fans speculated about. “I also think it’s unbelievable what makeup can do,” she noted, emphasizing that “starting at 19” in the public eye means the world has watched her face grow up.
By returning to Katniss as a more mature version of the character, Lawrence would be leaning into that natural progression, portraying the “Victors’ Village” version of the heroine that fans have only ever seen in brief glimpses.
Lionsgate has a lot riding on this. The Hunger Games franchise has grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide, and while 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was a critical and commercial success, the return of the original “star-crossed lovers” would almost certainly guarantee a massive box-office opening.
The cast for Sunrise on the Reaping is already stacked with talent, including Joseph Zada as a young Haymitch, Ralph Fiennes taking over the role of President Snow, and Kieran Culkin stepping in as Caesar Flickerman. Adding Lawrence and Hutcherson to the mix, even in a cameo capacity, turns the prequel into a major cinematic event.
As we move closer to the film’s scheduled release on November 20, 2026, the question is no longer “if” Lawrence is back, but how much screen time she will actually have. For a generation of fans who grew up shouting “I volunteer as tribute,” seeing Katniss one more time represents more than just a cameo; it’s a full-circle moment for one of modern cinema’s most defining characters.
