Kieran Culkin joins ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise as Caesar Flickerman

Oscar and Emmy-winning actor Kieran Culkin is set to portray Caesar Flickerman in "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping", stepping into a role previously played by Stanley Tucci in the original four films.

Culkin joins an ensemble cast that includes Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Lili Taylor as Mags, Ben Wang as Wyatt, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, and Ralph Fiennes as President Snow. Molly McCann and Iona Bell will appear as Louella and her Capitol-assigned double Lou Lou, respectively.

Based on Suzanne Collins' novel, the upcoming film is set nearly 25 years before the events of the original saga. It follows a young Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games—also known as the Second Quarter Quell—where he first enters the arena.

Speaking about the casting, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman said, "Kieran's magnetic presence and sharp charisma are an ideal match for Caesar Flickerman, the unsettling yet captivating host of Panem's most brutal spectacle."

Culkin, currently enjoying a peak in his career, won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in "A Real Pain", and earlier earned an Emmy for his performance as Roman Roy in HBO's "Succession". He is presently starring in a sold-out Broadway run of "Glengarry Glen Ross" alongside Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr.

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Directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Billy Ray, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" is scheduled for release on 20 November 2026. The film is being produced by Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson for Color Force, with Cameron MacConomy serving as executive producer.

The franchise has grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide. "Sunrise on the Reaping" sold 1.5 million copies in its debut week across the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—1.2 million of those in the U.S. alone, doubling the launch figures of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes".

Producer Nina Jacobson noted, "Kieran brings depth, wit and unpredictability to the role—essential traits for a character who turns violence into spectacle while commanding the audience's full attention."

The film is being overseen at Lionsgate by Meredith Wieck and Scott O'Brien. Phil Strina negotiated the deal for the studio, while Culkin is represented by WME, Brookside Artist Management and Relevant.