Jennifer Lawrence felt “so emotional” returning to The Hunger Games franchise in the upcoming prequel Sunrise on the Reaping.
The Oscar-winning actress, who played Katniss Everdeen in the original four-film franchise, will reprise her role in the upcoming movie’s epilogue alongside Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark.
Reflecting on her return, she admitted during Wednesday’s episode of Call Her Daddy, that it was “emotional” being reunited with her co-stars and members of the original crew.
“(It was) unbelievable. It was so crazy because it was the same crew. It was the same camera guys, the same AD – who I’ve worked with a million times too ’cause I love him – and Josh and Woody (Harrelson) and it was so emotional,” she said. “It was Josh and I… (we) didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful.”
She then quipped, “And Woody obviously came through the window of my hotel room uninvited because it wouldn’t be the same if he listened to boundaries and used a door.”
Lawrence’s comments confirm that Harrelson will return as Haymitch Abernathy in the epilogue. Harrelson had not been officially confirmed, but he was widely expected to appear because he provided a voiceover for an early teaser trailer.
Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before the first film and follows a younger Haymitch (played by Joseph Zada) as he competes in the Hunger Games tournament. The film also stars Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes and Mckenna Grace, and will open on November 20.
Elsewhere in the interview, the Silver Linings Playbook star also revealed a time she once took a stand when she found unauthorised crew members present during the filming of a nude scene.
“There was like an instance on set where crew members who weren’t approved when I was doing nudity, you know, were on set or something,” she shared. “And I came down hard on it purely because if we’re not setting that kind of principle at the level at which we’re doing it right now, then what on earth is going to happen to an 18-year-old unknown?”
She added, “It was important to me to explain that to the people, why that was not OK.”
Jennifer Lawrence did not specify the film, however, she has racy scenes in her 2023 comedy No Hard Feelings and 2025 drama Die My Love.
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