Katniss Everdeen is officially volunteering as tribute one more time. Jennifer Lawrence confirmed on October 28, 2026, that she is returning for “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” and she did it on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, according to The Wrap. In the same conversation, she shared some behind-the-scenes stories, from an awkward post-kiss comment to Bradley Cooper to a serious moment when she shut down unauthorized crew on a closed set.
The girl on fire is back
The news itself isn’t a total shock. Industry insider Jeff Sneider first broke the news in his newsletter, and Deadline confirmed on December 11, 2025, that Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were heading back to Panem. But neither the studio nor the actors officially confirmed it until Lawrence sat down with host Alex Cooper.
Her verdict on the reunion? “It was so emotional,” Lawrence said, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
According to The Wrap, she called the experience “unbelievable” and “so crazy.” Part of what made it surreal was the familiarity. Lawrence noted it was the same crew, the same camera operators, and the same assistant director she had worked with many times before.
She also confirmed, per The Wrap, that Hutcherson is back as Peeta Mellark, and the two apparently picked up right where they left off.
“Josh and I, like, didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful,” Lawrence said, as reported by The Wrap.
Lawrence also included Woody Harrelson in the reunion, according to The Wrap. Fans should hold the confetti on that one for now, though. Lionsgate has not officially confirmed Harrelson’s casting or role, and The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter note that Lawrence’s joking reference to him on the podcast is the closest thing to confirmation so far.
Don’t expect a full-blown Katniss sequel either. “Sunrise on the Reaping” is a prequel set 24 years before the original “Hunger Games,” per Deadline. It’s based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel and centers on a young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada. Lionsgate hasn’t confirmed how big Lawrence’s and Hutcherson’s parts are, but Variety and Deadline have reported that their roles will likely be a brief flash-forward cameo drawn from the book. Francis Lawrence directs, and the film hits theaters November 20, 2026.
For anyone who needs a refresher, Lawrence played Katniss across four films, starting with “The Hunger Games” in 2012 and wrapping with “Mockingjay Part 2” in 2015. Hutcherson played Peeta and Liam Hemsworth played Gale in all four.
That Bradley Cooper kiss
Now for the cringe. Lawrence and Cooper co-starred in four movies: “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle,” “Serena,” and “Joy.” Apparently their first outing included a moment she still winces about.
According to Just Jared, Lawrence recalled that after a kissing scene in “Silver Linings Playbook,” she turned to Cooper with a question that did not go over well.
“I said, ‘Aren’t you so sick of kissing?’ And he didn’t like that,” she said, as reported by Just Jared.
She described the remark as cringeworthy precisely because of his reaction. And it’s not the first time a Lawrence-Cooper smooch has made headlines. Cooper once revealed on “The Graham Norton Show” that after a kissing take on that same film, Lawrence told him he was a “wet kisser.” Romance, clearly, is alive and well.
The tuna situation, revisited
Lawrence also addressed one of the more enduring pieces of “Hunger Games” lore: Liam Hemsworth’s claim that she loaded up on smelly snacks before their kissing scenes.
Hemsworth told “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” years ago that the experience was “pretty uncomfortable,” per The Hollywood Reporter and AOL. “She’s one of my best friends, I love her, but if we had a kissing scene, she would make a point of eating garlic or tuna fish or something that was disgusting,” he said, as quoted by Just Jared.
Lawrence has pushed back on this before, including on “Hot Ones.” On “Call Her Daddy,” she once again denied doing it on purpose, according to Just Jared.
“I didn’t! I think that like I don’t even know…what to say, Liam,” she said.
The case remains open in the court of public opinion. Bring breath mints to the reunion, just in case.
Standing up on set
Not every story was played for laughs. Lawrence opened up about a time when crew members who weren’t approved showed up while she was filming a nude scene.
“There was like an instance on set where crew members who weren’t approved when I was doing nudity, [they] were on set,” she said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She didn’t let it slide. “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?” Lawrence said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Her reasoning, as The Hollywood Reporter described it, was about setting a precedent for younger, less powerful actresses who might fear being labeled “difficult” for speaking up in the same situation.
“So it was important to me to explain that to the people why that was not okay,” she added.
The specific film where this happened has not been identified, by Lawrence or by any outlet, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
So: a teary reunion, a cringey kiss story, a tuna denial, and a reminder that a movie star’s clout can protect the newcomers who come after her. Katniss would approve.
