were Haymitch Abernathy's games, explaining how he got to the situation he was in during the original trilogy. While the film doesn't release until 2026, Sunrise on the Reaping has begun revealing its cast , and one of them has a history with the film's director.

While many of Sunrise on the Reaping's characters were also seen in the original books and movies, there are plenty of new characters that have yet to have any presence in the films, and their inclusions are some of the most exciting. Most of the new cast announcements were exciting, but one character, Wyatt Callow, is being played by up-and-coming actor Ben Wang, and his casting is even more exciting considering his connection to the Sunrise on the Reaping director.

Ben Wang Has Been Cast As Wyatt Callow In Sunrise On The Reaping

Wyatt Is One Of The Tributes To Compete In The 50th Hunger Games

Wang's character, Wyatt Callow, was the second male District 12 tribute that was selected for the 50th Hunger Games. In the series' lore, every 25th Hunger Games ceremony had a unique twist, as seen in Catching Fire, when the 75th Hunger Games only used tributes who had won from their respective districts. The 50th Hunger Games had double the number of tributes, so there were four from each district, which is why both Wyatt and Haymitch were able to compete.

Ben Wang has proven himself to be a solid performer, and will hopefully be able to do this character justice when he appears on the big screen.

In Sunrise on the Reaping, Callow is an oddsmaker, meaning that he would predict the outcome of any specific event that people would bet on, and set the odds for everyone to actually bet against. He is a fairly complex character, initially coming across as somewhat unlikable, especially in Haymitch's eyes. However, as the book progressed, he became a sympathetic and interesting addition to the story. Wang has proven himself to be a solid performer, and will hopefully be able to do this character justice when he appears on the big screen.

Ben Wang & Francis Lawrence Worked Together On The 2025 Stephen King Movie

The Long Walk Is Coming Out Later This Year

Wang's casting isn't only exciting because of his acting prowess, however, as he has previously worked with Sunrise on the Reaping director, Francis Lawrence, on The Long Walk, an adaptation of the 1979 Stephen King novel of the same name. While that film hasn't been released yet, it has already completed principal photography, and Wang's casting here indicates that Lawrence was impressed enough by his performance in that film to cast him again in Sunrise on the Reaping.

Another interesting aspect of Lawrence and Wang's reunion is the fact that The Long Walk has a very similar story to The Hunger Games, where a group of young people must take part in a competition to be the last one left alive. While The Long Walk predates The Hunger Games by several decades, the movie is the first theatrical adaptation of the novel, and it will no doubt be compared to the franchise when it releases, giving Wang's connection to both movies a very interesting spin.

The Reunion Makes Sunrise On The Reaping Even More Exciting

Wang And Lawrence's History Should Make For A Great Performance

Wang is already becoming something of a rising star, as he will also be starring in Karate Kid: Legends when that film releases this month. He has a lot of projects, but the fact that he already has a history with Lawrence makes his casting in Sunrise on the Reaping even more enticing. A good director and a good actor can make or break a movie, and a director and actor who work well together can elevate any movie, which will hopefully be done with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

The Long Walk will be released on September 12, 2025, while The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will arrive in theaters on November 20, 2026.