Will Rachel Zegler Return as Lucy Gray in the Next 'Hunger Games'? Her Surprising Answer Inside!

Rachel Zegler finally answers a question many of us have been asking: Will she return as Lucy Gray in the upcoming Hunger Games movie, Sunrise on the Reaping?

In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she gave an honest answer:

“I would die for the chance to come back as Lucy Gray Baird, but I am not included.”

While it might be sad for her fans to learn she’s not in the movie, it makes sense since Sunrise on the Reaping is set to be a prequel, taking place 24 years before the first novel. It follows Haymitch Abernathy, District 12’s second—and for 23 years, only living—Hunger Games victor, who is chosen to participate in the second Quarter Quell.

Lucy Gray’s fate remains a mystery after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, when she escaped from Coriolanus Snow. What happened next, only author Suzanne Collins can tell. It also makes sense that Zegler won’t appear in Sunrise on the Reaping, as it takes place 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, meaning another actress would likely play Lucy.

The movie is currently in production, with a release date set for November 20, 2026. While that might feel like a long wait for some, the good news is that the novel the movie is based on is set to be released on March 18 of next year, which isn’t as far away.

So, if you really want to know what happens in Sunrise on the Reaping, be sure to pick up the book!