Jennifer Lawrence Confirms Return to the Hunger Games Franchise

Jennifer Lawrence is set to reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. The actress confirmed that she has returned to the franchise’s universe alongside Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson, 11 years after the release of the final film in the original series. She spoke about reuniting with her co-stars on the Call Her Daddy podcast, although she missed the London premiere of the upcoming movie.

“It was incredible. Everything was so crazy because the crew was the same: the same cinematographers, the same assistant director I had worked with a million times. And Josh and Woody… It was so emotional,” Lawrence said.

One of the most touching moments for the actress was reuniting with Hutcherson, who played Peeta Mellark. After years of working together, the two actors became close friends, and returning to the set brought them even closer.

“Josh and I wouldn’t even go to the bathroom without hugging each other,” Lawrence joked.

There were also stories about Woody Harrelson, who played Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, in the original films. Lawrence recalled how her co-star once climbed through the window of her hotel room without being invited.

“Woody, of course, climbed through the window of my hotel room uninvited. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he respected personal boundaries and used the door,” she said.

Lawrence’s return does not mean that Katniss will be the main character in the new film. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel set 24 years before the events of the original story. It focuses on a young Haymitch Abernathy and the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. Young Haymitch will be played by Joseph Zada.

Katniss and Peeta will appear in the story’s epilogue, which takes viewers into the future and back to the events of the familiar franchise. This allows Lawrence and Hutcherson to reprise their roles even though the main action takes place long before their characters were born.