“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” has found its Wyatt Callow in “Karate Kid: Legends” star Ben Wang, Lionsgate announced Thursday.
He joins previously announced co-stars Mckenna Grace, Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jesse Plemons, Maya Hawke and Lili Taylor in the Haymitch-focused prequel film from author Suzanne Collins.
The fifth film in the franchise will be written by Billy Ray and directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed all but the very first “Hunger Games.”
Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien are overseeing the project for Lionsgate. Robert Melnik negotiated the deal for the studio.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” is set for release on Nov. 20, 2026.
Wang will star for Lionsgate later this summer in the feature “The Long Walk,” based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, directed by Francis Lawrence. He is best-known for his starring role of Jin Wang in the Disney+ series “American Born Chinese.” In the event series, he starred in the lead role opposite Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan.
He will next be seen starring in the titular role for the Sony Pictures’ “Karate Kid: Legends,” which is releasing in theaters worldwide May 30. Wang was cast in the role after an extensive worldwide search where over 10,000 submissions were received.
Wang recently wrapped lead roles in two independent features. First is “Brian,” in the title role, opposite William H. Macy, Randall Park and Edi Patterson; the coming of age film is produced by Seth Meyers and Mike Scollins, who also penned the script, while Will Ropp directs. The second is the R-rated Untitled “Celebrity Pass Movie,” a comedy written by David Wain and Ken Marino and directed by Wain for A Likely Story; Wang stars opposite Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm and John Slattery.
Previously, Wang can be seen as a part of the ensemble in the musical “Mean Girls” for Paramount Pictures, and he co-starred in the coming-of-age feature film “Chang Can Dunk,” also for Disney+. He is a graduate of the NYU Tisch theater program.
Ben Wang is represented by Artists First, Stewart Talent and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.
Variety first reported the news.
