After watching The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I’m both super excited and honestly a bit stressed about diving back into this story since it’s set to become one of the highly anticipated book-to-movie adaptations. The filming kicked off in Europe earlier this summer, and while it’s been so heartwarming to see the District 12 tributes unite on set, there’s an underlying seriousness given the movie’s theme.
McKenna Grace, who plays Maysilee Donner in the Sunrise on the Reaping cast, shared a delightful TikTok featuring herself, Joseph Zada (the new Haymitch), and Iona Bell (the actress playing Lou Lou). They joined in on one of those dance trends on TikTok to The Cranberries’ catchy tune “Sunday.” You’ve gotta see it!
Seriously, these three are the cutest! They rocked matching bear shirts while literally embodying the lyrics about spinning around and having “feet off the ground.” You could almost think they were having a cozy sleepover in between their filming duties for Sunrise on the Reaping. But as McKenna pointed out in her caption, they’re missing one crucial District 12 tribute: Ben Wang, who brings Wyatt Callow to life.
Her caption, filled with love, included hashtags like #BenWangComeHomeWeMissYou, hinting that Ben hasn’t been present on set lately. If you’ve glanced at the books, you’re aware that it’s pretty much common knowledge that Haymitch will be the sole tribute to survive the 50th Hunger Games. So, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness after watching that fun TikTok, especially when you realize they created some great memories together.
Naturally, I had to wonder if they’ve already filmed the heartbreaking scene involving Ben Wang’s character. Fans in the comments were asking the same question! What’s even more intense is how Lionsgate reacted to Grace’s TikTok, stating: “If you miss Ben Wang, we’ve got a movie for you,” which is a nod to his part in the upcoming release scheduled for 2025, The Long Walk. Here’s McKenna’s response to that:
Please stop putting our boy in death games #justiceforben let the boy be joyful
In case you missed it, Ben Wang also joins the cast of The Long Walk, a take on a Stephen King story directed by Francis Lawrence, who is also behind Sunrise on the Reaping. This flick hits theaters on September 12, involving yet another brutal competition where teens have to keep walking until only one remains.
McKenna makes a solid point! Ben could definitely use a light-hearted role after facepalming through these two intense sci-fi “death games.”
The Long Walk received its first reviews this week, liken to a “towering achievement reminiscent of The Outsiders and Full Metal Jacket” and d to be a “perfect adaptation” of King’s novel. Mark your calendars because you can see Ben Wang when it premieres in theaters on September 12. Meanwhile, as the Sunrise on the Reaping film wraps things up for a November 20 release dated in 2026, his fellow cast members are really feeling his absence.
