‘He’s a contradiction!’ Ben Wangs teases his Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping role

Ben Wang is “really excited” to play Wyatt Callow in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’.

The 25-year-old actor has been cast as the District 12 Tribute in the upcoming fantasy blockbuster, and has now teased how the character’s duality will factor into the movie's story.

When asked what aspects of Wyatt he was excited to explore, the ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ star said: “Oh, there’s so many. What really excited me about that character in the first place [is] he’s not what he seems.

“I think that’s part of the point of his character. He’s seen by his community as one thing, but he’s another thing underneath, and he’s a contradiction.

“He’s a logician, but he’s got a really big heart, right? He’s supposed to be cold and calculating, but he’s actually the person who does the most illogical and selfless thing.”

‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ will adapt Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name, and is the second instalment of the author’s ‘Hunger Games’ prequel trilogy.

In the book - which is set 24 years before ‘The Hunger Games’ on Panem - Wyatt is a Tribute from District 12, and is described as a “compulsive oddsmaker” with a keen aptitude for arithmetic and observation, skills he leverages to assess fellow tributes and navigate the Games strategically.

His analytical nature and reserved demeanour position him as a complex figure whose actions significantly influence the dynamics within the arena.

Wang’s Wyatt will appear alongside Joseph Zada’s Haymitch Abernathy - as previously played by Woody Harrelson in the original ‘Hunger Games’ movies - while Whitney Peak portrays the protagonist’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.

Meanwhile, Maya Hawke will play Wiress - the former Hunger Games champion who now serves as a mentor for those in District 12 - while Mckenna Grace has landed the highly sought-after role of District 12 Tribute Maysilee Donner.

Kieran Culkin, Jesse Plemons and Kelvin Harrison Jr. have also signed on to appear in ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’, and will play Caesar Flickerman, Plutarch Heavensbee and Beetee, respectively.

The most recent actor to be added to the cast of ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ is Ralph Fiennes, who will portray President Coriolanus Snow - the role previously held by the late Donald Sutherland in the original ‘Hunger Games’ films and Tom Blyth in the 2023 prequel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’.

In a statement, producer Nina Jacobson said: “We wanted to honour Donald Sutherland by having one of this generation’s greatest actors play President Snow 24 years before Katniss Everdeen entered the arena.

“Working with Ralph has been on my bucket list since he traumatised me for life in ‘Schindler’s List’. It’s genuinely a thrill to welcome him to the Hunger Games.”

‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ - which will be directed by Francis Lawrence - is slated to hit screens in November 2026.