Why is Mckenna Grace the best choice to play Maysilee Donner in Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping? Casting explained

Mckenna Grace's casting as Maysilee Donner in Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping could be one of the best things to happen to the franchise, and the actress' range and stellar presence on screen are two of the major reasons why.

Grace's casting as the heroine has created significant buzz among fans who have longed for a strong powerful heroine to overtake the legacy left behind by Katniss Everdeen. As the prequel to the events of Everdeen's film, Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will take fans back to the blood-soaked roots of the Games — a time when rebellion simmered beneath the surface and alliances were forged not for victory, but survival.

Set during the 50th Hunger Games, this chapter explores the origins of pain and resistance that would eventually echo into Katniss’ story decades later. With Maysilee Donner at its center — a tribute who stood for more than just a fight to the death — the film promises to unravel the early embers of revolution, long before the mockingjay took flight.

Who is Maysilee Donner?

One of the most intriguing additions to The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping; Maysilee Donner is a name that longtime fans might recognize as more than just a footnote in the series' history. She was a tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, the infamous Second Quarter Quell that saw the Capitol double the tributes to a brutal 48.

But Maysilee isn't just another fallen tribute. She was Haymitch Abernathy’s ally in the arena — sharp, strategic, and quietly revolutionary. Armed with a blowgun and a resolve forged in District 12’s shadows, she fought with everything she had until her tragic end at the beaks of genetically engineered Capitol birds. Haymitch, ever the reluctant hero, stayed by her side as she died — a moment that would go on to shape him forever.

Perhaps even more significantly, Maysilee was the original owner of the iconic mockingjay pin. Before it became Katniss Everdeen’s emblem of rebellion, it was Maysilee’s quiet token — a symbol of dignity in the face of oppression. With Sunrise on the Reaping, fans finally get to witness her story unfold, not as a side note in someone else’s legend, but as a heroine in her own right.

Why Mckenna Grace is the best choice to play Maysilee Donner in Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

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Mckenna Grace is known for diverse set of roles that have cemented her status as a rising star in Hollywood at a very young age. The actress started off her career early on with multiple performances in TV shows. Her first major role was as Jasmine Bernstein in Disney XD’s Crash & Bernstein, which aired from 2012 to 2014, followed by her role as Faith Newman in the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2013 to 2015. But the film that put the spotlight on her was 2017's Gifted where she played a child prodigy alongside Chris Evans, a role that won her multiple award nominations and the status of a big star in making.

Her role as Maysilee is a perfect choice, given her performances across various franchises where she has continued to shine bright. Some of her notable contributions include I, Tonya, Troop Zero, Captain Marvel, The Bad Seed, The Haunting of Hill House, Annabelle Comes Home, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, The Bad Seed Returns and A Friend of the Family. A resume like hers fits in well with a franchise like the Hunger Games and she will surely bring along her fresh talent and feisty performances to give life to a character that fans have been waiting for for years.

The role of Maysilee demands assertiveness and strength- something Grace has embodied in her roles in Handmaid’s Tale and Captain Marvel. She has the talent to give weight to a character while still keeping it's softness intact and have the audience's kindness along too. Grace is also of the same age as Donner and they both have similar physical features. All of this really comes along to prove how the casting directors made the right choice with this one as she'll embody the iconic character perfectly.

More details on Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Releasing in 2026, Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping follows a young Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell where twice the usual number of tributes are reaped. On his birthday, Haymitch is forced into the Games after intervening during a chaotic reaping that leads to a tribute's death. He says a rushed goodbye to his love, Lenore Dove, and is sent to the Capitol. There, Haymitch meets allies like Mags, Wiress, Beetee, and Plutarch Heavensbee, who is secretly part of a plan to sabotage the Games.

After surviving an assassination attempt and witnessing the Capitol’s manipulation through a doppelganger tribute, Haymitch joins a new alliance, the Newcomers. He cleverly turns his low training score into a public strength and secretly plots to outwit the Capitol's control. Once the Games begin, he avoids the bloodbath and discovers that the arena’s food and water are poisoned—except for those from the Cornucopia.

He uses his supplies to survive instead of fight, slowly gaining the upper hand. After the Games, Haymitch reflects on his past while mentoring Katniss and Peeta. Haunted by Lenore's death but filled with quiet defiance, his story sets the foundation for the rebellion to come.

As evident, the story is set twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games and forty years after The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. It will show Panem and its Second Quarter Quell. Francis Lawrence will serve as a director for the film while Billy Ray is writing the script that is based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel. So far casting includes Joseph Zada, who is set to play Haymitch, with Whitney Peak who will play Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird.

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will release on November 20, 2026.