The Hunger Games: Sunrise On the Reaping Reveals McKenna Grace’s Role — Full Character Breakdown

McKenna Grace is headed to Panem, and yes, it is exactly the kind of role you want her in. Sharp kid in a brutal arena. Big emotions under pressure. Lots of running. I get why she said yes.

McKenna Grace will play Maysilee Donner

The actress has officially joined 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' as Maysilee Donner, one of District 12's two female tributes in the 50th Hunger Games, aka the Second Quarter Quell. It is a return to big-screen, high-stakes chaos for Grace, and the character is a meaningful one in series lore.

Who is Maysilee, and why she matters

In Suzanne Collins' new prequel, Maysilee is reaped from District 12 alongside a teenage Haymitch Abernathy. She comes from the district's wealthier side, which makes her selection a surprise since kids from that class were rarely chosen. She also has a twin, Merrilee Donner, though only Maysilee has been mentioned in early casting.

The big lore connection: Maysilee is the original owner of the Mockingjay pin, the symbol that later becomes tied to Katniss Everdeen. Beyond the trivia, she is not just there to fill a slot. Maysilee is quick-thinking, blunt in a way that cuts through the noise, and she turns into one of Haymitch's most reliable allies during the Games. She is the kind of tribute who makes clever use of whatever is on hand, and yes, she is the one who loves little accessories and trinkets. The arc here is strength, loyalty, and, when it counts, sacrifice.

What 'Sunrise on the Reaping' covers

The story takes place 24 years before the original trilogy. We meet 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy in District 12, trying to keep his family afloat while figuring out life with his girlfriend, Lenore Dove Baird. Joseph Zada plays young Haymitch this time around, with Woody Harrelson having originated the character in the earlier films.

Then the reaping hits, and it is the 50th Hunger Games. Because it is the Second Quarter Quell, the Capitol doubles the field: twice as many tributes from every district. It is billed as the bloodiest Games in Panem history, engineered as a lesson to would-be rebels. Alongside Haymitch, tributes like Maysilee Donner, Wyatt Callow, and Louella McCoy are thrown into an arena where survival means navigating both the carnage and the politics.

Who is making it

Francis Lawrence, who steered multiple previous Hunger Games movies, is back in the director's chair. Billy Ray wrote the screenplay. The ensemble around Grace and Zada includes Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Maya Hawke, Billy Porter, and more.

• McKenna Grace plays Maysilee Donner, District 12 tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell
• Maysilee is the original owner of the Mockingjay pin and has a twin, Merrilee (no casting for the twin yet)
• Set 24 years before the original trilogy, the film follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) and his relationship with Lenore Dove Baird
• Second Quarter Quell twist: double the tributes from every district, making it the bloodiest Games in Panem history
• Directed by Francis Lawrence, written by Billy Ray; cast also features Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Maya Hawke, and Billy Porter
• In theaters November 20, 2026

Bottom line: putting Grace in Maysilee's boots is a smart move. The character is a linchpin for the Haymitch backstory fans have wanted for years, and that Mockingjay pin connection is the kind of deep-cut detail that actually matters once the arrows start flying.