Jennifer Lawrence appeared on the latest episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast and spoke for the first time about what it was like reprising Katniss Everdeen for the first time in 11 years. The Oscar winner is back as her iconic “Hunger Games” character in the upcoming film “Sunrise on the Reaping,” which hits theaters Nov. 20 from Lionsgate.
“It was amazing,” Lawrence said of Katniss’ recovery. “It was so crazy. It was the same team. It was the same AD, who I’ve worked with a million times because I love him. And with Josh (Hutcherson) and Woody (Harrelson)… it was so emotional. Josh and I didn’t go to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful. And Woody, obviously, walked in through my hotel room window uninvited. It wouldn’t be the same if he listened to the boundaries or used a door.”
Variety reported last December that Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were returning as Katniss and Peeta Mellark for a scene in “Sunrise on the Reaping.” Lawrence has now hinted that Woody Harrelson will also be returning as Haymitch. The new prequel film centers on a young Haymitch (played by Joseph Zada) as he competes in the 50th Hunger Games. Book readers know that the novel “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins ends with a flash-forward epilogue featuring Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch, so it appears the film adaptation is following suit.
Lawrence said Variety during her “No Hard Feelings” press tour in 2023, she was “totally” open to reprising her role as Katniss Everdeen in “Hunger Games” if the right opportunity presented itself. She added at the time: “If Katniss could ever come back into my life, 100 percent.”
As Katniss, Lawrence starred in four “Hunger Games” films between 2012 and 2015. The franchise (which also includes the Rachel Zegler-directed 2023 prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Serpents”) has grossed $3.3 billion at the global box office to date.
“What made me nervous was how it could negatively affect my acting career and my personal life,” Lawrence said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast about her biggest concern about joining the franchise at the age of 20. “The one thing I was always sure of when I was younger was that I wanted to be a mom, and it seemed so different from doing independent films. ‘Twilight’ had just come out and everyone saw what it was. It was more like…how is this going to change my life and my acting career?”
Watch Lawrence’s full interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in the video below.
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