Kieran Culkin Stars as Caesar Flickerman in New Hunger Games

Months of speculation have ended as Lionsgate confirms that Succession star Kieran Culkin will portray a young Caesar Flickerman in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping film adaptation.

Lionsgate made the announcement on X/Twitter, officially revealing Culkin’s role as the vibrant and eccentric television host in next year's book-to-screen adaptation. Since rumors first emerged earlier this year, fans have eagerly awaited the casting reveal. With this fancasting now made official, anticipation is building as Lionsgate works to translate the prequel onto the big screen.

Sunrise on the Reaping serves as another prequel installment for The Hunger Games audience, set after 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and years prior to the events of the original Jennifer Lawrence-led Hunger Games movies released throughout the 2010s. Stanley Tucci memorably portrayed Caesar Flickerman in the original series, which concluded in 2015, leaving Culkin with substantial expectations as he prepares to embody a younger iteration of the beloved character.

“Kieran’s magnetic presence and undeniable charm make him the perfect fit for Caesar Flickerman—the unmissable host of Panem’s most harrowing spectacle,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erin Westerman. “Stanley Tucci created an unforgettable Caesar, and now Kieran is set to redefine the role in his own unique way.”

Caesar Flickerman.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters November 20, 2026. pic.twitter.com/hggGysk4Nd

— The Hunger Games (@TheHungerGames) May 21, 2025

Culkin has made a powerful impact across television and film in recent years, gaining acclaim for roles such as Roman Roy in Succession and Benji Kaplan in last year’s A Real Pain—a performance that earned him a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Academy Award. Audiences may also recall his work as a child actor in films like the 1991 Father of the Bride and 1990’s Home Alone, where he appeared with his brother Macaulay Culkin. With his sharp wit and scene-stealing charisma, Culkin’s casting as the dystopian TV host in Sunrise on the Reaping feels like a natural and inspired choice.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to premiere on November 20, 2026. As it brings Suzanne Collins’ latest novel to life, viewers can expect to see Culkin alongside a star-studded cast including Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, and others.