Sydney actor Joseph Zada cast in major Hollywood film franchise

While Sunrise on the Reaping is anchoring the studio’s next theatrical leg, how much it will generate at the box office is anyone’s guess.

Catching Fire (2013) is highest-grossing Hunger Games film, claiming almost $US870 million internationally on a $US130 million production budget.

The franchise’s 2023 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, meanwhile, had a reported $US100 million production budget.

It grossed almost $US364 million worldwide, a figure bolstered by Asia Pacific re-releases in 2025 and 2026. (Perhaps that’s why, even though Liam Hemsworth starred in the original films, Zada and Grace’s trip this week is the first time in the franchise’s history that stars have come to Australia to promote it.)

Deadline puts Sunrise on the Reaping’s production budget up to $US200 million. That doesn’t include the film’s budget for marketing, which has been in overdrive on social media since author Suzanne Collins’ book, on which the screenplay was based, was announced in June 2024.

Lionsgate is well and truly aware of the fact that the TikTok generation, raised on the original book trilogy and film tetralogy, will make or break its bottom line. From the moment the project was confirmed, the studio has been courting them.

Most of the ensemble is seemingly fan-cast; Grace was predicted as Maysilee Donner a year before she was announced, and Elle Fanning was offered the role of Effie Trinket after a fan-led social media campaign.

An actual fan – Devon Singletary – was cast in a minor part after responding to an open call, where auditions were sent to casting directors via public social media posts.

As the November 19 release date nears, Lionsgate has been upping the ante. No longer is their social media content, made in the style of fan-edits, solely made in-house.

After approaching about 250 editors from popular fan-pages that cover Lionsgate’s IP on TikTok, they built a roster of 15.

In recent weeks, multiple Hunger Games fan-editors have put their own spin on the same select clips that have been circulating since the official trailer’s release six months ago.

One racked up more than 1.2 million views in four days. A clip poking fun at the fact Grace herself used to make fan-edits of Hutcherson’s Peeta Mellark got more than 1.1 million views in 24 hours.

Judging from the hundreds of clips that garnered thousands of views within minutes of Zada and Grace’s appearance at the fan event in Sydney on Wednesday night, the spectacle is fantastic for the income Lionsgate’s treasure chest generates on social media.

Grace and Zada’s charm offensive will continue in London, Madrid, Berlin, Mexico, Los Angeles and New York City. Whether it translates to box office dollars, and if Zada follows Jennifer Lawrence’s trajectory to an Academy Award, remains to be seen.

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