Josh Hutcherson Expresses Interest In Returning As Peeta Mellark In ‘Hunger Games’ Series

A decade after starring in the adaptations of the first three books in the Hunger Games saga, actor Josh Hutcherson expressed his desire to return to the series, MovieWeb reports.

As the character of Peeta Mellark, protagonist Katniss Everdeen’s partner in the titular competition and eventual love interest, Hutcherson appeared in four films from 2012 to 2015.

Now, in an interview at Dream It Fest in Paris, he has shown interest in returning to the sci-fi role, even reaching out to Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins, saying: “…I think Peeta’s an incredible person to get to bring to life. I’m curious to know what happens between when they have their family and when the story ends, just to understand what happened in the world, and how they got to that place. But I’m down. If you can talk to Suzanne Collins and tell her to write a book, I’m in. Sign me up.”

Collins recently released Sunrise On The Reaping, second prequel in the series after 2020’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes that follows Katniss and Peeta’s mentor Haymitch Abernathy 24 years before the events of the original novel, with a film adaptation already in development.

Despite being a prequel, a cameo from Hutcherson in Sunrise could still be possible as the book’s epilogue features appearances from the Peeta and Katniss characters, but it is unknown if this will be added to the film version.

Hutcherson will next appear on screen in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, on December 5th, 2025, while the adaptation of Sunrise On The Reaping is scheduled for release in November 2026.