A brand new Hunger Games book, Sunrise on the Reaping, is set to release on March 18 next year! We’ll be diving back into Panem, 40 years after A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes mistakes, during the 50th Hunger Games, the second Quarter Quell (AKA Haymitch’s Games).
My jaw (like many other fans) was on the FLOOR. I had honestly made my peace with not having more Hunger Games novels. But then…it got even better. Within minutes of hearing about the new book, we also got the official announcement that there's going to be a movie adaptation, hitting theaters on November 20, 2026. It's so exciting to see the confidence in this new story, knowing it's going to sell like crazy and that the fanbase will be all in.
And, as always, Collins appears ready to make a statement, as she stated that the new book was based on David Hume’s idea “of implicit submission and, in his words, ‘the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.” She also said that: “The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question ‘Real or not real?’ seems more pressing to me every day.”
Fingers crossed that Francis Lawrence, the director behind "Catching Fire" and the "Mockingjay" films, will be back to bring Suzanne Collins' vision to life once again. Every time he directs, it feels like the books are pulled right out of our brains and put on the screen.
Let’s dive into everything we know so far about Haymitch’s story, make some predictions, and share what we’re hoping to see in the new book and movie.
Sunrise on the Reaping: Overview
In this new book, we'll get to see Haymitch Abernathy’s backstory. The story will show us Haymitch at 16 years old, before he became the mentor to Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark that we all know and love. We know he’s from District 12, “the seam of District 12,” and had a family—a brother, parents, and a girlfriend—before heading into the Hunger Games.
Since it’s a Quarter Quell, there’s a special twist: “double the tributes.” This means the stakes are even higher and the arena is bound to be more dangerous. Haymitch will be facing off against twice as many competitors, making his victory even more impressive.
We're all curious about who might appear in this story. Will we see Lucy Gray Baird as a mentor? It's unlikely since that would be a very public role, and with Snow as president, it seems like a stretch. But who knows? Maybe we’ll see some other familiar faces like a young Seneca Crane or even a young Caesar Flickerman.
The Sunrise on the Reaping Movie - Hunger Games 5
The immediate announcement of the movie shows just how sure they are that “this book is going to sell like crazy.” And that’s to be expected. The Hunger Games has had a dedicated following since it’s massive explosion following the first The Hunger Games movie, and if the thousands of videos featuring the Caesar Flickerman intro music on TikTok I saw the day of the announcement is anything to go by…the fandom is ready for a new story.
A big hope among fans is that Francis Lawrence will return as the director. He’s the man behind a majority of the Hunger Games film series: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, Mockingjay Part 2, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movies. His ability to capture Suzanne Collins' vision is amazing - every time I watched one of his films, it’s like the books were pulled out of my brain and put onto the screen.
Lawrence himself has shown interest in continuing with the Hunger Games series, saying, “if she [Suzanne Collins] has more to say, I will be there.” This gives fans even more reason to be excited, knowing there’s a strong chance he’ll be involved in bringing "Sunrise on the Reaping" to life.
Honestly, now that we’re opening the movie franchise back up - I’m wondering if this will actually be the final Hunger Games or if we’ll maybe get another lesson or two in this world from Suzanne Collins.
Haymitch Abernathy - Backstory and What We Know So Far
In the new book, we’ll get a deep dive into Haymitch Abernathy’s story. We've known him as the grizzled, sarcastic mentor from District 12, but now we get to see him as a 16-year-old, just entering the arena for the 50th Hunger Games, the second Quarter Quell.
We know that Haymitch (originally played by Haymitch Abernathy) is from “the seam of District 12” and that he had a family—a brother, parents, and a girlfriend—before being thrust into the deadly games.
Since this is a Quarter Quell, there’s a unique twist: “double the tributes.” This means Haymitch has to navigate the arena filled with twice as many competitors. However, Haymitch makes a few comments about how the tributes are always “stupid,” so I think it’s safe to say we’ll be getting a slightly cocky version of young Haymitch Abernathy.
Haymitch in the Hunger Games
From Katniss’ remarks in the original trilogy (when she was watching Haymitch’s past Hunger Games), we know the arena was stunningly beautiful, so much so that when the starting gong sounded, many tributes were too distracted by their surroundings to react. But not Haymitch. He quickly grabbed a backpack and a knife, showing his sharp instincts and readiness to survive.
In the arena, everything, from the plants to the animals, is poisonous. And instead of the brutal-looking mutts we got used to fighting with Katniss and Peeta, in this arena, we get deceptive creatures like fluffy squirrels and butterflies that can kill you.
We also know that a massive volcano that goes off and wipes out five of the ten career tributes right away.
Haymitch teams up with Maysilee Donner, another tribute from District 12. Their alliance ends up saving their lives - Haymitch runs into three career tributes and manages to kill two of them. Maysilee saves him from the third with a poison dart. But it doesn’t seem like their partnership is romantic (we won’t be seeing the back and forth from the OG book of Katniss doing anything to save Peeta, and Peeta doing anything to save Katniss). I think Maysilee’s death will be hard for him to process, but my guess is he will be a tiny bit relieved that he didn’t have to do it himself.
How Does Haymitch Abernathy Survive the Quarter Quell?
One of the most significant moments is when Haymitch figures out how to use the arena’s force field to his advantage. He’s the first tribute to realize its potential, foreshadowing Katniss’s own clever use of the force field in Catching Fire.
We know that Haymitch won his games (obvs). In the final showdown, Haymitch goes up against a tribute from District 1. Even though he’s badly injured, he uses the force field to cause the other tribute’s weapon to bounce back and kill her, securing Haymitch’s victory. I’ll be honest - I’m not super looking forward to that particular scene.
The Aftermath of the 50th Annual Hunger Games
The aftermath of the 50th Hunger Games reiterates the deep emotional and psychological toll it takes on a tribute, as we saw with Katniss Everdeen (specifically in the opening of Catching Fire). My guess is that Sunrise on the Reaping will in part take place after the Hunger Games, so we’ll see how the trauma and losses he experiences shapes him into the mentor we meet in book one.
After the games. President Snow, thinking Haymitch’s clever use of the force field was mocking the Capitol, retaliates by killing Haymitch’s mother, younger brother, and girlfriend.
The constant cycle of mentoring kids from his district only to watch them end up in the long list of dead tributes adds to his torment and bitterness, leaving Haymitch alone to drown out his sorrows with alcohol.
Even though he struggles, Haymitch does form some important friendships with other victors, like Chaff and Mags. These relationships offer him some camaraderie and understanding since they’ve also faced the horrors of the arena. It’ll be interesting to see how these bonds are portrayed in the book because they show a rare glimpse of warmth in Haymitch’s otherwise tough life.
We might also see younger versions of familiar characters like Mags, Joanna, or Finnick and Annie Cresta. Seeing these characters before they became hardened by their own experiences could add more depth to their stories and their relationships with Haymitch.
Another cool aspect is exploring Haymitch’s connections with Katniss’s parents. Since they’re around the same age and from the same district, it’s likely they knew each other. I’d personally really like to see Mrs. Everdeen before she becomes the “shell” of a person Katniss leaves behind when she enters the Hunger Games.
Who Will Play Haymitch Abernathy
Obviously, Woody Harrelson is going to be a tough act to follow. We’ve watched him protect Katniss in his own way, and go from caring less about his tributes to saving Peeta on more than one occasion. Haymitch shows emotion in a subtle way while walking the fine line of a father figure, mentor, and friend - all while maintaining a prickly exterior. Being able to portray that in a teenage character is going to take an actor with range.
That’s why the big question on everyone’s mind is who will play young Haymitch. Fans have thrown around names like Drew Starkey and Rudy Pankow, both from Outer Banks, but there’s also a lot of love for Tom Holland, (me; I am the one with love for Tom Holland). I’ve also seen Tom Blyth thrown into the mix - which, sure, he played Coriolanus Snow…but we can momentarily forget that to have him is Haymitch, right? (I also love Tom Blyth).
All these actors are slightly older than the 16-year-old they’ll be portraying (however this is pretty normal - Jennifer Lawrence played Katniss when she was 20 years old; Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray when she was 23 years old).
Whoever it is, they need to capture Haymitch’s charm, cunning, and underlying vulnerability.
I’ve seen a lot of people talking about Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland’s son, play a middle-aged Coriolanus Snow. He’s the right age and has the acting chops to bring a younger Snow to life, bridging the gap between Tom Blythe’s young Snow in "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" and the older Snow we see in the original series.
Final Thoughts
I have no doubt that Sunrise on the Reaping is going to be a thought-provoking (and anxiety-inducing) new addition to the Hunger Games, where we’ll see how Haymitch refused to stay down to instead become an integral part of the rebellion. With the promise of new alliances, intense challenges, and potential cameos from fan-favorite characters, there's so much to look forward to.
May the Odds (and the Preorder Deliveries) be ever in your favor.