The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will include a young Haymitch Abernathy.
After the success of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins is once again returning to Panem with another Hunger Games prequel book. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping was announced on Thursday morning, with a release set for March 18, 2025. Hours after the book was announced, Lionsgate revealed that a film adaptation had already been given the green light, with a theatrical bow set for 2026.
There wasn’t an in-depth synopsis or mention of characters with the Sunrise on the Reaping announcement, but the setting of the book told us everything we need to know. In fact, Collins already gave us some information on this specific point in Panem history during the original Hunger Games trilogy. Sunrise on the Reaping begins in the morning of the Reaping for the 50th Hunger Games; the second Quarter Quell. We already know that year’s event was won by none other than Haymitch Abernathy.
Prior to Katniss and Peeta in the 74th Hunger Games, Haymitch was the only winning tribute to ever come from District 12, which means he was forced to mentor each pair of tributes for the next 25 years. Haymitch was one of the strongest allies that Katniss and Peeta had, not just in the games, but also in the eventual rebellion. The character was already wildly popular amongst fans of the books, yet he became even more beloved after Woody Harrelson‘s portrayal of him in the Hunger Games movies.
The press release for Sunrise on the Reaping didn’t mention Haymitch or say that he’ll be the main character of the story, and Collins’ new novel may very well be told from the perspective of someone else. But we do know he’s one of the biggest figures in Panem at that time, and his tale of “victory” will have to be central to the plot.
This means we’re finally getting to learn more about Haymitch, something fans have been hoping for for quite a while. That said, Haymitch’s story is going to be heartbreaking, so be emotionally prepared going in.
There’s a reason Haymitch is an old drunk when we meet the middle-aged version in The Hunger Games. And there’s a reason he’s especially out of sorts come time for the annual games. While we don’t know everything about the year he participated, we do know that the Second Quarter Quell featured double the number of Tributes as normal years. So Haymitch had to kill or outlive 47 other teenagers, and he had to suffer the loss of three District 12 companions, rather than just one.
Catching Fire also revealed that President Snow and the Capitol had Haymitch’s mother, brother, and girlfriend killed a couple of weeks after the 50th Hunger Games. Instead of killing his final opponent, Haymitch used the Arena’s forcefield to trick her into accidentally taking her own life. That move didn’t sit well with the Capitol, with many feeling like it made them look bad, and they took everything Haymitch loved in retaliation.
Haymitch is one of the best and most popular supporting characters in the entire Hunger Games franchise, and his story is an important one. As we learned with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, though, knowing what happens going in doesn’t necessarily make the heartbreak any less painful.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will hit shelves on March 18, 2025.
