Summary
A new actor will have to be cast to play young Haymitch inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, but common fan castings reveal Lionsgate’s challenge in this task. The upcomingHunger Gamesmovie will be set during the 50th Hunger Games, the year District 12’s Haymitch Abernathy was victor. This is, of course, exciting, andHunger Gamesfans are already abuzz about who should play the 16-year-old version of Woody Harrelson’s character. The problem is that many of the suggested actors don’t work with the books' description of Haymitch
Two actors have been frequentlyfan-cast to play Haymitch in theSunrise on the Reapingmovie. The first isCobra Kai’s Tanner Buchanan, who has already shown eagerness to take on the role if he had the opportunity. The second is Tom Glynn-Carney, who has grown increasingly popular while playing Aegon II Targaryen in HBO’sHouse of the Dragon. Either of these actors could do a phenomenal job, and it’s clear why fans have selected them.Both Buchanan and Glynn-Carney have light hair and a similar facial structure to Harrelson, but this might not be the best way to go.
Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date, Story, Updates & Everything We Know
Suzanne Collins has announced details about the upcoming novel in the Hunger Games series, which will be titled Sunrise on the Reaping.
Haymitch Has The “Seam Look” In The Hunger Games Books
While Harrelson was a phenomenal Haymitch, he didn’t match the description of the character. InThe Hunger Gamesnovels,Katniss mentions several times that Haymitch has the “Seam look,” which entails black hair, olive skin, and grey eyes(like Katniss and Gale). District 12 citizens from the Seam were easily distinguishable from those from town, like Peeta, who were often light-skinned with blonde hair. While this may seem like a minor detail, the appearances of District 12’s citizens were important toThe Hunger Gamesthemes, and this will be even more important inSunrise on the Reaping.
Why The Appearance Of District 12 Kids Was Important In The Hunger Games Books
The Divide Within District 12 Explores Classism
In theHunger Gamesbooks,there is a significant divide between the District 12 citizens who live in the impoverished Seam and those who live in town and run businesses(rather than working in the mines). While neither group is well-fed, there is a noted difference in class. Seam laborers were far more likely to die of starvation and were notoriously short-lived as Hunger Games tributes. The town citizens, on the other hand, had just enough food and money to get by. This divide resulted in significant prejudice between the two groups, exacerbated by their visual differences.
These details create a subtle but impactful message, but the Sunrise on the Reaping movie would lose this if it casts based on Harrelson’s appearance.
In the firstHunger Gamesbook, the fact that Katniss and Peeta were from these two different worlds within District 12 was significant. This is paralleled in the50th Hunger Games, whereHaymitch, a Seam boy, allies with District 12’s Maysilee Donner, a blonde-haired, light-skinned town girl. This is again reflected, to a point, inThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, where Lucy Gray, who fits the Seam description, is paired with Coriolanus Snow. These details create a subtle but impactful message, but theSunrise on the Reapingmovie would lose this if it casts based on Harrelson’s appearance.
Sunrise On The Reaping Will Have To Choose Between The Hunger Games Books & Movies
Neither Answer Is Perfect
If Lionsgate wants itsSunrise on the Reapingstory to parallel that ofThe Hunger GamesandThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, it will cast a young Haymitch based on the books' description of his character. The selected actor would then look similar to Katniss and Lucy Gray, creating a commonality betweenthe victors of these threeHunger Gamesstories. However, since Harrelson was so memorable as Haymitch,casting a young actor who looks nothing like him could be a problem. Thus,Sunrise on the Reapingis already in a bit of a pickle.
Ultimately,the upcomingHunger Gamesmovie must choose where its continuity will be sourced. Buchanan and Glynn-Carney, or another actor who looks like Harrelson, would surely do a great job in the role, and there are other ways that theSunrise on the Reapingmovie can draw on the continued themes of the franchise. Still, it would be a shame to see the nuanced details of theHunger Gamesbooks lost. It’s a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” kind of situation and only time will tell the decision that Lionsgate will make.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingreleases in theaters on July 08, 2025.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Cast
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores the dystopian world of Panem 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s story. This prequel focuses on the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, unveiling the origins of crucial events and traditions in the series.
