‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Reveals Haymitch’s Tragic Backstory

We’re still more than a year away from the cinematic release of the latest Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, but Suzanne Collins’ novel is set to hit shelves this March, and thanks to a new excerpt we now have a little more insight into the tragic backstory of Haymitch Abernathy. Portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original trilogy, this new chapter in the epic saga will focus on his early years as he’s chosen to participate in the 50th Hunger Games, which also happens to be the second Quarter Quell, meaning this time around, twice as many tributes are selected to represent their district.

The excerpt from Sunrise on the Reaping comes courtesy of People, and takes place during Chapter 1 of the novel. We learn that not only is Reaping Day also Haymitch’s 16th birthday, but that he has a 10-year-old younger brother named Sid. He’s not expecting to be chosen to participate in the games, and instead is focused on getting his chores done so that he can waste away the afternoon with the love of his life, Lenore Dove.

“I’m hoping to finish my work before the ceremony so I can devote the afternoon to the two things I love best — wasting time and being with my girl, Lenore Dove. My ma makes indulging in either of these a challenge, since she regularly announces that no job is too hard or dirty or tricky for me, and even the poorest people can scrape up a few pennies to dump their misery on somebody else. But given the dual occasions of the day, I think she’ll allow for a bit of freedom as long as my work is done. It’s the Gamemakers who might ruin my plans.”

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“The second Quarter Quell,” the excerpt later reads as Haymitch goes into the horrors of what he’s about to witness. “Twice as many kids. No point in worrying, I tell myself, there’s nothing you can do about it. Like two Hunger Games in one. No way to control the outcome of the reaping or what follows it. So don’t feed the nightmares. Don’t let yourself panic. Don’t give the Capitol that. They’ve taken enough already.”

What Does This Mean for the ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ Movie?

Like 2016’s The Hunger Games before it, it appears as if Sunrise on the Reaping will try to tug on our heartstrings once more in its opening moments. Fans will recall how the original film set up Katniss and her family – specifically Primrose – to be sympathetic characters we could easily relate to before their world was ripped apart when Primrose was chosen, and her sister volunteered as tribute in her stead.

Sunrise on the Reaping looks to be employing a similar strategy, and will show the everyday life of Haymitch and how much he loves Lenore before he’s taken from her and his family. As of right now, casting for the film has yet to be announced, so we’re not sure who will play this younger version of Harrelson’s character. Whomever they get will definitely have to have a mature enough emotional range to not only make us fall in love with him in those opening moments, but make the audience feel his pain when he’s snatched away from the life he’s desperately clinging to in the dystopian nation of Panem.

Look for Suzanne Collins’ novel Sunrise on the Reaping to hit shelves on March 18 from Scholastic Books, and the film adaptation to open nationwide on Nov. 20, 2026 from Lionsgate. Fans looking to relive where it all started can currently watch The Hunger Games streaming on Hulu.

Release Date

March 12, 2012

Runtime

142 minutes

Cast

Liam Hemsworth
, Jeffrey Wright
, Natalie Dormer
, Josh Hutcherson
, Julianne Moore
, Elizabeth Banks
, Robert Knepper
, Donald Sutherland
, Woody Harrelson
, Jennifer Lawrence
, Jena Malone
, Philip Seymour Hoffman

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