- Primary Subject: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
- Key Update: A newly released set image shows a young Haymitch Abernathy standing on stage right after being reaped for the 50th Hunger Games.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: September 3, 2026
- Quick Answer: A new set photo reveals young Haymitch Abernathy on stage following his reaping for the deadly Second Quarter Quell in Sunrise on the Reaping.
A young Haymitch (Joseph Zada) will be seen in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and a new set photo hints at a pivotal moment in his backstory.
A prequel to the original films, the dystopian movie not only explores Haymitch’s younger years, before he became the traumatized and alcoholic mentor fans know, but also gives viewers a better understanding of the Second Quarter Quell, or the 50th Hunger Games. So, what does this image reveal about Haymitch’s story?
What Does This New Look at Haymitch Reveal?
In the new The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping image (via ComicBook), young Haymitch appears to have just been reaped, with his name being called as one of District 12’s tributes while standing on stage alongside Drusilla Sickle (Glenn Close) and other Capitol members.
Fans who have read the book know this will only be the beginning of Haymitch’s devastating story in Sunrise on the Reaping, from the horrifying events during the Games to the unbelievable aftermath when he returns home.
After being forced into the Games as a replacement following an intervention with Peacekeepers, Haymitch is about to witness his friends and allies suffer horrific deaths and eventually realize just how rigged and cruel the system is after winning and surviving the Games.
Elsewhere, the photo also offers a glimpse at a young Plutarch Heavensbee (Jesse Plemons). Knowing that he initially sided with the Capitol as a Gamemaker before being revealed as a double agent working for the rebels in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, it will be interesting to see what the movie reveals about him this time.
What Is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping About?
Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before the original trilogy and sees a total of 48 children fighting in the arena instead of the original 24 tributes.
It follows a 16-year-old Haymitch as he tries his best to win the brutal Games and outsmart the Capitol from the inside, from navigating its mechanics to surviving a massive subterranean flood triggered by genetically mutated hazards.
In addition to Joseph Zada, Glenn Close, and Jesse Plemons, the ensemble cast also includes Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, and Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner.
There are also rumors that Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will return to reprise their roles as Katniss and Peeta for epilogue elements.
Sunrise on the Reaping is set to hit theaters on November 20.
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