The Hunger Games’ Sunrise on the Reapingwill show young Haymitch in a different light, and he will be the complete opposite of Coriolanus Snow inThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. After Katniss’s story was completed inMockingjay, the next installments inSuzanne Collins’Hunger Gamesbooksturned to the history of Panem, with Snow being the protagonist in the first prequel. Five years afterThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakeswas released, Suzanne Collins announced that she would be writing anotherHunger Gamesprequel and Lionsgate confirmed that they would be adapting the book the very same day.
The Hunger Gamesmovies give snippets about Haymitch’s past. However, the details of who he was when he was younger or how he came to be who he is aren’t fully revealed. As Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, Haymitch has an interestingbackstory thatSunrise on the Reapingis set to explore. In the same way thatThe Ballads of Songbirds and Snakesportrays Snow as a complex character,Sunrise on the Reapingwill likely do the same for young Haymitch.
President Snow Became A Villain At A Young Age
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesis a villain origin story.It examines the past of Coriolanus Snow and the events that led to him becoming the antagonistinThe Hunger Gamesfranchise. However, the film had to make young President Snow less villainous to show that he was a multifaceted character, to make it easier to understand why he became evil. For instance,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesincludesa love story between Snow and Lucy Bairdand the impact the Panem rebellion had on his life.
Everything We Already Know About Sunrise On The Reaping’s Hunger Games Thanks To Catching Fire
Sunrise On The Reaping is a highly-anticipated prequel depicting Haymitch’s games, and Catching Fire already hinted to much of his experience.
While the Snow seen inThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesis portrayed differently from the one in the otherHunger Gamesfilms, he eventually becomes the familiar bad guy by the film’s conclusion.The Hunger Gamesprequel tries to humanize Snow, but it actually does the opposite by proving that he has always been evil, despite his justification of the atrocious things he has committed. Even in his youth,Snow believed that if a terrible thing had to be done for the greater good, then there was no reason to feel any remorseif the benefits outweighed the costs.
Sunrise On The Reaping Will Have To Make Young Haymitch Less Heroic
The 50th Hunger Games Were The Second Quarter Quell
Sunrise on the Reapingwill focus on howHaymitch won his Hunger Gamesand the subsequent events after he becamethe second District 12 victor.Haymitch was a tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, which happened to be the Quarter Quell. Quarter Quells are different from the usual Hunger Games because they add a unique element to the death competition. Haymitch’s Quarter Quell had twice as many tributes, so he had 47 opponents to beat compared to the usual 23.
The Hunger GamesMovies And Their Release Dates
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
July 08, 2025
The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakesportrayed Snow’s softer side, butSunrise on the Reapingwill have to show that Haymitch has a dark side. Since he won the games,Haymitch obviously had to do morally ambiguous things in order to survive. The atrocious things Haymitch did during his games prove Snow’s point that even children will kill if their lives hang in the balance. The fact that Haymitch doesn’t talk about how he won the games proves that the games have a way of changing people and making them act in a way that they usually wouldn’t.
Making Haymitch Darker Is Easier For The Hunger Games Than Humanizing Snow
The Hunger Games Have A Way Of Bringing Out The Worst In People
Sunrise on the Reapingwill have an easier time showing Haymitch’s darker side thanBallads of Songbirds and Snakesdid with humanizing Snow. While in the games,Haymitch had two choices: kill or be killed. Snow, on the other hand, didn’t necessarily have to kill. He did so out of self-interest. What made it harder for theHunger Gamesprequel to humanize Snow is that it ultimately says Snow was always evil, and it’s difficult to see him in a different way.
Granted, Haymitch won because of how smart and resourceful he is. However, that doesn’t take away the fact that he murdered his fellow tributes in cold blood.
Haymitch was put in an impossible situation and given a difficult choice when his name was pulled out during the 50th reaping.The Hunger Games: Catching Firenovel briefly explains how Haymitch walked out as victor in the second Quarter Quell. Granted, Haymitch won because of how smart and resourceful he is. However,that doesn’t take away the fact that he murdered his fellow tributes in cold blood. There’s simply no way forSunrise on the Reapingto avoid portraying how Haymitch was in the games because it would take away an important part of his story.
