The Hunger Games’ New Movie Promises The Haymitch Prequel I’ve Always Wanted

A new Hunger Games book and movie are on the way, and they’re finally going to cover the story I’ve been waiting 15 years for. Author Suzanne Collins announced that her newest installment in the franchise, titled Sunrise on the Reaping, would be set 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Since Snow’s prequel followed the 10th Hunger Games, we know the story will revolve around the 50th. This is excellent news since I’ve been waiting for the second Quarter Quell to get its own spinoff ever since it was first mentioned in Catching Fire.

The announcement that Collins had another Hunger Games book in the works was made even more exciting by the news that Lionsgate has already set a release date for a movie adaptation. So, not only will this most thrilling moment in Panem’s timeline finally be outlined by another of the author’s genius novels, but the bloody and terrible games will be seen in all their glory on the big screen. What’s more, this could be the perfect conclusion for the Hunger Games franchise since Sunrise on the Reaping is covering the games of the last District 12 victor.

The New Hunger Games Book Is Set During Haymitch’s Tournament

Haymitch Was Victor Of The 50th Hunger Games

Sunrise on the Reaping, set 40 years after Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, means that the story follows Haymitch’s 50th Hunger Games. This was an event that was never mentioned in the Hunger Games movies, but the Catching Fire book went into great detail about the second Quarter Quell. In preparation for their second time in the arena, Katniss and Peeta watched recordings of Haymitch’s reaping and games, and a great deal was revealed about the event. When reading this in 2009, I, like many others, first began to hope for a Haymitch prequel.

A Haymitch Prequel Is One Of The Most Exciting Stories The Hunger Games Hasn’t Yet Told

Haymitch’s Story Is The Perfect Addition To The Hunger Games Franchise

As one of only four tributes from District 12 to win the Hunger Games, Haymitch is undoubtedly a character of note within the franchise. I had been curious about Haymitch’s games when I read the first Hunger Games books and was delighted to see that Catching Fire provided some additional details regarding his victory. Of course, it was even more exciting than I had anticipated, what with the massive arena that looked like paradise but was really a poisonous hellscape and Haymitch’s unexpected victory, which, like Katniss, brought the wrath of President Snow down on District 12.

Haymitch took advantage of the arena’s magnetic border to defeat his final opponent when, by all likelihood, he really should have been killed himself. This enraged Snow, and the president killed all of Haymitch’s loved ones as a result. It’s a devastating story that deserves its own book for this reason alone. However, what really piqued my interest was what was left unsaid. Snow notoriously used the family of his victors to control them, and it didn’t make much sense to me that he would eliminate all his leverage against Haymitch just for the way he won the games—but Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes offered an intriguing answer.

My perspective of Haymitch’s games completely changed after reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes since this prequel novel explained Snow’s personal history with District 12. In young Coryo’s mind, Lucy Gray had betrayed him and, in doing so, proved that the Districts and humanity as a whole were little more than animals in need of total control. As the first District 12 victor since Snow’s old lover, Haymitch’s victory would have felt like a personal insult to the dictator. This makes Haymitch’s story the perfect addition to that of Katniss’ and Lucy Gray’s—a satisfying, full-circle conclusion.

What We Know About The 50th Hunger Games

The Second Quarter Quell Was The Bloodiest Hunger Games In Panem’s History

The 50th Hunger Games was the second Quarter Quell and followed entirely different rules. The rules for all the Quells were supposedly written down and stashed away when the Hunger Games were first established. However, the fact that the third Quarter Quell conveniently forced the Districts to reap tributes from their existing pool of victors suggested that Snow made these rules as they suited him. In the case of Haymitch’s second Quarter Quell, four tributes were selected from each District, ensuring that the 50th Hunger Games were the largest and bloodiest yet.

This rule, combined with the poisonous nature of the 50th Hunger Games, leads me to believe that President Snow had great deal to do with planning this event. Poison was the dictator’s weapon of choice, and the misleadingly beautiful arena would have been precisely his style. Regardless of his level of involvement, the 50th Hunger Games would have been Snow’s pride and joy, and I’m desperate to see how he would react to a boy from District 12, of all places, getting the better of him. It’s the perfect capper for the Hunger Games franchise, and I can’t wait to read and watch the story at long last.