Posted in: Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: film, lionsgate, the hunger games, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence has opened up about the challenges of casting a younger version of Haymitch for his solo story.
Article Summary
- Director Francis Lawrence discusses casting a young Haymitch for The Hunger Games prequel.
- Film titled “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is set for a November 2026 release.
- Lawrence reflects on the challenge of finding someone to capture Haymitch’s depth and humor.
- Prequel will explore Haymitch’s backstory, enriching the beloved character’s narrative.
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The Hunger Games franchise will continue to expand in the near future with the upcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, set to hit theaters in November 2026. Directed by longtime franchise filmmaker Francis Lawrence, the film will delve into the backstory of fan-favorite character Haymitch Abernathy, who Woody Harrelson originally portrayed in the original Hunger Games films.
Francis Lawrence on the Intricacies of Finding a Younger Haymitch for the Next Hunger Games Film
When speaking to ComicBook.com about the process of casting a younger Haymitch, Lawrence notes, “If you look at [The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes], we had to cast a young version of Donald Sutherland, right? It’s the same challenge.” He adds, “You’re like, ‘How am I going to cast a young person who is believably going to become Donald Sutherland? Who’s going to have that sort of intelligence, sophistication, a little irreverence, gravitas, all of that?’ It’s a search and you have to dig down and figure out what are the elements that make Woody so interesting, right? And some of it is humor. Some of it is intelligence. Some of it is quirk. Some of it is there’s a darkness in him that gives him an edge. There’s a mischievousness, right? So there’s all these aspects that make Woody so great, so appealing, so watchable, and such a great actor and so interesting.”
The casting process for a younger Haymitch is indeed daunting, but given the franchise’s track record, we’re pretty confident that the right actor will be found. And knowing that the film will explore Haymitch’s early years, it’ll be nice to get a deeper understanding of his character and the events that shaped him into the mentor we know from the original Hunger Games series.
Do you think there’s anyone who could embody the popular Hunger Games character for his solo story?
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Article by:Source Aedan Juvet
