The new Hunger Games movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, is one of the upcoming book-to-screen adaptations that’s coming very soon. And while it will very much be Haymitch Abernathy’s story, there are a few nods to Katniss Everdeen and those OG stories to look forward to. In fact, I just learned about a new one.
The New Katniss Everdeen Connection In Sunrise On The Reaping
Sunrise on the Reaping takes place during the Second Quarter Quell. That puts the story about Haymitch Abernathy competing in the games 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute for The Hunger Games. But when the movie’s director, Francis Lawrence, talked about the film to Entertainment Weekly, he shared a new detail that connects this new story back to the original.
Now, during the 50th Hunger Games, the Capitol asks for twice as many tributes, which means we’ll meet four new tributes from District 12. And one of them is 13-year-old Louella McCoy. Per the director, when they were casting Louella, they made sure to find an actress who “sort of looks like young Katniss.” Spot the resemblance?
Louella McCoy is played by Molly McCann. She definitely looks a bit like a young Jennifer Lawrence, and those brunette braids are very reminiscent of the franchise’s first heroine. As Francis Lawrence also shared, the character is “emotionally important” to Haymitch’s journey in the film. He’ll even call her “sweetheart,” which he calls Katniss later on. I love this detail, but it’s not even the only nod to the iconic action character in Sunrise on the Reaping.
And, There's Even More To Note
The other connection you might notice in Sunrise on the Reaping is the return of the Mockingjay pin itself. Mckenna Grace’s character, Maysilee Donner, who’s the other girl District 12 tribute, is the first tribute to wear the pin. So, symbols of Katniss and what's to come are really going to be surrounding Haymitch!
Another thing to note is that it is actually rumored that Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen could show up in the movie alongside Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta Mellark. Back in December, The Hollywood Reporter said it was “confirmed” they’d make appearances. If you’ve read the book, you know exactly how this might fit in. It would be in a flash-forward scene that takes place after the events of The Hunger Games movies.
Aside from all these Katniss Everdeen connections, there’s plenty of other returning characters from the original movies, just in a younger capacity. Along with Joseph Zada playing a teenage Haymitch, you’ll see Elle Fanning’s Effie Trinket, Jesse Plemons’ Plutarch Heavensbee, Kieran Culkin’s Caesar Flickerman and Ralph Fiennes’ President Coriolanus Snow.
Sunrise on the Reaping arrives on the 2026 movie schedule during this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. You can watch it in theaters starting November 20.
