With the book-to-screen adaptation of Haymitch's story, Sunrise on the Reaping, set to hit the 2026 movie schedule soon, the potential for other prequels has been emphasized. To me, and many others, Finnick feels like a shoo-in for this treatment. So, when I spoke to Sam Claflin about his newest project, Ebenezer, I also asked what part of his victor’s story he’d like to see explored in a prequel. In response, he gave me not only his pitch for a story but also how he could be involved in it.
Sam Claflin’s Idea For A Finnick Prequel
Of course, there’s been a desire for a Finnick prequel for a long time. Sam Claflin has also been clear that he’d be very open to one happening. However, after Sunrise on the Reaping’s director Francis Lawrence told CinemaBlend that they’ve talked about a Finnick prequel, I had to ask the actor who played him about it. Let me tell you, he had his pitch ready. Claflin explained that while Finnick’s games would be “worth exploring,” especially since he was the youngest victor ever, there’s a different chapter of his story he’d like to see on the big screen:
But for me, I feel like his story beyond the games, when he's a victor, and he sort of goes into The Capitol, and then he's sort of trading secrets to find out [information] and using, you know, manipulating people. I find there's so much, so much, to play with.
I couldn’t agree with him more! While Finnick did go through the games like Katniss and Haymitch, what happened to him afterward might be worth exploring even more. Following his win, Finnick was forced into prostitution by President Snow, and he was paid in secrets. It’s a dark tale, and unlike anything we’ve explored in The Hunger Games world before, as the Daisy Jones & The Six actor explained:
And you know, The Capitol really hasn't been – I mean, it was a little bit, obviously, with President Snow's [The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes], but I think there's so much more story to be told in The Capitol, and those eccentric costumes and that kind of, you know, the world of excess and watching this young boy, basically this rent boy, basically exploring, you know, being used and thrown around, but actually controlling the system. I think it's so interesting. So yeah, I think there's definitely a lot of story to tell.
Every single Hunger Games story has something very important to say, and they all address very prominent problems and themes. By telling a story about what Finnick went through after his games, this franchise would have the opportunity to do that again in a totally new way. It would also finally give an origin story to one of the series’ beloved characters.
Who Sam Claflin Would Like To Play In A Finnick Prequel
Now, when it comes to who might play Finnick in a prequel, obviously, it won’t be Sam Claflin. The prequel movies have always cast new actors in the roles of younger versions of the characters we met in the original trilogy. However, the Love, Rosie actor has an idea for how he could get involved in a film, as he explained:
I'd love to – I'm putting my hat in the ring to play his dad. I'm too old to play [Finnick]. But no, I think, yeah, I think it would be a great opportunity for a younger actor as well.
Well, I’d love to see that! Sam Claflin is 40 years old, so he’s at the right age to play Finnick’s father. Plus, if he could get involved in that way, it’d mean we’d get to see more of Finnick’s family and home in District 4, which I’ve always wanted. So, I think this 100% needs to happen.
I also think he’s right in saying it’d be great to hire someone “younger” and more unknown to play Finnick. The Hunger Games launched OG stars like Claflin, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Tom Blyth and now Sunrise on the Reaping’s Joseph Zada into stardom. It’s such a great vehicle for young actors, and it would be wonderful to see someone new step into such an iconic role.
However, for now, this is a dream. So, while we hope to see Finnick’s prequel on the big screen someday, you can see Sam Claflin in the Hunger Games movies by streaming them with a Hulu or Disney+ subscription, and you can see the franchise’s newest prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, in theaters on November 20.
