We’re just a week away from seeing one of our most anticipated book-to-screen adaptations, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and in the lead-up to it, the book’s author Suzanne Collins has finally weighed in on the movie. She had a lot to say, but I was especially touched by her shout-out to original Haymitch actor, Woody Harrelson.
Suzanne Collins is not a producer on the new prequel, but she’s seen the film, and now she’s “singing its praises”. In a letter shared by Lionsgate, the bestselling author called Sunrise on the Reaping “an extraordinary film” that “maintains the book’s narrative and themes, while bursting with his own distinctive style.” Along with complimenting the whole filmmaking team for bringing her story to life, she also took the time to say this:
I can’t say enough about [Woody Harrelson’s] masterful depiction of Haymitch in the original films. Knowing only scant details of his backstory, he intuitively filled in the emotional journey of the character with a pitch perfect performance. Being free of any conflict between page and screen made the job of writing his youthful trials much easier.
Harrelson’s Haymitch has long been an unforgettable part of The Hunger Games movies, and it’s great to see the book’s author giving the actor his flowers. Haymitch only had about 30 minutes of screen time in the first four films, and yet he made a huge impact with his performance. Even when I’ve gone back to the books, it’s been impossible to think about the character without picturing Harrelson. It sounds like the same can be said for Collins when she decided to write Haymitch's own Hunger Games story with Sunrise on the Reaping.
The Sunrise on the Reaping movie certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the kind of impression Woody Harrelson made with Haymitch, and I love to see Collins recognizing this. Here’s how she continued:
Woody’s return to reprise his character, along with our amazing original stars, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, adds such poignancy to the film. It’s such a gift to watch them bridge Haymitch’s Hunger Games to Katniss’s tale.
Now, if you’ve read the book, you know that Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta from the timeline after The Hunger Games ends are part of the story. Last year, it was reported that Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson would be back before Lawrence confirmed she’d reunited with both Hutcherson and Harrelson in the new movie. Collins added a big thank you to the actors for returning to Panem to help tell the story of her novel. We can’t wait to see it take place on the big screen.
While Woody Harrelson gets to briefly reprise his role, the movie is carried by a new actor, Joseph Zada, who stars as a young Haymitch. The 21-year-old has spoken about how he got into character, and it sounds like it's paid off given all the early praise Zada has received already.
Sunrise on the Reaping is Joseph Zada’s movie, but I appreciate the attention Collins gave to Woody Harrelson and his excellent performance as the original version of the character. Now, to see Haymitch's story, you can catch Sunrise on the Reaping in theaters on November 20.
