The Hunger Games saga continues to thrive, with Suzanne Collins recently announcing a March 2025 release date for her latest novel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Lionsgate swiftly followed up with the news of a film adaptation slated for November 2026. Now, all we can do is try to contain our excitement until the big day arrives.
The new book—and its film counterpart—will focus on a young Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Annual Hunger Games. This particular Quarter Quell twist saw four children reaped from each district instead of the usual two, doubling the body count to 47. Is it any wonder Haymitch grew up to be both an alcoholic and a revolutionary?
By the time he mentored Katniss and Peeta, Haymitch had earned the right to embrace aloof bitterness as a core personality trait.
So, just how old is Haymitch in The Hunger Games?
Haymitch, as we learn in Mockingjay, was sixteen when he won the Hunger Games. Given that Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games novel, this places Haymitch at 40 years old when Katniss and Peeta were selected to represent District 12. Consequently, he is between 40 and 42 years old throughout the original Hunger Games trilogy.
Now for the million-dollar question: which actor can convincingly portray both a sixteen-year-old and a younger version of Woody Harrelson when Sunrise on the Reaping goes into production? Twitter, it’s time to work your magic!
