Following the release of Suzanne Collin’s fourth “Hunger Games” novel, “The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes,” and the consequential film, she released a fifth novel this past March titled “Sunrise on the Reaping,” with an expected film being released this November. It takes place 24 years before the first Hunger Games novel, following Haymitch in the events leading up to, during, and after the 50th Hunger Games in which he is reaped to participate.
However, Haymitch’s game is not an ordinary one; it is a quarter quell game. This type of special game happens every 25 years to mark a quarter-century since the Capitol’s defeat of the district’s rebellion. A quarter quell game introduces a new, brutal twist, unique to that game. In this case, for the 50th game, twice the amount or normal tributes were reaped, meaning that instead of one boy and one girl from each district, two girls and two boys were reaped. Instead of Haymitch being one of 24 tributes, he was one of 48.
Since the announcement of the film, there has been a significant amount of hype and buzz for what will unfold onscreen. The cast includes Joseph Zada as Haymitch, McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, and Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, among others. When the first trailer dropped on April 13, it completely dominated social media, with some fans posting edits, while others speculated about the scenes shown.
On Sept. 16, a new trailer was released, making the anticipation for the new film grow tenfold. Released nearly two months before the film comes out, the new trailer features a multitude of new scenes, painting a new view of just how brutal and vicious the arena will be.
Starting off with a voice-over from “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” of older Haymitch, played by Woody Harrelson, saying, “Nobody wins the games, period. There are survivors, but no winners,” it also shows scenes from the chariot ride parade in the Capitol. Zada with slicked-back hair, dressed as a coal miner to represent District 12 standing in the chariot with Louella McCoy, played by Molly McCann. Just as described in the book, as they approach President Snow to smile and wave, making their first appearance to the Capitol citizens, their horse gets spooked by a colored smoke bomb. The horse jolts ahead and begins to race forward, causing the chariot to crash and be destroyed during the parade, causing chaos during the parade.
The trailer then cuts to show a scene in which President Snow is speaking with Haymitch one-on-one after an act of rebellion, hoping to threaten him into submission. It then cuts to snippets of different scenes: the railroad tracks in District 12, Peacekeepers unloading from a truck, as well as Haymitch and Lenore Dove, played by Whitney Peak, having an intimate conversation in a field.
Unlike the first trailer, the second one shows more of the tense moments depicted in the novel. For example, Haymitch sneaking underground to blow up the arena water tank, the Cornucopia bloodbath, and the arena mutts. Among fans, it is being praised for staying true to the novel. Just like the other movies, which are regarded as strong book-to-screen adaptations.
Since the release of the second trailer, it has gained a little more than five million views and two thousand comments. “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” will be released in theaters Nov. 20, with tickets expected to go on sale later this month. Having been three years since the last Hunger Games movie, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of this adaptation of the newest installment into the franchise.
