A film adaptation was announced to be in production on June 6, 2024, and is set to be released by Lionsgate on November 20, 2026.[3]
Background
Collins' inspiration was a book by Scottish philosopher David Hume, specifically his ideas of implicit submission and "the easiness with which the many are governed by the few".[4] Questions surrounding the use of propaganda and the power of media narratives also inspired Collins to explore the concept of what is ‘Real or not real?’ in the novel.[5]
Plot
16‐year‐old Haymitch Abernathy lives in District 12 with his impoverished mother and younger brother. A tribute's attempted escape turns fatal during the reaping for the Second Quarter Quell. In a cover-up maneuver, Capitol officials—including Drusilla Sickle and cameraman Plutarch Heavensbee—appoint Haymitch as a substitute, re‐staging the reaping. His fellow District 12 tributes include Wyatt Callow, Louella McCoy, and Maysilee Donner.
Arriving in the Capitol, the tributes are dismissed as "long shots." During the Tribute Parade, a horse‐drawn chariot accident kills Louella; a drugged body double later replaces her, earning the nickname Lou Lou. With no surviving local victors, the tributes are assigned mentors from previous Games—Wiress of District 3 and Mags of District 4—and Haymitch adopts a defiant "rascal" persona in televised interviews to attract sponsors despite a disastrously low evaluation score.
During training, Beetee—a former victor whose son Ampert was reaped as punishment for Beetee's rebellious activity—recruits Haymitch for a covert plan to sabotage the arena. Alongside Plutarch's support and before the Games begin, Haymitch shares a bittersweet farewell call with his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, as he agrees to detonate explosives in the underground water tank to flood the system.
When the Games commence in an arena rife with poisonous hazards, Haymitch abandons his alliance with most of the non-Career districts (called the Newcomers) to carry out his plan. Briefly accompanied by Lou Lou—who soon dies from toxic pollen—he teams up with Ampert to trigger an explosion in the channels that release genetically mutated mutts. Although the ensuing flood fails to disable the arena fully and the mutts kill Ampert, Haymitch gains a temporary advantage. Later, amid clashes with the Career alliance, Maysilee saves him with a poisonous dart, renewing their partnership.
Determined to find another way to destroy the arena, Haymitch convinces Maysilee to explore the perimeter. They encounter the Careers and a trio of Gamemakers, briefly uniting with the Careers to eliminate the Gamemakers before parting ways. They discover a power generator shielded by a force field at the arena's edge. As they split up, Maysilee is fatally attacked by mutt birds. Haymitch then seeks out the last remaining Newcomer, Wellie. After a short reunion, he leaves her alone and returns only to find her killed by District 1 tribute Silka. In a final confrontation near a cliff, Silka is inadvertently killed by her weapon bouncing off the force field. At the same time, a grievously injured Haymitch is rendered unconscious after attempting to detonate a final explosive against the force field.
Haymitch awakens in the Capitol and is forced to attend a series of public events, gradually realizing that the televised version of the Games has been heavily edited to erase signs of rebellion. Upon returning to District 12, he finds his home burned down, with his mother and brother dead. A reunion with Lenore in a quiet meadow turns tragic when she unknowingly consumes a poisoned candy—an act orchestrated by President Snow. Lenore dies in his arms after urging him to prevent another "sunrise on the reaping."
Haunted by loss, Haymitch retreats into isolation in the Victor's Village, distancing himself from former friends out of fear for their safety. However, during the Victor's Tour, Plutarch's encouragement spurs him to keep fighting. In the epilogue, set after the original series, Haymitch opens up to Katniss and Peeta about his past, finding solace in caring for gifted goose eggs in memory of Lenore Dove.
Characters
Haymitch Abernathy – The protagonist of the novel and the second male tribute from District 12. He is outspoken, short-tempered, and trying his best to return to his family and girlfriend in District 12.
Lenore Dove Baird – Haymitch's girlfriend and a member of the Covey, a once nomadic music group forced to settle in District 12 after the war, whose mother is suspected to be Lucy Gray Baird's cousin.
Louella McCoy – The first female tribute from District 12. She was killed during the Tribute Parade and replaced with a body double, Lou Lou, by the Capitol.
Maysilee Donner – The second female tribute from District 12. She is the original owner of the Mockingjay pin, which is given to Katniss in The Hunger Games. She has a twin sister named Merrilee Donner.
Wyatt Callow – First male tribute from District 12 for the 50th games. Oddsmaker with a family history of gambling on the tributes.
Wiress – Victor of the 49th Hunger Games. Mentor for the District 12 tributes during the Second Quarter Quell.
Mags Flanagan – Victor of the 11th Hunger Games. Mentor for the District 12 tributes during the Second Quarter Quell.
Drusilla Sickle – Capitol escort for the District 12 tributes.
Beetee Latier – Victor of the 34th Hunger Games. Mentor for the District 3 tributes during the Second Quarter Quell.
Publication history
Sunrise on the Reaping had a hardcover release date of March 18, 2025.[6][7] It was also published as an audiobook on the same day.
Sunrise on the Reaping sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first week, marking the biggest debut for any title in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series. In the U.S. alone, the book sold 1.2 million copies, more than twice the opening sales of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and over three times that of Mockingjay.[7]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
