The highly anticipated trailer for the newest book in the “Hunger Games” series, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” was released on April 13.  

The movie is scheduled to release Nov. 20, a little over a year after the novel’s release.  “Sunrise on the Reaping” tells the story of the 12th district’s beloved Haymitch Abernathy’s games, which were also the 50th annual Hunger Games. Fans have long awaited the details of Haymitch’s games and the backstory to how he became the witty, authentic mentor of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. The novel does not disappoint in terms of plot — it was extremely hard to put down at any point. 

Weinberg sophomore Audrey Curulewski said she is excited for the movie, adding that the “Hunger Games” series has always meant a lot to her. 

“‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ is also one of my favorite books in the franchise because it’s so action-packed and emotional,” Curulewski said. “I’m excited to see how a lot of the elements play out on the screen, especially since the descriptions of the arena are so colorful and hard to imagine.”  

The book details the Second Quarter Quell and explains how twice as many tributes are “reaped” for the 50th anniversary of the games. Readers automatically become fans of Abernathy, rooting for the underdog from District 12 as he plans to show resistance against the capital. 

The trailer previewed Joseph Zada as Haymitch, and fans are excited to see him portray the complex character. Zada is a young Australian actor, and this is his first major film.  

Weinberg junior Olivia Paik is a longtime fan of the “Hunger Games” series and is excited for the new film to come out. She is also eager about the cast’s fresh faces, including Zada. 

“I know that he’s a newer actor, so it’ll be exciting to see what he does with the role,” Paik said. 

Paik also said that actor Jesse Plemons, who plays Plutarch, the head gamemaker in Katniss’ story, looks just like the actor from the original movies. 

The cast for the movie is not short of old-time favorites. “Sunrise on the Reaping” features Elle Fanning playing a younger Effie Trinket and Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, and the cold-blooded President Snow is played by Ralph Fiennes.  

Even for fans newer to the “Hunger Games” series, many faces from the cast will be recognizable, one aspect that drew in Communication first-year Corey Schack. 

“I think it looks super cool because there are a lot of people I know in it,” Schack said. 

It is also rumored that fans will see cameos from the original “Hunger Games” movie cast.  These cameos would likely be from Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, who played Everdeen and Mallark, respectively.

In the originally released books and movies, Haymitch’s backstory is mysterious. But with this new prequel, fans finally get the full picture. 

“Everyone who has read the original books knows (Haymitch) has a really sad backstory,” Paik said. “But I guess seeing it actually come to life is going to be really cool and will probably make me cry.” 

Email: [email protected] 

Related Stories:

— Reel Thoughts: ‘The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is startling and fresh

— ‘Hunger Games’ actress Ashley Liao discusses Asian American representation in acting industry

— Movie Review: ‘The Hunger Games’ successfully shifts from page to big screen