The next Hunger Games movie, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, is bringing back original franchise stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. They played Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in four movies from 2012 to 2015, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 wrapping up the couple's story.
However, the Hunger Games franchise has continued, with author Suzanne Collins penning two prequels, both of which havereceived movie adaptation announcements. That has not stopped news from surfacing that Lawrence and Hutcherson are back for Sunrise on the Reaping, the new prequel focusing on Haymitch Abernathy's time in the 50th Hunger Games.
With Sunrise on the Reaping's placement in the Hunger Games timeline, how the franchise's main characters can be in a story that takes place before they were even born might confuse some. It's quite easy to explain thanks to the book, though.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Book Set Up Katniss & Peeta's Return
The majority of the Sunrise on the Reaping book doesn't include Katniss and Peeta, but Collins couldn't resist including them both at the very end. The novel closes with an epilogue that jumps forward to Haymitch as an adult after the end of the revolution and the events shown in Mockingjay – Part 2.
It's during this segment that Katniss and Peeta return. Haymitch reflects on his time in the games and the promises made to Lenore Dove to look after his family. He considers Katniss and Peeta to be his family, and brief interactions between them are described, such as Katniss bringing Haymitch eggs and Peeta crafting an incubator.
This is certainly how Sunrise on the Reaping will include Lawrence and Hutcherson's characters. It's why their returns have been so heavily theorized by readers even before this confirmation. To make the news even better, the movie adaptation could take it much farther than what is put down on paper.
Katniss doesn't speak much, and Peeta doesn't at all, in the book's epilogue. Their interaction with Haymitch is rather short, too. But with Lionsgate convincing Lawrence and Hutcherson to come back and film new scenes with Woody Harrelson, it would not be surprising if the movie delivers a longer, more meaningful reunion.
This would build upon Mockingjay – Part 2's ending, which last saw Katniss and Peeta living happily together with their children. Haymitch wasn't part of that scene, so the prequel movie's epilogue now gives the franchise a chance to unite the three core characters once more, giving Hunger Games a perfect franchise ending, if this is, indeed, where things wrap up.
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson playing Katniss and Peeta again in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping not only makes sense based on the book, but it gives the franchise an opportunity to dive deeper into their lives post-revolution, which ties in well with Haymitch's arc in the prequel.
