The Hunger Games franchise is soon getting a brand-new film. Though Sunrise on the Reaping was only published recently, the film adaptation is already underway, with Francis Lawrence again leading the charge. This prequel will take the audience back 24 years before the original film to explore the 50th Hunger Games, which is when Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) became a victor. The casting for Sunrise on the Reaping is taking shape with Joseph Zada as young Haymitch, Whitney Peak as his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, and McKenna Grace as District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner. Those who have read the book know that each new character has a unique role, but Maysilee is especially fascinating and tragic.
Though Haymitch often describes her as stuck up, Maysilee has a fascinating arc for Grace to work with as she goes into the Hunger Games' Second Quarter Quell along with three other tributes from her district. Maysilee defies the Capitol in her own way, refusing to be the animal the Capitol wants to make her. Though like most tributes, she is no longer around during Katniss' (Jennifer Lawrence) life, these two District 12 girls have a few notable connections, but, unfortunately, the most poignant has already been cut from the film universe.
How Are Katniss and Maysilee Connected?
Several important figures in Katniss' life play into Maysilee's story. Before Haymitch mentors Katniss through her time in the arena, he develops a friendship with Maysilee as they experience the trauma of the games together. Additionally, before she is reaped, Maysilee is close to Katniss' mother (Paula Malcomson), whose first name is Asterid, as Sunrise on the Reaping reveals. But another character who ties Katniss and Maysilee together is Madge Undersee, the daughter of the Mayor of District 12 and Maysilee's twin sister, Merrilee. Madge is the only person Katniss describes as a friend besides Gale (Liam Hemsworth), though they are not close at first. Katniss and Madge are both outcasts, which pushes them together in school. Yet, Madge plays an important role in the books.
After Katniss volunteers to protect Prim (Willow Shields), she has a few visitors: her family, Gale, and, in the book, Madge. Somewhat unexpectedly, Madge comes to say goodbye, gifting Katniss her signature Mockingjay pin to wear as her token in the games. This pin becomes a symbol of the rebellion, but it originally belonged to none other than Maysilee. The film cuts Madge entirely, having Katniss find the pin at a shop in the Hob, and gives it to Prim. While some fans were upset, it didn't have a major impact on the story at the time because there was no meaning behind the pin until it became associated with Katniss and the rebels. However, with Maysilee's story about to be told, it is a shame this connection will not be clear.
The Mockingjay Pin Gives Maysilee a Legacy in the Rebellion
Image via Lionsgate
The Mockingjay pin's book backstory actually connects Katniss to more than just Maysilee Donner as Sunrise on the Reaping explains that it was made by Tan Amber (Eike Onyambu), a member of the Covey who was close to Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler) in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Given that the books have implied that Katniss is a descendant of the Covey through her father, this is another meaningful connection to the pin's backstory for Katniss. Yet the Maysilee connection is powerful, especially for the upcoming character. The pin serves as a more hopeful conclusion to Maysilee's storyline. The fact that the pin was Maysilee's is notable because of what it becomes. After Katniss' public defiance of the Capitol, she is recognized as a unifying figure in the rebellion, and the Mockingjay pin along with her, creating a meaningful connection to Maysilee, even if few realized it.
Maysilee is just one of many tributes that the Capitol has killed over the years, and though it does not go into the arena until Katniss, the fact that the Mockingjay pin once belonged to a dead tribute allows it to stand for another of the Capitol's cruelties. Maysilee would be particularly proud to be a small part of the rebellion. She may be privileged in District 12, but in the arena, she is determined to create as many symbols or "posters" of rebellion as possible. She and Haymitch work together and promise that if one of them survives, they will continue fighting back. But, as Haymitch says at the end of Sunrise on the Reaping, Katniss is luckier than him, and she is the one who allows the rebellion to really take off. The fact that the ultimate symbol of rebellion came from Maysilee's pin is a beautiful legacy for the character and a bit of light in her tragic ending. Yet the films cannot explore it because they cut it out 13 years ago.
The Hunger Games is streaming on Hulu in the U.S.
