Lionsgate released an official "Meet Haymitch" featurette on Saturday introducing Joseph Zada as a young Haymitch Abernathy [1].
The promotional video provides the first detailed look at the origin story of a pivotal character from the original series. By focusing on Haymitch's youth, the studio is building anticipation for the prequel's exploration of the Capitol's brutality before the era of Katniss Everdeen.
The featurette debuted online as part of a coordinated Reaping Day promotional push [2]. The footage highlights Zada's portrayal of the character, offering fans a glimpse into the personality and circumstances of the man who would eventually become a cynical mentor to District 12 tributes.
According to the promotional material, the prequel is set 24 years [3] before the events of the original Hunger Games series. This timeline allows the film to explore the specific dynamics of the Games that Haymitch participated in, which differed from the later competitions.
The film, titled *The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping*, is scheduled for theatrical release on Nov. 20, 2026 [1]. The studio used the featurette to bridge the gap between the established lore and the new casting choices for the younger versions of legacy characters.
Zada takes over the role previously associated with Woody Harrelson in the original film franchise. The "Meet Haymitch" clip serves as a character study to introduce the actor's interpretation of the role to the global fanbase before the full movie arrives in theaters later this year [2].
“The prequel is set 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games series.”
The release of the 'Meet Haymitch' featurette signals Lionsgate's strategy to leverage nostalgia by centering the prequel on a fan-favorite character's history. By establishing the 24-year gap between the prequel and the original trilogy, the studio is expanding the franchise's world-building, shifting the focus from the rebellion's climax to the systemic cruelty of the Games' earlier iterations.
