For a young adult franchise, The Hunger Games is pretty dark. The premise alone is enough to send shivers down the spine, with the powers that be in Panem forcing those beneath them to fight to the death for entertainment. But the evil doesn’t stay in the arena or the Capitol. The people who have to live under the thumb of Panem’s elite often make bad choices, ones that hurt those close to them, in an effort to push back against their oppressors. Gale Hawthorne finds out what that looks like when he orders a strike on the Capitol that kills Primrose Everdeen, Katniss’ sister.
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Losing Prim, who was the very reason Katniss volunteered for the Hunger Games in the first place, has a lasting effect on the woman from District 12. Fortunately, she has a strong support system to help her through the difficult time, including her partner, Peeta Mellark, and her mentor, Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch, in particular, knows what Katniss is going through because he has a tragic past of his own, which will be on display in the upcoming movie The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. In fact, the new project may well feature the franchise’s most gruesome death.
The following contains spoilers for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Haymitch’s Story Is Finally Coming to the Big Screen
As soon as Haymitch reluctantly introduces himself to Katniss and Peeta in The Hunger Games, it’s clear there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s a previous winner, which surely takes its toll, but it’s more than that, as he drowns his sorrows with booze and rarely opens up to his new allies. However, when the fight against the Capitol becomes serious, he locks in, pushing the idea that he has a real axe to grind against the people calling the shots. Sunrise of the Reaping turns back the clock to Haymitch’s youth, when he’s another struggling resident of District 12. The reaping occurs, and his name gets called, forcing him to participate in the second Quarter Quell.
The odds are really not in Haymitch’s favor because there are twice as many tributes, which means that no one is looking District 12’s way. To even the odds, Haymitch decides to join an alliance with Ampert Latier, the son of Beetee Latier, a victor and outspoken critic of the Capitol. Ampert gets thrown into the mix because of his father’s transgressions, but he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He’s so kind, in fact, that he agrees to go through with his father’s plan to sabotage the games using the water supply. Unfortunately, things don’t work out how Beetee intends, and it changes both him and Haymitch forever.
Ampert Latier Doesn’t Get a Happy Ending in Sunrise on the Reaping
Despite having to watch their backs against the other tributes, Haymitch and Ampert sneak away and locate the arena’s water tank. They plant bombs in the middle of the night, believing that everyone watching is either asleep or not paying attention. However, the Gamemakers are ready for trouble and send mutts to target Ampert specifically. The beasts tear the poor boy apart and send Haymitch running for his life. It’s easily the darkest moment in the story, and the movie adaptation of the book is looking to follow the source material’s lead.
The trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping features a powerful moment between Haymitch and Ampert, confirming that their relationship will be an important part of the movie. But seeing Ampert in live-action, played by Percy Daggs IV, drives home just how young he is. At the time of his reaping, he’s 12 years old, the same age Daggs was when he landed the role. Somebody with so much life ahead of them shouldn’t have to worry about fighting against tyrants and killing other children, let alone meet a tragic fate. That’s the world of The Hunger Games, though, and at least viewers can take solace in the fact that Ampert’s death inspires others to build a better future.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on November 20, 2026.
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