Summary
After four action-packed movies,The Hunger Gamesfans got the chance to learn more about a young Coriolanus “Coryo” Snow (Tom Blyth), and now the spotlight is on the 50th Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins recently announced that she has written a fourth book in her popular series calledSunrise on the Reapingwhich will take place 24 years prior to the setting of the main story. Considering there is such a rich world to explore, from thehistory of the First and Second Rebellionsto why the games even started in the first place, this is a great idea.
Now thatthere will also be a film adaptation, fans are curious about who will playthe main character: a 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy. Woody Harrelson played Haymitch inThe Hunger Gamestrilogy perfectly, and now another actor is going to take over the complex character. There are some young actors who could step into Haymitch’s shoes inThe Hunger Games:Sunrise on the Reaping.
Charlie Plummer
Charlie Plummer would be a great pick to play young Haymitch inThe Hunger Games:Sunrise on the Reapingthanks tohis versatile background of teen drama and other TV roles. While the actor broke out in the movieNot Fade Awayand began getting attention, his career has included a fairly major role inBoardwalk Empireandplayedthe main character, a suspicious and scary Tyler Burnside, inthe horror movieThe Clovehitch Killer. He alsoplayed Miles Halter inLooking For Alaska, the TV adaptation of the young adult novel by John Green.
Charlie Plummer’s Best Roles
Charlie Plummer’s talent was clear inLooking For Alaskaas he portrayed a teenager who begins attending Culver Creek, a boarding school. Plummer shows all of Miles’s relatable worries, fears, and insecurities. Since Haymitch will be a teenager inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, it would make sense for an actor to portray him who has a background in these types of emotionally charged roles.
Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp became famous for playing Will Byers inStranger Thingsand would also be a compelling young Haymitch inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. While he is of course most known for this role, Schnapp also played a small role in the silly horror comedyHubie Halloweenand Jackson in the 2023 psychological thrillerThe Tutor.
Noah Schnapp’s Best Roles
Will has had a complicated timeline onStranger Thingsafter getting pulled into the Upside Down in the very first episode. Schnapp plays Will with compassion and raw emotion, and he doesn’t always share his feelings or thoughts with his friends. This is the complexity needed for a teenage Haymitch. SinceHaymitch was the winner of the 50th Hunger Games, he carries around a lot of trauma from what he experienced. Noah Schnapp has done an impressive job portraying Will’s sadness and would be the right fit.
Tanner Buchanan
Tanner Buchanan is best known for playing Robby Keene inCobra Kai,and since he has a background playing a teenage character caught up in an exciting and action-packed world, he would also be an interesting choice for teenage Haymitch. While he starred in many children’s projects when he was younger, Buchanan played the male lead inHe’s All That, Netflix’s 2021 reboot of the popular teen dramaShe’s All That.
Tanner Buchanan’s Best Roles
Since Tanner Buchanan’sCobra Kaicharacter is always physically active, the actor would be a smart pick for a younger Haymitch who has to learn how to fight and protect himself if he’s going to win the Hunger Games. There aremany great fight scenes inCobra Kaiand the actor does a solid job in every scene he’s in.
Jack Champion
Jack Champion is a familiar face forScreamfans since he played Ethan Landry inScream 6,and that character’s brooding nature makes the actor a good choice to play Haymitch inThe Hunger Gamesprequel. Ethan’s true self is revealed bythe end ofScream 6, and Champion did an amazing job playing a character with a big secret.
Jack Champion’s Best Roles
Jack Champion would also be a fun part ofThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingcast because his career is getting more attention ashe willstar inAvatar 3andAvatar 4as Miles “Spider” Socorro. Those movies won’t be released until 2025 and 2029. It’s often a good idea to cast an actor who isn’t yet a household name because audiences aren’t so used to seeing them that they can’t separate them from their previous roles.
Zackary Arthur
Zackary Arthur played the main character Jake Wheeler in the SyFyChuckyseries, which might be better than the movies. While he hasn’t starred in many movies, playing young Haymitch inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingwould be a great chance for him to star in a major blockbuster and play another emotionally driven, complex character.
Zackary Arthur’s Best Roles
From his roles inThe 5th Waveand thecheesy (yet otherwise forgettable) horror movieMom and Dad, it’s clear Zackary Arthur is great at portraying characters who find themselves in unexpected situations. They have to lean on themselves because they aren’t sure who to trust. Arthur could play young Haymitch inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingwell, a character who is swept up in a terrifying battle that he knows he has to win.
