The Hunger Games universe recently expanded with the prequel story, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, but a Haymitch spin-off could answer many other questions. The Hunger Games first came out in 2012, as a feature film adaptation based on the series of books with the same name by Suzanne Collins. The movie was a huge success, and went on to have three sequel films which told the story of the original trilogy. Then, in 2023, a spin-off prequel based on another book further expanded the story’s universe.
This provided an interesting exploration of the 10th Annual Hunger Games, and revealed the shift of Corialanus Snow from a young empathetic boy, into the cold and heartless man that would go on to rule Panem. However, while Snow’s story was interesting, and a pivotal part of Panem’s history, and the resulting Hunger Games, there are other stories yet to be told. In particular, the story of Haymitch Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson, who was the sole winner of the Hunger Games from District 12, who was available to mentor Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.
8 How Did A 16-year-Old Nobody From District 12 Beat The Hunger Games?
Over the course of The Hunger Games franchise, it has been made abundantly clear that the games are brutal, and exceptionally difficult for anyone to compete in, let alone win. Among the 12 remaining Districts that make up the areas around the Capitol, District 12 is the furthest away, and the most impoverished. The people that reside there tend to be physically weaker than the other Districts, and the people of the Capitol view them as dirty and unpleasant due to their District’s primary output, coal.
However, in all of the currently released films, the winners have come from District 12, which may make it seem they are more capable than they first appear. Despite this, District 12 and its people are the underdogs. They fight and scrap to get everything they have, and it doesn’t amount to much, while other Districts raise career tributes who volunteer for the Hunger Games as sport. So a Haymitch movie would first need to clear up how on earth a poor boy from District 12 managed to win the Hunger Games on his own.
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7 Did Haymitch Ever Experience Love?
According to the novels, Haymitch did have a girlfriend prior to his appearance in the Hunger Games. At that point, he was just a 16-year-old boy, but like Katniss or Lucy Gray Baird, that is ample time for someone to experience a real deep emotional connection. Haymitch’s history is a complete mystery in the movies, and diving deeper into whether he formed a romantic connection either before or after his Games would help to establish his character as a more relatable figure.
However, while he may have had a fleeting relationship as a young man, and had a connection to someone, it was also 24 years after his Hunger Games win that the first films took place. Haymitch began to live a life of frivolity, and he did his work for the Capitol begrudgingly, but that was a lot of time to elapse. Haymitch could have had a period when he began to improve and grow after the trauma of his Games and the loss of loved ones. Potentially even finding love along the way, although it evidently did not last.
6 What Happened To His Family?
In addition, it is unclear whether Haymitch had a family back home in District 12, but reason stands to suggest he did. Katniss left behind her mother and sister, and Lucy Gray left her traveling band of a found family. Haymitch was raised in District 12 by someone, but this is never discussed or shown in The Hunger Games movies which have been released so far. A Haymitch prequel could explore details about his family, from his possible siblings, to his parents, or even a family he created after his Hunger Games win.
The novels suggest that Haymitch had a family that were killed by President Snow’s orders, after Haymitch was able to outsmart the Games. Two weeks after his victory, Haymitch’s family was executed, but more details about who they are, and what exactly happened are scarce. A prequel story could easily expand on these details, and it would serve as a perfect link between the original films, and the prequel, with Snow caught in the middle of both stories. However, without a movie, Haymitch’s personal life will likely remain a total mystery.
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5 Who Were His Parents?
With small communities like the Districts, and especially the smaller District 12, everyone who lived in these areas had a role. Peeta’s parents were bakers, Katniss’ father was a miner, and her mother was a physician. It is likely that his parents labored similarly to the other members of their district, but who they were and how they fit into the community is not revealed. In addition, they were potentially old enough to remember the events and the aftermath of the last Hunger Games won by a resident of District 12.
Haymitch’s parents could be a pivotal part of the history of District 12, and have knowledge that was worth sharing with their son after his return. They were likely already weary of the government, but with any memory of Lucy Gray, they would have been even more aware that the winners are also at risk. By exploring who Haymitch’s parents are, it could be a great way to further tie the films together, and reveal more of the lore of District 12 specifically, and what the people there remembered despite the records being destroyed or altered.
4 Who Was Haymitch’s Mentor?
One enduring part of the Hunger Games is that the tributes are assigned mentors to help guide them to victory and win sponsorships. During the 10th Hunger Games, this role was assigned to students in the Capitol. But, over time, the role transferred to previous winners from each district who were more directly qualified to help their tribute understand the world of the Games. Haymitch, being a tribute from District 12 in the 50th Hunger Games would have had no other victors from his District to help and support him, so it remains to be seen who filled that role.
Considering Lucy Gray Baird was the only other winner from that District, and she disappeared shortly after winning, Haymitch was in need of a mentor. Whether the Capitol chose to assign one of their students to help out once again, or one of the man Victors from another District was given a special role to fill in is unclear. Either way, the relationship with Haymitch’s mentor would likely have been distant and challenging, but incredibly interesting to uncover.
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3 Haymitch Won The 50th Quarter Quell Against Twice The Tributes, But How?
Against all odds, Haymitch was able to stand up and be victorious in a horrific blood sport where he was required to fight other children. However, this task was made all the more challenging because Haymitch was also the victor of the 50th Quarter Quell. Every 25 years, the Hunger Games have special new rules in play to make the show even more entertaining for those watching the Capitol. During the 75th Hunger Games, the tributes had to be chosen from the pool of previous winners in each District.
During Haymitch’s Quarter Quell, the quirk was that twice the number of tributes were selected from each District, increasing the number of opponents Haymitch would face by double. Instead of 24 young and agile fighters, Haymitch was pitted against 48 kids, and he managed to outsmart and kill enough to be crowned the winner. Some details about his Hunger Games are revealed in the novels, but the movies have yet to reveal details of his win.
2 What Was Haymitch’s Previous Connection With President Snow?
After Haymitch won his Hunger Games, he had made enough of an impression to cause President Snow to execute his family and girlfriend in the novels. While this is seen in the book, and the preexisting connection with the antagonistic Snow is a major benefit to the story, the movies fail to establish such a close link. Snow and Haymitch are evidently aware of each other, but the truth is that Snow had kept a closer eye on the rebel from District 12, and ensured he remained enough of a drunken buffoon, to not stir up any attention.
This connection could be further developed and explored in a prequel movie. Considering Haymitch has spent 24 years going back and forth to the Capitol, it is likely they continued crossing paths. Expanding this relationship would be another major strength for the franchise overall. If there is ever a prequel movie which focuses on Haymitch, examing his and Snow’s relationship should be a major priority.
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1 When Did Haymitch Join The Rebellion?
In the final two movies of the original run, Mockingjay Part 1 and 2, Haymitch is revealed to be a part of the rebellion with District 13. However, when this happened is not clear. Haymitch was largely aimless and devoid of hope in the beginning of the first movie. Haymitch only begins to sober up and regain confidence and faith in a future for Panem through Katniss and Peeta’s success. So, was this around the time of his joining a rebellion?
Someone so resigned with life as Haymitch was in the first Games is not a likely person to be actively involved in a rebellion to try and gain freedom, but rather seems like someone who gave up on life. A prequel movie focused on Haymitch could do so much to fill in the blanks of his story in The Hunger Games. It would expand the wider universe of the story, and it could serve as a great way to make Haymitch’s character more pivotal and interesting overall.