Set more than two decades prior to the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy, Sunrise on the Reaping serves as an origin story for Haymitch Abernathy, the boozy oaf and fierce mentor played by Woody Harrelson in the films.

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in 2023, it seems the mid-2020s Hunger Games resurgence is only growing stronger. The series’ creator, Suzanne Collins, is now working on a fifth book, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,

After Zada’s casting was unveiled, Jacobson spoke to Deadline about the arduous process of finding “a young actor with the skill and imagination to embody young Haymitch.” She added that Zada “prepared like crazy and stole our hearts.”