With The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping set to follow the 50th games, House of the Dragon star Tom Glynn-Carney reacts to being the fancast favorite to portray Haymitch. With a novel written by original author Suzanne Collins and set for release in 2025, the next adaptation in the franchise is already confirmed to follow in 2026. Glynn-Carney is currently portraying Aegon Targaryen, the Westeros monarch installed by the Hightower faction in season 2 of the HBO prequel to Game of Thrones.

With the development of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping in its early stages, Glynn-Carney reacted to himself emerging as a popular fancast to Vestal Magazine. While his resemblance to Woody Harrelson’s portrayal of the District 12 victor and eventual mentor Haymitch Abernathy has been noted on social media, Glynn-Carney was taken by surprise but honored and eager to take on the role. Check out the actor’s full response below:

No way, that’s the first I’ve heard of it! But I’m incredibly flattered that people would like to see me on screen again. If all goes well, I’ll fight for my life in the Hunger Games!

Who Else Is There To Cast In Sunrise on the Reaping?

The 50th Hunger Games Largely Remains A Mystery.

For the events of Sunrise on the Reaping, the creative team has a new challenge compared to casting the previous games, as the 50th Hunger Games fell into the tradition of the Quater Quell, invoking a new twist on the death game. While the 25th annual twist saw Districts forced to elect their tributes as opposed to random selection and the 75th event saw Tributes selected from the pool of surviving victors of past games, the 50th Hunger Games Quarter Quell twist saw Districts send four tributes to the Capitol, raising the number to 48. As such, there will be a greater pool of fighters, many of whom have never been detailed in past novels.

While past novels hinted at Haymitch’s games, only five tributes were discussed alongside Haymitch, including a District 1 Tribute who joined a ten-man career pack, and a child from the impoverished Seam area of District 12 who died early on. The only other tribute to receive a significant description is Maysilee Donner, the child of a sweet shop owner and an arena ally to Haymitch. As such, both the upcoming Hunger Games novel and movie leave plenty of room for new characters to be introduced.

With The Hunger Games: Sunrise of the Reaping expanding on those details, there is little to speculate on beyond how much the fates of Maysilee and his fellow tributes left Haymitch broken. However, not only is Glynn-Carney a close match in physicality to Harrelson’s Haymitch, but his portrayal of a vain, unprepared, but somewhat good-hearted King thrust on the throne in House of the Dragon is a good example of his range. As such, his response may leave many eager to see him enter the games.

While House of the Dragon season 2 is currently airing on HBO and Max every Sunday, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping novel is expected to release on March 18, 2025, while the movie will follow on November 20, 2026.

Source: Vestal Magazine