Sunrise on the Reaping book epilogue explains exactly why Katniss and Peeta return in film

This is NOT a drill. Katniss Everdeen is back, baby! Jennifer Lawrence has confirmed that she’s returning to The Hunger Games in Sunrise on the Reaping after 11 years, and if you haven’t read the books, you might be wondering which scene she’ll appear in.

Jennifer Lawrence last appeared as Katniss in the 2015 film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. She starred alongside Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.

Now, more than a decade later, all three are returning to the franchise to reprise their roles in the new film, which releases on 20 November. Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel that follows a young Haymitch, played by Joseph Zada, as he tries to survive the 50th Hunger Games. The story is set 24 years before the original trilogy.

In an interview with Call Her Daddy, Jennifer said, “Unbelievable. It was so crazy because it was the same crew. It was the same camera guys, the same AD, who I’ve worked with a million times … and Josh and Woody and it was so emotional. Like Josh and I like didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful.”

She added, “And Woody obviously came through the window of my hotel room uninvited cause it would not be the same. It wouldn’t be the same if he listened to boundaries and used a door.”

So, how do Jennifer, Josh and Woody fit into the story? Well, there’s an epilogue at the end of the book that explains it all.

What happens in the Sunrise on the Reaping epilogue?

While most of the film follows a young Haymitch during the 50th Hunger Games, the epilogue brings the story back to the characters fans already know and love. This sets the stage for Jennifer, Josh and Woody to reprise their iconic roles.

By this point, Haymitch is still carrying the weight of everything he’s lost, especially Lenore Dove. But his dreams of her begin to change, which gives him some hope that he can finally make peace with his past. He also starts letting Katniss and Peeta into his world. He opens up about Katniss’s parents, his family, Maysilee, Lenore Dove and the memories he’s spent years trying to bury.

Then the next day, Katniss brings him goose eggs, and Peeta helps him set up an incubator. It seems like a small gesture, but it means a lot to Haymitch as he can raise the geese in Lenore’s memory. 

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