After Suzanne Collins and Lionsgate successfully orchestrated a triumphant return to Panem with last year’s prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Hunger Games is set to return to bookshelves and big screens alike. As announced last month, the next novel/movie to come from the franchise will tell Haymitch Abernathy’s story. House Of The Dragon fans already have an idea of who should play a young version of the character, and now, the actor has reacted.
House Of The Dragon’s Tom Glynn-Carney Reacts To Hunger Games Fancasting
Suzanne Collins’ next Hunger Games book will be Sunrise on the Reaping, which will be available for fans to read on March 18, 2025. The story will revolve around the 50th Hunger Games (the Second Quarter Quell) where Haymitch competed. What was particularly notable about these games was that the Capitol decided to have twice the number of tributes kill one another for survival.
Pretty soon after the announcement, Twitter put Tom Glynn-Carney’s name into the ring to be the next actor to play Haymitch, following Woody Harrelson's run as the character in the original Hunger Games movies. During a recent interview with Vestal Mag, the House of the Dragon actor reacted to the fancasting by saying,
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! [laugh]
The 29-year-old actor who plays King Aegon in the HBO series House Of The Dragon was totally happy to be associated with the famed franchise and be in the running (at least among fans) for the franchise's next leading role.
Why Tom Glynn-Carney Is A Great Pick For Haymitch
Now, yes Tom Glynn-Carney is over a decade older than Haymitch will be in Sunrise on the Reaping (he was 16 when he was a Hunger Games tribute), but I totally get why fans are putting him in the arena for the role. For one, if you look at pictures of the actor without the trademark Targaryen white hair in House of the Dragon, his current and actual haircut/overall look very much gives Haymitch Abernathy.
It’s not just the look either. Tom Glynn-Carney is killing it as King Aegon in House of the Dragon. CinemaBlend’s own Riley Utley even argued that he’s currently the most interesting character on the show, particularly for how well he’s able to bring humanity to a role that can also be so flawed and bothersome. Woody Harrelson was able to bring a lot of depth to the District 12 mentor in the original trilogy, and Glynn-Carney is the kind of young talent who could really bring justice to the fan favorite character.
While we don’t know when Sunrise on the Reaping is looking to go into production, you can check out what upcoming book adaptations to look forward to this year and beyond here on CinemaBlend. And you can watch Glynn-Carney on House of the Dragon with a Max subscription.
