I have been counting down the days until Sunrise on the Reaping, the next movie of The Hunger Games film franchise, premieres in theaters. Genuinely, of all the big movies coming out this year, this is the one I've waited for updates on since its announcement. From the casting decisions to the set design to the beautiful trailers, it’s been on my mind.
Now, the cast is just beginning the press run ahead of the film's Nov. 20 premiere, and there's so much to talk about. One of the things that has started to hijack the discourse about this movie is how fans are objecting that McKenna Grace, who plays Maysilee, one of the tributes in Haymitch’s game, is getting more publicity than Lenore Dove. Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove, is played by Whitney Peak.
I’ve read The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins two times back-to-back, and I must admit, I don’t even understand why people have lamented so much about Maysilee getting promoted more. If you’ve read the book, you know, but if you’re confused as to why this is happening, this article is for you.
There are two reasons fans need to relax about the marketing campaign and why Maysilee is featured more.
Maysilee is a much more active character in the book
The biggest reason Maysilee is featured more is simple: she’s more of a main character. Point blank.
In the grand scheme of things, Haymitch’s will to live does revolve around Lenore. He makes it his goal to survive these games and get back to her. His main wish is to be with her for the rest of his life. Their relationship drives the book most of the time, because you are actively rooting for him to get back.
Obviously, we know he will — he’s in The Hunger Games books for a reason — but if his main goal is to get back to Lenore, why is Maysilee featured more? That’s because she’s another tribute from District 12, and she's a big reason Haymitch gets back after the Second Quarter Quell.
I don’t want to spoil anything if you’ve never read the book. If you plan to see this film, you should read it, because it’s genuinely one of the few books that makes me openly sob after I finish. But Maysilee turns out to be a pretty complex character and one who stays with Haymitch through much of the pain and torture of the games.
They are not Katniss Everdeen and Peeta, by any means. That is something I can say for sure. There is no romantic relation at all. It’s that pure trauma bond and how they work through everything together that makes her a main character and why she’s promoted so much in the advertising.
Lenore Dove is like a ghost
No, she isn’t dead the entire time. This isn’t like The Sixth Sense. But I will say that Lenore Dove really isn’t there throughout the book. She is extremely important, but in the overall picture, she is more like a ghost than an active character, which helps explain why Maysilee has featured so much more.
Think about it — if Lenore Dove got as much promotion as Maysilee has, and you went to the movie not knowing the book and barely saw her, you’d probably be a little upset. This is really just the marketing being blatantly honest.
But the key point is that even though she’s a ghost, she’s still an active character in the story. Haymitch fights for her, but even when she isn’t directly there, her personality, the connections she’s made, and more linger. Because of her philosophy and who she is, Haymitch fights, and through it all, she guides him, even from afar.
Maysilee is Haymitch's active counterpart, while Lenore is the light that guides him home. Without the light, he really has nothing. But with the companion, he can get there faster and keep the light from being snuffed out. That’s why Maysilee is so important — because they work together to take down their enemies, not against each other.
The connection with Lenore Dove goes far beyond even the games in this series, which, again, I will not spoil because it’s that good. But I want to be frank: I don’t believe there’s any hidden marketing scheme behind why one character is being promoted over the other. It is genuinely just the case that one character is much more actively involved with the games than the other.
Essentially, making Lenore Dove as big as Maysilee would be making Primrose as big as Peeta. And no one wants that. Primrose was Katniss’ reason. Lenore Dove is Haymitch’s reason — just two very different kinds of love.
No matter how you feel right now, you’ll still have an emotionally thrilling, exhausting time when this movie releases, with Maysilee and Lenore Dove both beautifully adapted.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping releases in theaters everywhere on Nov. 20, 2026.
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