A worldwide bestselling book series by Suzanne Collins, it was an absolute no-brainer to adapt The Hunger Games in live-action. The trilogy of films starting in 2012 starred Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence alongside Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and other notable names. As if the books weren't popular enough, the movies turned The Hunger Games into an absolute phenomenon, and it was no surprise that when Collins wrote a follow-up in 2020, that would make its way to the big screen as well.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel to the The Hunger Games trilogy, hit theaters in Nov. 2023 and made over $300 million at the worldwide box office, proving people are still hungry for more Panem. Now, in a move that completely makes sense, Collins has announced her next Hunger Games book — and it's hitting shelves next year.
UPDATE 6/6/2024: Hours after their original reporting, Variety has learned that another Hunger Games movie is in the works, set to premiere in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026. It will be based on Collins' next book in the series. Francis Lawrence is in talks to direct.
SEE ORIGINAL REPORT BELOW.
Sunrise on the Reaping hits shelves in March 2025
As reported by Variety, Collins' next book in the Hunger Games series is titled Sunrise on the Reaping. It will serve as a prequel to the original trilogy and a sequel to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, taking place 40 years after the events of the most recent book. The novel will be available to purchase on March 18, 2025, so mark your calendars!
The official synopsis for Sunrise on the Reaping has not been released yet, but Collins did shed some light on her inspiration for the novel in a statement to the Associated Press:
"With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume’s idea of implicit submission and, in his words, 'the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.' The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question 'Real or not real?' seems more pressing to me every day."Suzanne Collins
Both Variety and the AP note that film rights for Sunrise on the Reaping have not been announced yet, but we can assume we'll be seeing the story on the big screen just like the previous Hunger Games books. With the release of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the Hunger Games series is now the 15th highest-grossing film franchise in the United States and Canada, and the 20th worldwide. As reported by CBR, the five movies have grossed $3.28 billion in total, with 2013's Catching Fire seeing the most financial success with its $864,808,014 worldwide earnings.
The Hunger Games movie franchise is just shy of the Twilight series' worldwide gross — $3.36 billion — and with the eventual release of a Sunrise on the Reaping adaption, it will presumably move up in the rankings. Of course, that is if a film adaption happens.
Stay tuned for more news about Sunrise on the Reaping.
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