A long-awaited Hunger Games prequel is finally becoming a reality!
Scholastic announced on Thursday that author Suzanne Collins is releasing her second prequel book to the original Hunger Games trilogy. Titled Sunrise on the Reaping, the book will "revisit the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell."Diehard fans immediately knew that this means the book and subsequent film will focus on the Games won by Haymitch Abernathy, the character played by Woody Harrelson in the Hunger Games movies. Thought to be the only living victor from District 12 (before the first prequel book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, called that into question) Haymitch's Games were particularly memorable -- and brutal -- because of the special rules made for that Quarter Quell.
In the 50th Games, the amount of tributes reaped from each district were doubled, meaning two boys and two girls per district -- 48 tributes in total. Young Haymitch ultimately won by discovering a flaw in the arena's construction -- leading the Capitol to punish his unexpected victory by killing his family and closest friends.
"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,'" Collins said in a statement to the Associated Press. "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."
The new Hunger Games prequel book will focus on the Games won by Haymitch Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson in the films.
The same day, it was announced that, like the books before it, Sunrise on the Reaping will be adapted into a feature film. The official Hunger Games social media accounts announced that the film adaptation, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set to hit theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.
"Suzanne Collins is a master storyteller and our creative north star," said Lionsgate chair Adam Fogelson in a statement. "We couldn’t be more fortunate than to be guided and trusted by a collaborator whose talent and imagination are so consistently brilliant. We know Hunger Games fans worldwide will be spellbound by where Suzanne has focused this next extraordinary story. The Second Quarter Quell is legendary and looms large over the history of the Games, even into the time of Katniss Everdeen a quarter-century later. Like fans around the globe, we are eagerly anticipating this exciting return to Panem."
"From the beginning, Lionsgate has been a wonderful home and partner for the Hunger Games franchise, and I'm very excited to be collaborating with Adam and the team as we bring this next story to theaters in 2026," added Collins.
Rachel Zegler, who starred in the film adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, took to X to celebrate the news -- and maybe take a little credit.
She shared an old tweet that she posted in January 2021, which read, "girls don’t want boys. girls want suzanne collins to release a haymitch abernathy origin trilogy."
Retweeting that in light of the announcement, Zegler cheekily added, "you’re welcome guys."
Sunrise on the Reaping is set to be released on March 18, 2025.
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