Sixteen years ago, Suzanne Collins introduced readers to a dystopian world where young people fought gladiator-style to their deaths, creating the best-selling Hunger Games series that spawned a global following and a multibillion-dollar movie franchise. Now, Collins is set to return to this world with a new prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” announced by Scholastic on Thursday. The book will be published on March 18, 2025.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” will also be adapted into a film, slated for release on November 20, 2026, and produced by Lionsgate, the studio behind the previous Hunger Games movies. A social media post by The Hunger Games’ official account heralded the news with the tagline, “Welcome to the Second Quarter Quell.”
The new book will take readers back to Panem, a postapocalyptic land comprising 12 districts that emerged from the ruins of North America, devastated by war and climate change. The story begins on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, set 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games novel.
In a statement released on Thursday, Collins revealed her inspiration for the new book came from the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume, particularly his ideas on implicit submission and the ease with which the many are governed by the few. Collins noted that the story explores the use of propaganda and the power of narrative control, adding that the question “Real or not real?” feels increasingly relevant.
The Hunger Games series, starting with the first book in 2008, includes “Catching Fire” (2009) and “Mockingjay” (2010). Despite announcing in 2015 that she was stepping away from the series, Collins returned with “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in 2020.
The first four books have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 50 languages. The series’ five feature films have captivated fans, particularly through the character of Katniss Everdeen, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence. Katniss, with her long braid, bow and arrow, and unwavering sense of loyalty and justice, remains an iconic figure in the Hunger Games saga.
