The upcoming Hunger Games prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” is set to be released in November 2026, as confirmed by Lionsgate. Francis Lawrence, known for directing the last four movies in the franchise, is in talks to return as the director for this installment. Franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson are also set to produce the movie, continuing their involvement in the Hunger Games series
A new Hunger Games film
Suzanne Collins, writer of The Hunger Games, is crafting a fresh novel titled Sunrise on the Reaping, scheduled for publication in 2025. A cinematic version of the book is planned for theatrical release on November 20, 2026. Francis Lawrence, who has directed every Hunger Games film since Catching Fire in 2013, is negotiating to helm the movie.
Sunrise on the Reaping story
Sunrise on the Reaping will revisit the realm of Panem 24 years prior to the events in the Hunger Games trilogy and 40 years following the occurrences of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The narrative will commence on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell. Haymitch Abernathy, depicted by Woody Harrelson in the films, will be the focal point of the tale. Haymitch later mentors Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss and Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta in the 74th Hunger Games.
Suzanne, the master storyteller
In an announcement, Adam Fogelson, chairman of Lionsgate, stated, “Suzanne Collins is a master storyteller and our creative compass. We couldn’t be more fortunate than to be guided and trusted by a collaborator whose talent and imagination are so consistently exceptional. The Second Quarter Quell is legendary and casts a long shadow over the history of the Games, even into the era of Katniss Everdeen a quarter-century later.”
What Is The Sunrise On The Reaping Book Release Date?
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping will be published on March 18, 2025, in print, digital, and audio formats across the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
When Is Sunrise On The Reaping Coming To Theaters?
The forthcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will arrive in cinemas on November 20, 2026. The cast has yet to be revealed.
How Did Haymitch Win The 50th Hunger Games?
Haymitch’s triumph is detailed in the second book, Catching Fire, but the specifics of his victory were mostly omitted from the film adaptation. At 16, he was selected for the Second Quarter Quell alongside District 12’s Maysilee Donner. Haymitch and Maysilee allied and stayed together until only five tributes remained. Maysilee eventually chose to part ways to avoid having to kill him, but she was tragically attacked and killed by bird-mutts. He held her hand as she died.
Haymitch secured victory in the 50th Hunger Games by astutely using the force field at the edge of the arena to eliminate the District 1 tribute with her own axe.
How Is Sunrise On The Reaping Connected To The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes?
Sunrise On The Reaping is set four decades after Collins’ 2019 novel, The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, which delves into President Coriolanus Snow’s backstory. Adapted into a film in 2023 featuring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, the movie follows a young Coriolanus Snow before his ascension to infamy as Panem’s ruler. During this period, he mentors Lucy Gray Baird, a traveling musician and District 12 tribute. Snow is torn between his profound feelings for Lucy and his growing lust for power.
In Sunrise On The Reaping, audiences will likely witness an older, more authoritative Coriolanus Snow. Two weeks after Haymitch’s victory, he ordered the execution of Haymitch’s mother, younger brother, and girlfriend.
Stay tuned to learn more about The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping