Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has announced a new book in the post-apocalyptic series will be released early next year — with a film adaptation to follow in 2026.
The fifth novel in the series, titled Sunrise On The Reaping, will be a prequel to the original trilogy like the preceding instalment The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
It will be set during the 50th Hunger Games and follow victor Haymitch Abernathy during a period fans of the series have long called for Collins to cover.
He was the only surviving victor from District 12 before Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's victory in the original novel – serving as a mentor for the pair.
The film is set during a Quarter Quell Hunger Games, a special edition of the games that is held every twenty-five years. Instead of two tributes being reaped from each district, the number was doubled to four.
Haymitch is played by Woody Harrelson in the film trilogy.
Collins, who has drawn from Greek mythology and Roman gladiator matches for earlier books, said she was inspired by Scottish philosopher David Hume in the upcoming novel.
"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."
Lionsgate has already announced a plan to bring the prequel novel to theatres.
Francis Lawrence, director of the four previous Hunger Games films, is in talks to helm Sunrise On The Reaping.
“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 [Fogelson] and the team as we bring this next story to theatres in 2026,” Collins said.
The book will be released in New Zealand on March 18, 2025, while the film adaptation will hit theatres on November 20, 2026.
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