The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, which currently consists of four novels, will soon have a new addition. The upcoming book, Sunrise on the Reaping, will be released on March 18, 2025. This prequel will take place 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and around 24 years before the original The Hunger Games.
Inspired by David Hume’s concept of implicit submission and his statement about the ease with which a few govern many, Collins explores propaganda and narrative control themes in this new story. The title Sunrise on the Reaping refers to the Harvest event, a ceremony where children from each district are selected to participate in the Hunger Games.
This book is set during the second Quarter Quell, the 50th anniversary of the Hunger Games. It is known for being particularly brutal as it involved doubling the number of participants to 48, with four children selected from each district, but still only one victor. This was the Games in which Haymitch Abernathy emerged as the winner, setting him up as the mentor for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark 24 years later.
Given that Haymitch was the victor of the second Quarter Quell, Sunrise on the Reaping might follow his perspective, potentially making it the most intense and gritty novel in the series.
The Hunger Games series began its cinematic journey in 2012 with the film The Hunger Games, directed by Gary Ross and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. Francis Lawrence directed the subsequent films: Catching Fire (2013), Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014), and Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015).
The franchise has grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide with these films, leading to the creation of the prequel film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, and Viola Davis. Released last November, the prequel film grossed $327 million in theaters.
