Suzanne Collins is not done writing the story of District 12 victors as another prequel story is coming in the near future.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping movie will shed light on Katniss Everdeen's mentor, Haymitch Abernathy's time in Panem, and here's everything you need to know about their release date news and what story to expect from the novel and film.
Sunrise on the Reaping Release Date
Another The Hunger Games novel is coming out on March 18, 2025, as Suzanne Collins herself confirmed. Sunrise on the Reaping will serve as her fifth novel in her The Hunger Games franchise.
Ahead of the book's debut, Lionsgate has already set the schedule for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping to hit theaters on November 20, 2026, which means it is relatively a shorter gap time compared to how long the previous film adaptations took.
Although, this would depend on when Collins finishes the novel, and whether or not the filming production would not encounter any issues between 2025 to 2026.
Potential Issues The Hunger Games Prequel Might Face
Apart from Suzanne Collins potentially delaying the publishing of the Sunrise on the Reaping novel, the only other possible delay The Hunger Games prequel may face is related to the in-between process of production.
Then there's the complete recasting happening for the prequel, finding the perfect actor to play the younger Haymitch of Woody Harrelson from the original film franchise.
Since the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike and SAG-AFTRA strike have already been resolved, the only other reason may be another pandemic impacting their designated filming sites.
What Will Sunrise on the Reaping Movie Be About?
As previously mentioned, Sunrise on the Reaping will tell the story of 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy's time in his games.
It's a prequel set 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but 24 years before the original trilogy's champions' Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's time.
According to Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping was inspired by the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume's work, which delves deep into "implicit submission" and "easiness with which the many are governed by the few" propaganda, on how the 'power of those who control the narrative' is utilized.
Collins added, "The question, 'Real or not real?' seems more pressing to me every day."
Sunrise will hold the 50th Hunger Games, where Haymitch competed and won in the Second Quarter Quell.
However, his story will take a darker turn once fans find out what caused Haymitch to turn to alcohol as a part of his destructive coping mechanism of becoming District 12's designated mentor in the reapings.
READ NEXT: How Old Was Haymitch Abernathy in His Games? Hunger Games Prequel Explored
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