Topline
The author of one of the most successful book and film franchises of the 21st century will add another novel to the “Hunger Games” series next year titled “Sunrise on the Reaping,” her publisher announced Thursday, a book she says will dive into “the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative.”
“Hunger Games” books and merchandise. Corbis via Getty Images
Key Facts
Scholastic announced on Thursday that Suzanne Collins will release “Sunrise on the Reaping” next spring. The new book will take place during the 50th Hunger Games, 24 years before the setting of the original trilogy and decades after “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Earlier novels have revealed the 50th rendition of the Hunger Games to be the competition featuring Haymitch Abernathy, a character in the original trilogy played on screen by Woody Harrelson. The political undertones of the novel were inspired by 18th century Scottish philosopher David Hume, Collins said in a statement, particularly his views of “implicit submission and, in his words, ‘the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.’” No film rights have been announced for the book, but every other “Hunger Games” novel has been adapted into a film, with Lionsgate Films distributing all five movies. The original “Hunger Games” trilogy, the first of which released in 2008, has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and was translated into 54 languages and Collins’ prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” released in 2020, sold more 500,000 copies in its first week.
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Crucial Quote
“The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative,” Collins said in a statement. “The question ‘Real or not real?’ seems more pressing to me every day.”
What To Watch For
The books’ release. It’s set for March 18, 2025.
Big Number
$1.45 billion. That’s how much the first four “Hunger Games” movies, based on the original trilogy of young adult novels, grossed at the domestic box office. “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” which was released in November, grossed another $166.4 million.
Key Background
“The Hunger Games” franchise fits into a trend of successful young adult novels-turned-films that dominated pop culture in the 2000s and early 2010s and also included the “Twilight,” “Harry Potter” and “Maze Runner” series. The dystopian story follows Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) life in a post-apocalyptic nation called Panem where children are forced to compete in a televised fight to the death called the Hunger Games. The trilogy helped make Lawrence an A-list movie star and her red carpet chemistry with co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson fueled popularity both for the stars and their franchises. The films were nominated for hundreds of awards and won dozens, including People’s Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards and Grammy Awards. “The Hunger Games” was named one of Publishers Weekly’s “Best Books of the Year” and was a New York Times Notable Children’s Book in 2008. It went on to win the California Young Reader Medal.
Surprising Fact
Taylor Swift was one of several artists to win a Grammy Award for the song “Safe & Sound” from the soundtrack of “The Hunger Games.” The song won the award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2013 awards.
Further Reading
AP News Suzanne Collins is releasing a new ‘Hunger Games’ novel, ‘Sunrise on the Reaping,’ next year
Forbes The Hunger Games: Inside The Numbers
Forbes New ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Faces Franchise’s Worst Average Reviews-Ahead Of Expected $50 Million Opening