NEW YORK -- Inspired by an 18th century Scottish philosopher and the modern scourge of misinformation, Suzanne Collins is returning to the ravaged, post-apocalyptic land of Panem for a new âThe Hunger Gamesâ novel.
Scholastic announced Thursday that âSunrise on the Reaping,â the fifth volume of Collins' blockbuster dystopian series, will be published March 18, 2025. The new book begins with the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, set 24 years before the original âHunger Gamesâ novel, which came out in 2008, and 40 years after Collins' most recent book, âThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.â
Lionsgate, which has released film adaptations of all four previous âHunger Gamesâ books, announced later on Thursday that âSunrise on the Reapingâ will open in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026. Francis Lawrence, who has worked on all but the first âHunger Gamesâ movie, will return as director.
The first four âHunger Gamesâ books have sold more than 100 million copies and been translated into dozens of languages. Collins had seemingly ended the series after the 2010 publication of âMockingjay,â writing in 2015 that it was âtime to move on to other lands.â But four years later, she stunned readers and the publishing world when she revealed she was working on what became âThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,â released in 2020 and set 64 years before the first book.
Collins has drawn upon Greek mythology and the Roman gladiator games for her earlier âHunger Gamesâ books. But for the upcoming novel, she cites the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume.
âWith âSunrise on the Reaping,â I was inspired by David Humeâs idea of implicit submission and, in his words, âthe easiness with which the many are governed by the few,'" Collins said in a statement. "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 âReal or not real?â seems more pressing to me every day.â
The âHunger Gamesâ movies are a multibillion dollar franchise for Lionsgate. Jennifer Lawrence portrayed heroine Katniss Everdeen in the film versions of âThe Hunger Games,â âCatching Fireâ and âMockingjay," the last of which came out in two installments. Other featured actors have included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland.
âSuzanne Collins is a master storyteller and our creative north star,â Lionsgate chair Adam Fogelson said in a statement. âWe couldnât be more fortunate than to be guided and trusted by a collaborator whose talent and imagination are so consistently brilliant."
The film version of âSongbirds and Snakes," starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, came out last year. This fall, a âHunger Gamesâ stage production is scheduled to debut in London.