‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Movie in the Works

Fans of The Hunger Games trilogy will soon have something new to look forward to, as Lionsgate is reportedly prepping a prequel to the mega-popular film series, which was originally based on Suzanne Collins’ novels of the same name.

Variety reports that the prequel will be based on an upcoming novel from Collins, which is as-yet untitled and will be released on May 19, 2020.

The prequel will be set 64 years before the events of the first Hunger Games book, which found Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence in the films, volunteering herself as tribute for the annual Hunger Games.

“With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival,” Collins said in a statement. “The reconstruction period ten years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days — as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet — provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity.”

The time period of the prequel means the book will be set well before Katniss is born, though Collins provided enough history about the country of Panem in her trilogy for readers to know that 74 years before Katniss’ first Hunger Games, the 13 Districts of Panem attempted a rebellion against the Capital. The rebellion did not succeed, 12 districts remained under Capital control and The Hunger Games were instituted as a way to remind the districts of their failure.

The games saw each district’s tributes fight to the death until only one remained and was crowned the victor, though Katniss upended the system when she entered the Games a second time, leading to another rebellion that ultimately changed Panem forever.

Collins’ original trilogy — “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” — was developed by Lionsgate into four films, the last of which was released in 2015. The movies grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide, while the books sold over 100 million copies and have been translated into over 50 languages.

“As the proud home of the ‘Hunger Games’ movies, we can hardly wait for Suzanne’s next book to be published. We’ve been communicating with her during the writing process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the movie,” Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said Monday in a statement.

Photo Credit: Lionsgate