“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” made its way to theaters last fall, and with the popularity that followed, it came as no surprise when Suzanne Collins, author of “The Hunger Games” series, announced that she is writing yet another prequel, this time centering around a fan favorite character. 

More book-to-movie adaptations have been popping up in recent years, with one of the biggest as of late being “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” The film, starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, follows a young Coriolanus Snow, the villain of the original series, as he navigates the trials of being a mentor in the tenth annual Hunger Games. Since the film’s release, many fans have eagerly awaited a possible addition to the series. Well, it will not have to be much longer, as a new book, and movie adaptation, are currently in the works. 

The newest addition to the franchise, titled “Sunrise on the Reaping,” will be the second prequel Collins has written for the series. The first was “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” This new book will take readers back to Panem as the country prepares for the fiftieth Hunger Games, but this time with a twist. There will be twice the number of tributes as of years past, and Haymitch Abernathy is one of them. The novel will follow Haymitch as he fights to survive, laying the groundwork for the broken man we see in the original trilogy. 

This plotline may sound familiar to those who have read “Catching Fire,” the second book in the series. That is because Katniss, the trilogy’s main protagonist, witnesses a recording of the fiftieth Hunger Games, also known to those in Panem as the second Quarter Quell, while on a Capital train. This new book will expand upon that scene and focus more on propaganda and its effect on those exposed. March 18, 2025, is the current publication date. 

As if reading minds, Lionsgate, the entertainment company that has distributed all adaptations of “The Hunger Games” series, announced that a movie for “Sunrise on the Reaping” is already in development, with a release date slated for Nov. 20, 2026. 

Whether you have been interested since the first book’s release or Tom Blythe as Coriolanus Snow caught your attention, this is shaping up to be an exceptional time for fans of “The Hunger Games” new and old.