Los Angeles, CA – Lionsgate has officially unveiled The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the next chapter in Suzanne Collins’ blockbuster dystopian saga, with a North American theatrical release set for November 20, 2026.

Franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her Color Force producing partner Brad Simpson will return for their sixth Hunger Games collaboration, continuing a partnership that began with the original 2012 hit.

Director Francis Lawrence, who has helmed every film since Catching Fire, is in talks to return behind the camera for the upcoming prequel.

The story will transport audiences back to Panem, 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s rise, centering on the 50th Hunger Games — the Second Quarter Quell — one of the most infamous events in the series’ history.

The book Sunrise on the Reaping will be published globally on March 18, 2025, across print, digital, and audio formats by Scholastic, with simultaneous releases in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

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Lionsgate doubles down on blockbuster franchise

Lionsgate’s adaptation marks the studio’s sixth film in the Hunger Games universe, which has grossed more than $3.3 billion worldwide. The franchise helped define a generation of young adult cinema and launched the careers of Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.

The films also featured acclaimed performances by Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, and more recently, Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Jacobson and Simpson will once again produce under the Color Force banner, with Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien overseeing the project for Lionsgate.

A return to the world of Panem

Suzanne Collins’ prequel will explore the political and social tensions surrounding the Second Quarter Quell, a competition referenced but never shown in previous installments. Fans have long speculated about its events, which occurred decades before the rebellion of Katniss Everdeen.

Lionsgate executives expressed enthusiasm for Collins’ continued creative leadership. “Suzanne Collins is a master storyteller and our creative north star,” said Adam Fogelson, noting that the Second Quarter Quell remains one of the most pivotal moments in the franchise’s mythology.

Collins said she was “very excited” to be working again with Lionsgate, calling the studio “a wonderful home and partner for the Hunger Games franchise.”

Global expansion of the Hunger Games universe

Beyond the new film and novel, the world of The Hunger Games continues to grow internationally. Theme park attractions, immersive experiences, and a stage adaptation in London from Olivier Award-winning playwright Conor McPherson are in development, signaling the franchise’s ongoing cultural reach.

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Legal representation for the deal included Jason Dravis of The Dravis Agency and attorneys Diane Golden and Sarah Lerner of Katz Golden Lerner LLP, with Patricia Laucella and Phil Strina overseeing rights for Lionsgate.

Key Points

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will hit theaters November 20, 2026.
The story takes place 24 years before the original series, during the Second Quarter Quell.

Suzanne Collins’ novel will be published globally on March 18, 2025, ahead of the film’s release.

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