It’s official: Suzanne Collins is writing a Hunger Games prequel.
The book is currently set to release on May 19, 2020. Scholastic says Collins’ book will “revisit the world of Panem 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games, on the morning of the reaping of the 10th Hunger Games.”
The prequel will focus on the years after the “Dark Days” of the failed Panem rebellion.
“The reconstruction period 10 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,” Collins said in a statement.
Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy was a success in both bookstores and theaters: The books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and launched a billion-dollar four-part movie franchise. The last installment, Mockingjay, was published in 2010; the last film came out in 2015.
Though it’s unclear if a firm film rights offer has been made, a statement from chairman Joe Drake makes it clear Lionsgate is eager to produce the inevitable film adaptation: “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.”
