The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Tom Blyth recently told ClutchPoints that a sequel is up to Suzanne Collins writing another book. His wish has come true as Collins is returning to the iconic franchise with another novel: Sunrise of the Reaping.
The Associated Press is reporting that Collins is writing a fifth Hunger Games novel. It will be published on March 18, 2025. Per the report, this story will take place 24 years before the original Hunger Games novel and 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It will begin with “the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games.”
While past installments in the franchise pulled from Greek mythology and Roman gladiator games, Collins has found new inspiration. She cited the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume as an inspiration to The Associated Press.
“With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume's idea of implicit submission and, in his words, ‘the easiness with which many are governed by the few,'” Collins said in a statement to The Associated Press. “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 ‘Real or not real?' seems more pressing to me every day.”
What does this mean for a Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sequel?
The Associated Press report notes that film rights for Sunrise on the Reaping haven't been announced. Collins' last four novels were all adapted across five total films by Lionsgate. They have grossed over $3.2 billion worldwide.
However, it is important to note that the latest film, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, was the lowest-grossing film of the series. Based on Collins' 2020 novel, the film took place 64 years before the events of the first novel.
Despite franchise veteran Francis Lawrence returning to direct and young stars such as Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth, the film didn't catch on at the box office. The film grossed just $337 million during its theatrical run.
This was a far cry from the previous four films. The first film in the franchise grossed nearly $700 million. Catching Fire made $865 million, Mockingjay Part 1 made $755 million, and Mockingjay Part 2 made $653 million.
So, an adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping is far from a guarantee. But given Lionsgate's track record, it's more likely going to happen than not.
What does this mean for Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler? Blyth played a younger version of Coriolanus Snow in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In ClutchPoints' interview with him, he expressed interest in seeing Snow become Head Gamemaker. Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 40 years after Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, so maybe that's the right timeline to see this come to fruition.
The Hunger Games franchise
Suzanne Collins kicked off the Hunger Games franchise in 2008 with the novel of the same name. She was previously known for writing the Underland Chronicles series.
Two sequel Hunger Games novels would follow, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Nearly a decade later, Collins returned to the series to write the prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
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