Suzanne Collins announced a new Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Shortly after, a film adaptation of the new book has been announced. Lionsgate will again adapt one of Collins' books and it's coming shortly after it is released.
When is the Sunrise of the Reaping film coming out?
Lionsgate announced that a film adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping is coming on November 20, 2026. That is just a year and a half after the novel will be released on March 18, 2025.
This is the fastest one of Collins' novels has been adapted after release. The first Hunger Games film came in 2012 — almost four years after the novel was published. Catching Fire and Mockingjay came out in 2009 and 2010, respectively, with their film counterparts coming in 2013, 2014, and 2015 (Mockingjay was split into two films).
Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are returning to produce the Sunrise on the Reaping film under their Color Force banner. Jacobson has produced all five films in the franchise. Simpson joined the franchise in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Additionally, Francis Lawrence is in talks to direct the film. He has directed all four Hunger Games films since Catching Fire (Gary Ross directed the first film).
What Suzanne Collins, Lionsgate have to say
“Suzanne Collins is a master storyteller and our creative north star,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson said in a statement. “We couldn't be more fortunate than to be guided and trusted by a collaborator whose talent and imagination are so consistently brilliant.
“We know Hunger Games fans worldwide will be spellbound by where Suzanne has focused this next extraordinary story. The Second Quarter Quell is legendary and looms large over the history of the Games, even into the time of Katniss Everdeen a quarter-century later. Like fans around the globe, we are eagerly anticipating this exciting return to Panem,” Fogelson continued.
In her statement, Collins similarly praised Lionsgate as a collaborator.
“From the beginning, Lionsgate has been a wonderful home and partner for the Hunger Games franchise, and I'm very excited to be collaborating with Adam and the team as we bring this next story to theaters in 2026,” she said.
What is Sunrise of the Reaping about?
Per the press release, Sunrise on the Reaping “will revisit the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.”
The Hunger Games franchise
The decision to quickly green-light a Sunrise on the Reaping film adaption is both surprising and risky. After all, the Hunger Games is coming off a disappointing box office run of Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
While the first four Hunger Games films were hits, grossing nearly $3 billion on their own, Songbirds and Snakes was a miss. It grossed just $327 million during its theatrical run. That is by far the lowest total in the franchise (Mockingjay Part 2 was next closest with $646 million).
Tom Blyth led the film as a young Coriolanus Snow. Donald Sutherland previously played the part in the Hunger Games films. Rachel Zegler also starred in the film as Lucy Gray Baird.
Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, and Hunter Schafer also starred in the film. Francis Lawrence directed it based on a script from Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt.