Attention, all Hunger Games enthusiasts! Thursday, June 6, was like Christmas and your birthday rolled into one. Suzanne Collins, the genius behind our beloved dystopian bloodbath, dropped a bombshell: there’s a new prequel on the horizon called *Sunrise on the Reaping*. But wait, there’s more! Lionsgate swooped in like a sponsor gift from the sky to announce that a film adaptation is already in the works.
Mark your calendars and start hoarding your popcorn. The movie is set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. That’s just a year and a half after the book’s release on March 18, 2025—plenty of time to read it 12 times and form strong opinions. If you thought 2024’s *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* was a wild ride, buckle up. *Sunrise on the Reaping* takes us way back, to a Hunger Games so old, Katniss Everdeen’s grandpa was probably still figuring out how to tie his shoes.
This time, we’re diving into the 50th Hunger Games, or as the cool kids call it, the Second Quarter Quell. Hardcore fans will remember this as the one where Haymitch Abernathy, everyone’s favorite drunk mentor, outwitted the Capitol. You know, that scene in *Catching Fire* where Katniss and Peeta watch the Quell and we all wondered why it didn’t make the movie cut? Yeah, that one.
As for the film’s cast and director, well, that’s still as mysterious as the contents of a sponsor’s parachute. But Suzanne Collins gave us a taste of what’s to come, and it’s spicier than a Capitol party platter. Inspired by philosopher David Hume’s musings on how the masses are so easily ruled by the elite, Collins is ready to explore propaganda and narrative control. The old “Real or not real?” question is about to get a serious workout.
So, prepare yourselves for another epic journey into the world of Panem. *Sunrise on the Reaping* hits theaters on November 20, 2026. May the odds be ever in your favor… and may you have enough tissues for all the inevitable feels.
Welcome to the Second Quarter Quell.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters November 20, 2026. pic.twitter.com/nuRcxtDZ7B
— The Hunger Games (@TheHungerGames) June 6, 2024