The Hunger Games Sunrise On The Reaping – A New Book & Movie Are Coming!

If you loved Haymitch in the original Hunger Games films, a new prequel focusing on a young version of his character is coming soon. Suzanne Collins is releasing another book, The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping, which will be adapted into a movie set to hit theaters in 2026. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming book and movie.

Setting and Plot

Unlike The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which takes place 64 years before the events of the original trilogy, Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before The Hunger Games. The story centers on the 50th Hunger Games (the Second Quarter Quell), highlighting District 12’s Haymitch Abernathy and his path to victory.

“With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume’s idea of implicit submission and his words, ‘the easiness with which the many are governed by the few,'” Collins wrote in a statement. “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.”

Book and Movie Release Dates

Book Release Date:

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released on March 18, 2025, in print, digital, and audio formats in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Movie Release Date:

The film adaptation, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, will premiere in theaters on November 20, 2026. The cast has yet to be announced.

What to Expect

The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping will explore the 50th Hunger Games, a significant event that crowned Haymitch Abernathy as the victor. Haymitch and Lucy Gray Baird (from The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes) are the only other winners from District 12 before Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. In the original films, Woody Harrelson portrayed Haymitch, who served as a mentor for Katniss and Peeta.

Haymitch’s Victory

Haymitch’s win in the 50th Hunger Games was briefly mentioned in Catching Fire, but the film adaptation omitted many details. At 16, Haymitch was reaped alongside Maysilee Donner. The two allied, but Maysilee eventually decided to separate to avoid having to kill Haymitch. She was later attacked and killed by bird-mutts. Haymitch cleverly used the arena’s force field to kill the District 1 tribute with her axe, securing his victory.

Connection to The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

Sunrise On The Reaping is set 40 years after Collins’ 2019 novel, The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, explores President Coriolanus Snow’s origin story. The 2023 film adaptation starred Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler and followed a young Snow as he mentored District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird. In Sunrise On The Reaping, we’ll likely see an older, more powerful Snow. Notably, two weeks after Haymitch’s victory, Snow ordered the execution of Haymitch’s mother, younger brother, and girlfriend.

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned for more updates on The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping as the release dates approach.