Lionsgate has unveiled plans for a new Hunger Games movie, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, based on franchise writer Suzanne Collins’ just-announced new novel.
The screen adaptation, unveiled on Thursday by Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, has Francis Lawrence in talks to direct the adaptation for Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s Color Force banner. Lawrence, screenwriter Michael Arndt and producer Jacobson earlier teamed with Lionsgate on four film adaptations of earlier Collins books — The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay — that took in $3.3 billion in box office.
Collins and her publisher Scholastic announced the fifth book in the series Thursday. Scholastic will publish Sunrise on the Reaping simultaneously in print, digital and audio formats in North America and other English-speaking territories on March 18, 2025.
There’s no word yet on casting for the film, but Lionsgate has set a wide theatrical release on Nov. 20, 2026, for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Set in the Hunger Games universe, Sunrise on the Reaping returns to the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, and timed for the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
“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,” Lionsgate’s Fogelson said in a statement as he teased the next chapter in the film series.
The 50th Hunger Games are noteworthy given that the victor was Haymitch Abernathy, the only winner from District 12 prior to Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark’s dual win 24 years later. Haymitch, who like all victors went on to become a mentor to tributes from his district, was played by Woody Harrelson in the Hunger Games adaptations.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping film will follow The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel movie and will mark the sixth Hunger Games movie from Color Force since bringing the franchise to Lionsgate.
Lionsgate in 2012 debuted the first of four blockbuster movies based on the Hunger Games novels, which starred Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. The studio’s adaptation of the original book by Collins saw Katniss and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) as they were sent to the Capitol to fight for survival.
The Hunger Games franchise and its portrayal of a dystopian future version of America also starred Liam Hemsworth, Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks. Lawrence has directed four earlier films in the Hunger Games franchise, and every film since Catching Fire.
Lionsgate’s blockbuster Hunger Games franchise also helped make YA postapocalyptic fiction a hot property in Hollywood, paving the way for other movie series like The Maze Runner and Divergent. Lionsgate has also already rolled out theme park attractions, experiences and live events around the franchise, including The World of the Hunger Games at the Motiongate Dubai theme park and a major stage production set to debut in London.
“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,” Collins said in her own statement.
Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien will oversee the production for Lionsgate. Patricia Laucella and Phil Strina oversaw the rights for the book for Lionsgate. Collins was represented by Jason Dravis from The Dravis Agency and Diane Golden and Sarah Lerner from the law firm Katz Golden Lerner LLP.
