Here's all the details on the newly announced novel!
The Hunger Games is about to get its very own prequel.
On Monday, the publisher Scholastic announced that it has purchased the global rights to an untitled upcoming novel, which will predate the 2008 original, as well as sequels Catching Fire (2009) and Mockingjay (2010), from author Suzanne Collins.
The new book "will revisit the world of Panem 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games, on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games," according to a press release. No further details on the plot were given.
Fans will remember that the "reaping" is when a boy and a girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games, a battle to the death, in the fictional North American country of Panem decades after an apocalyptic event.
In the original novel, heroine Katniss Everdeen's younger sister, Primrose, is chosen, but her older sibling volunteers to take her place. Jennifer Lawrence tackled the lead role in the subsequent billion-dollar film franchise.
"With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival," Collins said in a statement. "The reconstruction period ten years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days -- as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet -- provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity."
The upcoming prequel will be published simultaneously in print, audio and digital formats on May 19, 2020.
"Suzanne Collins is a master at combining brilliant storytelling, superb world building, breathtaking suspense, and social commentary," Ellie Berger, Scholastic Trade Publishing President, said in the press release. "We are absolutely thrilled -- as both readers and publishers -- to introduce the devoted fans of the series and a new audience to an entirely new perspective on this modern classic."
Will the upcoming prequel also make its way to the big screen? Joe Drake, Chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement: "As the proud home of the Hunger Games movies, we can hardly wait for Suzanne's next book to be published. We've been communicating with her during the writing process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the movie."
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