‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ Publisher on Why New ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Is Focused on Haymitch and If Finnick’s Story Is Next
Last June, Scholastic and Lionsgate teamed up for a double hit of “Hunger Games” news: Not only would a new prequel book be released 10 months later, but the unpublished novel was already in the works as a film set with a November 2026 theatrical release.
On March 18, the first portion of that promise will be delivered with the launch of “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Suzanne Collins’ fifth addition to the “Hunger Games” franchise. One of the most anticipated books of 2025, the story centers around Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, Haymitch (played by Woody Harrelson in the “Hunger Games” film trilogy), when he was a teen and his emergence as the victor in the 50th annual Hunger Games.
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Unlike the release of Collins’ previous “Hunger Games” prequel novel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which came out amid the height of the pandemic in 2020, publisher Scholastic is able to give “Sunrise” a blockbuster rollout that includes hosting midnight release (and some “sunrise”) parties at book stores.
Another notable change is the short time fans will have to wait to see the on-screen adaptation of the book following “Sunrise’s” publishing. While “Ballad’s” film companion was released in 2023, three years after it was first published, “Sunrise on the Reaping” is scheduled to be on the big screen just over a year and a half after its book release. The film will mark the sixth installment in the “Hunger Games” movie franchise from Lionsgate, which has seen a collective $3.3 billion worldwide in theatrical ticket sales.
Collins’ longtime editor and publisher David Levithan, who is vice president, publisher and editorial director for “Hunger Games” publisher Scholastic, has been shepherding the franchise through each of its installments: “The Hunger Games” (2008), “Catching Fire” (2009), “Mockingjay” (2010) and “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (2020).
Here, Levithan breaks down for Variety Collins’ idea for “Sunrise on the Reaping,” the evolution of the “Hunger Games” universe and if sequels are on the table.
What was your initial reaction when Suzanne said she wanted to write another “Hunger Games” book? When did that process start?
I was thrilled – not just because the story would continue to be filled in, but also because Haymitch’s arc is such a compelling one. In their own ways, Katniss and Snow both start with very little and then gain their own kinds of power, whereas Haymitch starts in a good place and loses everything. In the “Hunger Games” trilogy, we see the effects. Now we see the cause.
As for when the process started – it was in 2020, around the time we’d finished up “Ballad.” I was riding out the pandemic in my childhood home, and I had to make sure my mom was out of earshot whenever Suzanne and I would talk.
Fans have been clamoring for prequels based on Haymitch’s games and Finnick’s games, among other ideas. Why did Suzanne choose Haymitch’s games as the focus this time — and are there chances for more previous games to be explored in future books?
Suzanne always starts with the philosophical point she wants to explore, and I think Haymitch and the 50th Hunger Games were the perfect grounds on which she could make readers think about the nature of authority and questions of when we obey and when we rebel. One of the genius things about the prequel is that suddenly readers understand that history is made as much by the long game as it is by the immediate battles.
As for the future . . . I genuinely have no idea.
As the “Hunger Games” world becomes more and more built out and lore and timelines are established, how difficult does that make it to continue with prequel stories and establish details or plot points that you’re locked into?
Conveniently, at the same time we were working on “Sunrise,” we were also working on the illustrated edition of “Catching Fire” (due out in October), so we were very immersed in Haymitch’s story from both ends. I think one of the stunning things about “Sunrise” is that even though we get the outline of what happened at the second Quarter Quell in “Catching Fire,” there’s no way to fully understand it until you see it through Haymitch’s eyes. Also, we’re helped by the fact that in “Catching Fire,” Katniss and Peeta watch the official version of the Quarter Quell. And we all know how much we can trust the Capitol’s account of events.
Can you break down the timeline between when the book was set and when the deal with Lionsgate was made to adapt it into a film, as those announcements were made in unison to the public?
Scholastic, the Color Force team, and Lionsgate have been extraordinary partners on all things “Hunger Games” – I can still remember the first time we met with Nina Jacobson, and being floored that she clearly cared as much about the story and its message as we did. That’s still true, nearly twenty years later. So it makes sense that once we had a manuscript, it was time to expand the circle of secrecy to include Nina and Francis Lawrence.
How was the process for editing and marketing this book been similar/different from previous “Hunger Games” novels?
The editing process was very similar as it was for “Ballad.” As for publishing and marketing… let’s just say that May 2020 was full of unforeseen challenges in terms of a rollout. We’re now at the point where I can stop knocking wood when I say that we shouldn’t have such issues this time.
How would you describe the target demographic for “Hunger Games” novels at this point? And how has Scholastic’s approach to publishing the novels changed since the first one was released?
I think it’s as wide a target as you get – from 12 to 112. And, honestly, that’s been the case from the start. We knew we had something special when we found that our kids and our moms loved the first book.
The film comes out next year, what was the choice in release schedule for the book vs. film and giving space for the novel to have a window first?
You’ll have to talk to Lionsgate about why they chose the release day. But in general, I love working in books because we don’t have to build any sets or figure out any actors’ schedules.
Have you talked with Suzanne about doing a future sequel project, or is she firmly interested in prequels when it comes to continuing the story?
I believe the ending of “Mockingjay” is the ending of the series.
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