Books

Hunger Games prequel book on the way

Suzanne Collins has written a book set in Panem 64 years before the original dystopian trilogy and a film version may be on the way

Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Photograph: Lionsgate

Tue Jun 18 2019 - 08:58

Author Suzanne Collins is writing a prequel to her best-selling Hunger Games trilogy with a potential movie adaptation also on the way.

The currently untitled book will be released in May 2020 and will be set in the world of Panem 64 years before the events of the dystopian franchise. It will focus on the time after the so-called “Dark Days, a failed rebellion.

“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 10 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 Hunger Games books, which focus on a world where teenagers must fight to the death as a form of entertainment, were adapted into a globally successful film franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. The four films have made almost $3 billion (€2.7 billion) at the box office and film production company Lionsgate has expressed interest in extending the franchise.

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"As the proud home of the Hunger Games movies, we can hardly wait for Suzanne's next book to be published," said Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake. "We've been communicating with her during the writing process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the movie."

In 2017, a Hunger Games theme park attraction opened in Dubai, with attractions including a Capitol bullet train roller coaster, the hall of heroes, and the Panem aerial tour multimedia experience. This summer, a Lionsgate theme park expected to open in China will feature a 3D motion simulator attraction pegged to the final film.

The original books have been translated into 51 languages for 56 territories. Since then, Collins has released an autobiographical picture book called Year of the Jungle. – Guardian

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