Author Suzanne Collins announced that she was writing a Hunger Games prequel novel today. Right after, Lionsgate revealed it was already working on adapting the upcoming 2020 novel.
In a statement, Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said:
“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.”
The still-untitled novel will be released by Scholastic and set 64 years before the start of the first Hunger Games novel.
Collins said the following on the book:
“… I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. 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.”
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks starred in the four films that currently comprise The Hunger Games series. It is unlikely any will return for the prequel, which currently has no cast, director or screenwriter.
I’ll probably check out the novel when it is released, but I’m not sure a film adaptation will be crazy profitable. The films began to decline in box office near the end (splitting Mockingjay into two films will forever be a mistake), and without Lawrence at the forefront, Lionsgate will need to find a bankable set of stars. Millie Bobby Brown, perhaps? Her name seems to get thrown around a lot these days.
Also, a prequel set during The Dark Days makes for a fun history lesson, but the audience knows nothing major will happen until the Rebellion begins at the end of Catching Fire. It’ll basically be us watching a Hunger Games, which would still be cool; albeit unnecessary.
What do you think of the idea of a Hunger Games prequel?
