A new Hunger Games prequel novel is set to be released next year – 12 years after Jennifer Lawrence debuted as Katniss Everdeen in the hit franchise.

The fifth novel in Suzanne Collins’ series is titled Sunrise on the Reaping and is set for release on March 18, 2025. 

It will be a prequel to the original trilogy, taking place 40 years after the events of the most recent tale, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – a film adaptation of which starring Rachel Zegler was released last year, per The Associated Press.

Collins said in a statement: ‘With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume’s idea of implicit submission and, in his words, ‘the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.

‘The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question ‘Real or not real?’ seems more pressing to me every day.’

A new Hunger Games prequel novel is set to be released next year – 12 years after Jennifer Lawrence debuted as Katniss Everdeen in the hit franchise

Lead roles: Zegler stars with Tom Blyth in the dystopian action film prequel to The Hunger Games (2012)

Film rights have not been announced for the new novel. 

Lawrence appeared in four Hunger Games films and won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Katniss, starting with the first film in 2012.

The subsequent three films followed soon after with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Part 2, released in 2014 and 2015, respectively. 

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes  – was released in November 2023.

The first four productions in the dystopian action film franchise were all huge hits at the box office, beginning with the original, The Hunger Games, which grossed $694.4 million against a budget of $78 million.

The follow up – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) – raked in even more money, earning $865 million with a budget of between $130-140 million.

The third installment – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) – grossed $755.4 million while working with a budget of $125-140 million.

And the fourth in the franchise – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) – took a slight drop at the box office, bringing in $653.4 million against a budget of $160 million.

The fifth novel in Suzanne Collins’ series is titled Sunrise on the Reaping and is set for release on March 18, 2025 – Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth are seen in The Hunger Games – Mockingjay – Part 2 in 2015

Zegler showed her rising star power when The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes topped of box office, grossing $44 million in its opening weekend in November 

After The Hunger Games earned over $3 billion, Collins was inspired to write the prequel to her award-winning tale, which hit several best-seller charts upon its release in 2020.

The film takes place 64 years before Katniss Everdeen becomes a District 12 tribute.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes explores the the early days of the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, who is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. 

Zegler came to prominence starring in Steven Spielberg’s musical adaptation of West Side Story (2021). 

The actress has faced some viral backlash over comments about Snow White she made last year that recently surfaced, according to a number of publications, including NBC News.

In a sound bite that has since gone viral, Zegler suggested scenes featuring her co-star Andrew Burnap, who plays Prince Charming, could be cut from the film.

In another clip, she described her version of Snow White as a leader who doesn’t need a prince to save her, which also didn’t sit well with some people.

The 22-year-old New Jersey native is set to star in the title role in the new musical fantasy film Snow White, alongside Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, that has had its premiere date in the U.S. pushed back to March 21, 2025.