Yahoo News Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins is releasing a Panem prequel
It's good news, Mockingjays; a Hunger Games prequel is coming to a district (bookstore) near you next year.
On Monday (June 17), Scholastic announced that Suzanne Collins is penning a book prequel to her best-selling YA dystopian trilogy.
The title of the book is not yet known but it has been confirmed that the action will pick up 64 years before the beginning of the first Hunger Games novel, meaning it'll be set during Panem's 'Dark Days' following the First Rebellion.
We expect a President Snow cameo at the very least.
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"With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival," Suzanne Collins said in a statement (via AP).
"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: Untitled Panem Novel is scheduled for release on May 19, 2020.
Exciting news, Hunger Games fans: A prequel novel set 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games is coming May 2020! Read more here: https://t.co/nA7wAYX4Fz pic.twitter.com/3JdeCTcAQp
- Scholastic (@Scholastic) June 17, 2019
Collins' books were adapted for film in 2012's The Hunger Games, 2013's Catching Fire, 2014's Mockingjay – Part 1 and 2015's Mockingjay – Part 2, which starred Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne.
Film rights for the new prequel novel are yet to be confirmed but it looks like original studio Lionsgate are eyeing them up already, with chairman Joe Drake saying 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."
Back in 2015, Jennifer Lawrence said it was "too soon" for Hunger Games prequels, while Mockingjay star Natalie Dormer insisted there should only be a prequel if Suzanne Collins is involved.
So, it looks like they both got their wish. May the odds be ever in your favour.
The Hunger Games: The Untitled Panem Novel will be released on May 19, 2020.
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