Following the success of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins wrote another The Hunger Games prequel book that is set to be adapted into a movie, which is exciting but still disappointing because it won’t explore one of the franchise’s most intriguing and elusive stories. Every fan has a story that they wish to be the focus of the next book in the series or on the big screen, ranging from Finnick Odair’s Games to a Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sequel. However, it might be best for Collins to dive deep into a corner of this universe that is mostly unknown.

Of course, most avid fans will be thrilled with anything as long as the Hunger Games franchise continues (in a meaningful and thoughtful way instead of just being a money grab). As a result, many were over the moon when Collins announced she had written another Hunger Games book — Sunrise on the Reaping, which will be released on March 18, 2025, while the movie adaptation is set to premiere on November 20, 2026. Nevertheless, if more tales within this dystopian universe are coming, Collins should bring readers back to the First Rebellion.

The Next Hunger Games Book Is A Prequel – But Not About The Rebellion

Sunrise On The Reaping Takes Place 40 Years After The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

Sunrise on the Reaping will chronicle the 50th Hunger Games, aka the Second Quarter Quell, aka the Hunger Games Haymitch Abernathy won. As many know, Haymitch became the second victor from District 12 (after Lucy Gray Baird’s win during the 10th Hunger Games) when he was 16. However, what happened to Haymitch after his win was probably a fate worse than death. Every year, Haymitch, who had turned to alcohol for comfort, had to be the sole mentor for the District 12 tributes, who all died in the arena until Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark came along during the 74th Games.

While an entire book dedicated to Haymitch’s character and how he won the 50th Hunger Games is compelling, the original Hunger Games trilogy already explained what happened during the Second Quarter Quell. Albeit the details were basic, much of what happened to Haymitch in the arena and after he became a victor is known. Sunrise on the Reaping will undoubtedly go into more detail, but this story is familiar to fans, unlike what Panem experienced during the First Rebellion and the Dark Days.

The Rebellion & Dark Days Is The Most Exciting Unexplored Era Of The Hunger Games’ Timeline

Readers Already Know Much Of What Happens During The Second Quarter Quell

The original Hunger Games trilogy does not go into great detail about what happened during the First Rebellion and the Dark Days, making it the perfect prequel idea for the franchise. The First Rebellion ended around 74 years before the events of the first novel and was a civil war between the districts (including District 13) and the Capitol. It lasted a few years until District 13, which specialized in nuclear weapons and military arms production, decided to cut its losses and struck a deal with the Capitol.

If the Capitol let them secede from Panem, District 13 wouldn’t utilize their nuclear weapons to wipe out the Capitol. Consequently, District 13 moved underground, and the Capitol bombed them from above, making it seem like they had taken out the entire district. Without District 13’s support, the others were no match for the Capitol, and the Treaty of Treason was drafted, resulting in the installment of the Hunger Games. The First Rebellion lasted three years, and fans only know how it ended. Details about the war’s beginnings are scarce and could (and should) be explored in a Hunger Games prequel.

Suzanne Collins’ New Hunger Games Book Makes A Dark Days Prequel More Likely

Suzanne Collins Will Undoubtedly Continue Writing Hunger Games Stories

The announcement of Sunrise on the Reaping, the second Hunger Games prequel, suggests that more stories in the Hunger Games universe will probably be coming in the future. So, Collins’ next book could theoretically revolve around the First Rebellion and the Dark Days. However, given the endless number of prequel ideas that The Hunger Games presents, anything is possible once Sunrise on the Reaping (the novel and the movie) debuts.