On June 6th, 2024, Scholastic announced that a new Hunger Games book is in the works. The book, titled Sunrise on the Reaping, is poised to release on March 18th, 2025. The book is expected to follow the story of Haymitch Abernathy as he navigated his way through the 50th Hunger Games. A movie adaptation is set to be in theaters on November 20th, 2026.
Background
The Hunger Games books were written by author Suzanne Collins. The series contains a trilogy that centers on Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is a teenage girl living in the fictional future country of Panem. Her journey begins as a tribute in the Hunger Games, a televised sporting event in which children from the districts of Panem are forced to fight to death until a victor emerges. The story delves deeply into the topics of war and rebellion, and thoroughly reflects real world conflicts that continue today. The film adaptations, starring Jennifer Lawrence, have comprised the 20th highest grossing film franchise to exist, grossing about $3.28 billion globally.
Collins last published The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on May 19th, 2020. The prequel followed the story of Coriolanus Snow, who would become the ruthless president of Panem, before his rise to power.
What We Know About Sunrise
For Sunrise on the Reaping, readers and viewers already have some information of what the storyline might entail. Haymitch Abernathy is the mentor of Katniss and Peeta in the original Hunger Games trilogy. Several fan theories are speculating who may be casted as Haymitch.
Based on the previous books, Haymitch’s participation in the 50th Hunger Games takes a tremendous toll on him. This turns him into the traumatized alcoholic that he is during Katniss’s time. The 50th Hunger Games was also the Second Quarter Quell, which brought on a twist in that year’s games. Instead of 24 tributes, the arena saw twice as many competitors. That meant Haymitch had 47 tributes to compete with, rather than 23, making his path to victory more difficult.
The book, Catching Fire, also mentions that Haymitch allies with a fellow District 12 tribute, Maysilee Donner. Maysilee is the aunt of Katniss’s friend, Madge Undersee. Maysilee is also the original owner of the mockingjay pin, which holds much importance throughout the series. Madge gifted her aunt’s pin to Katniss before she left to compete in her games.
Credit: Lionsgate
What Inspired the New Book?
In the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes film, Lucy Gray Baird declares, “I don’t sing when I’m told, I sing when I’ve got something to say”. Suzanne Collins appears to mirror this sentiment as she writes when she has a story to tell. She gave the following explanation on what inspired her to write Sunrise on the Reaping:
“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.”
Suzanne Collins
Life Imitates Art
Evident parallels can be drawn between the Hunger Games franchise and current events. For instance, several social media users pointed out the similarities between the Capitol and this year’s Met Gala, which took place alongside Israel’s attack on Rafah on May 6th.
Similar comparisons were made with this year’s Grammy Awards.
Suzanne Collins originally created the Hunger Games series after watching footage of the Iraq war on television. Therefore, it is possible that her new book will provide commentary on the issues regarding Palestine and Israel. For example, the way the book will shine light on “the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative” might reflect media coverage of the Palestinian genocide.
The Palestinian Genocide
According to Al Jazeera, at least 38,271 Palesintians have been murdered by Israel in Gaza as of June 26th, 2024, of which more than 15,000 were children. Furthermore, more than 86,277 Palestinians have been injured, and more than 10,000 Palestinians are reported to be missing.
Credit: Shutterstock/Anas-Mohammed
According to investigative journalist Vidya Krishnan on Al Jazeera, Palestinians are dehumanized in the news, unlike Israelis. She writes, “this dehumanising use of language has been most visible in the counting of deaths. In early November, The Times of London noted, ‘Israelis marked a month since Hamas killed 1,400 people and kidnapped 240, starting a war in which 10,300 Palestinians are said to have died’. In Western news, Israelis die in active voice – Hamas ‘killed” or “murdered’ them – while Palestinians die passively. They ‘dehydrate to death as clean water runs out’ as the Guardian once put it, as if this is not a willful crime against humanity but a random act of God.”
Youth and Revolution
Considering how popular the Hunger Games franchise is, particularly amongst young people, Sunrise On The Reaping may cause Gen Z readers to connect the themes and messages present in Collins’ writing to the real world. Gen Zers are already heavily involved in pro-Palestine efforts, as demonstrated through the hundreds of college campus protests across the country. Approximately 3,100 people have been arrested for participating in these protests.
Additionally, President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict has caused waning support from more than 650,000 Democrats in primaries, with several voting “uncommitted”. Many of these voters are young people. According to USA Weekly, “in a New York Times/Siena poll from December, 55% of respondents ages 18-29 oppose the United States sending more aid to Israel. Another poll from Quinnipiac University in November found that 52% of voters under 35 are more sympathetic to the Palestinians.” Based on these examples, Suzanne Collins may certainly have a lot to say about the notion that “many are governed by the few”.
Credit: Shutterstock/Luis Yanez
Perhaps one of the smaller reasons why Gen Zers are so supportive of Palestinian freedom is because many of them were raised on the Hunger Games series, which may have played a part in the formation of their value of social justice. Sunrise on the Reaping appears to be coming at a time where readers may truly resonate with it.
“You can torture us, and bomb us, and burn our districts to the ground. But do you see that? Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!”
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), Mockingjay – Part 1
