The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingproducer Nina Jacobson shares an update on the upcoming film and the process of developing it from an unreleased book. After five successful movies in theHunger Gamesfranchise, the most recent beingThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the world of author Suzanne Collins' young adult novel series is now set to expand with another prequel. TheSunrise on the Reapingstorytakes place during the 50th Hunger Games, in which Haymitch Abernathy competes and wins, and the movie adaptation will hail from franchise veteran director Francis Lawrence.
In a new interview withVariety, Jacobson shares new details aboutSunrise on the Reapingmovie and what it was like getting the Collins book early. Though Jacobson doesn’t share any major story details, she does tease thatreading the book was a very secretive process, and one that only she and Lawrence got to participate in. When she was able to read an early copy, she reveals that it had her feeling some very powerful emotions. Check out her comment below:
This is a very different process for us. I’ve never actually worked on an adaptation like this, where you’re so far ahead of the book, and yet people are waiting for it. I knew that she was working on another book, but I really had no idea – it could be years! I certainly did not expect that so soon after “Ballad,” I would get a call saying, “I have another book. I want you to read it. I want to know whether you think it’s a movie or not,” to me and [director Francis Lawrence].
We had to do a whole secret thing where I went to her longtime agent’s house and read it. There was one copy of the book that lived at his house. I had to go have my turn. Francis went and had his turn. We were so thrilled. It wrecked me so much as a person who loves to read and who wants to fall headlong into a book that won’t let you go.
I was on the edge of my seat, crying. I just was so moved by it and so energized by it, and then could not talk toanybodyexcept for Francis, Suzanne and our studio partners. And many of them hadn’t even read it yet – we just had the one copy to keep it secure and safe! To finally get to share that and get to hear what other people think, I’m just so excited for the fans. I’m just a huge fan who gets to be lucky enough to make the movies.
As far as the actual development on theSunrise on the Reapingmovie adaptation, Jacobson says that getting access to the book early means things are moving along quickly behind the scenes.The movie, she says, is currently still in the script stage, but there are already filming locations locked down:
We’re much further along than we would ever have been otherwise, without having this jump, because we went to work right away. None of it has been announced yet, but we have a great draft that we’re still doing work on. We’ve established our locations. We’re very far along for a book that’s only going to come out tomorrow!
You don’t know what the fans are going to respond to, so you just put yourself very easily in their shoes as one of them. I cannot wait to get to hear from them and to see what speaks to them. We do have such a smart and sophisticated fan base that they were able to speculate. They speculated about a lot of things, and I can’t wait for them to match their speculations up with the book. It’s been super thrilling and really rewarding. You feel like you’re planning a big surprise party.
What Jacobson’s Update Means For Sunrise On The Reaping
The Hunger Games Prequel’s Status Explained
TheSunrise on the Reapingmovie already has a release date planned, with theadaptation confirmed to arrive in theaters in November 2026. Filming, then, is certainly to take place at some point this year, though no dates have been reported just yet. With filming locations having been established and a strong draft of the script having been written, there’s no reason to anticipate any delays.
Casting will seemingly be the next major order of business for theSunrise on the Reapingadaptation after the script is done, with a new actor needed to play Haymitch. Actor Woody Harrelson played an older version of the character in the first fourHunger Gamesmovies, butthis new story takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s winning of the 74th Hunger Games tournament, meaning a younger star will have to take over the part.
Sunrise On The Reaping Recap: 15 Biggest Spoilers From Haymitch’s Hunger Games Prequel
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is finally here, and these are the biggest revelations from Haymitch Abernathy’s prequel story.
As far as story information goes, theSunrise on the Reapingnovel is now out, meaning readers will have a pretty good idea of what’s to come from the newHunger Gamesprequel. Haymitch is indeed the novel’s protagonist and there are certainly some powerful moments that could be to blame for Jacobson’s outpouring of emotion while reading.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapinghas been met with a positive reception. As of writing, the book has a 4.75 out of 5 rating on Goodreads.
Our Take On The Sunrise On The Reaping Update
The Adaptation Faces One Major Challenge
Though theBallad of Songbirds and Snakesreviewsweren’t quite as glowing from critics as those for the previous four films, the prequel was still a success with audiences, grossing $348 million worldwide. Clearly,love for this franchise still persists13 years after the first film. Collins has certainly proven herself capable of expanding the world of this franchise through prequels, suggesting thatThe Hunger Games:Sunrise on the Reapingwill be an exciting addition to the saga. The major hurdle the film adaptation faces that the novel doesn’t, however, is casting a young Haymitch.
