Sunrise on the Reaping: Fourth Hunger Games Adaptation?
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Author Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games has recently welcomed its newest addition. Last year, it was announced that Sunrise on the Reaping, the new prequel novel in the popular series, was going to be released. In addition to that surprise announcement, it had also been revealed that they were going to begin a film adaptation of the, at the time, not yet released novel, and start production as soon as it's published.
Now, a year later, the teaser trailer for the film has been released and has taken over social media. The film is set to release on November 20th, 2026. Fans say that this is what they’ve been waiting for, and that this is no longer just your regular dystopian series. Suzanne Collins has created a well loved franchise and it keeps getting bigger and bigger and more loved.
Yearning Fans
Since the release of the final novel in the original Hunger Games trilogy, fans have been yearning for certain prequel novels for some of their favorite characters. And you best believe that this one has been on their list for over a decade.
Following the announcement of the Sunrise on the Reaping novel, the excitement from the fans blew up the internet. The screaming, the tears, the laughs and everything in between. All of the emotions were felt when this book came out.
Sunrise on the reaper book cover, courtesy of Shakespeare and company
Suzanne Collins really gave the fans everything that they were hoping for and then some with this book. Even though she did come out with the first prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, nearly five years ago, a novel that was unexpected by fans, this novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, has already surpassed the ratings of its predecessor. This definitely shows that this one has been highly requested and may have been hidden away for far too long.
It’s Not Just the Book
Currently, when casting or figuring out how to adapt the film to follow the story, they can’t just be focusing on the book anymore. They have to look back at all of the previously made adaptations, as well as the novels, to help determine their path because it’s no longer just about the books.
For example, it was an accurate casting for the character of Haymitch in the original trilogy. They had to base the casting for his younger self off of his original portrayal by Woody Harrelson, as well as taking the character details from the novel. Though I do have to say many of the casting choices for this film, when choosing the younger character selves, has been fairly accurate on both sides.
Sunrise on the reaping Movie Poster, courtesy of IMDB
In continuation, when it comes to this film, they have to be careful with what they put in so that it doesn’t affect the previous films that were made. This production, however, has a more challenging aspect to it because not only does it have a prequel, but it also has the three main Hunger Games films for the “future”, so it has to be accurate to some descriptions that were previously given.
How Will it Compare?
Based on the past Hunger Games films, this one should be similar, to a certain extent. If it’s anything like the former movies, Sunrise on the Reaping will have its main plot and storyline still intact.
However, some smaller plotlines that could be deemed “unnecessary” might be left out for the sake of the movie. As an example of this from a previous film, Peeta was supposed to have a prostatic leg, but that didn’t happen in the film. So in the end, nothing major should be changed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this new Hunger Games film is highly anticipated by fans. They have been waiting for this moment for nearly a decade and finally, it’s nearly here. So far, all we know is that the casting is fantastic. Here’s to hoping that the entire film will be just as good as the cast and the book itself.
Alyssa Simard is currently a student at Algonquin College’s Professional Writing Program. She spends her time with her family, reading, and watching shows and movies. She prefers to spend her time getting absorbed into fictional worlds, whether they’re her own creation or one that she’s read or watched. Her dream is to one day become a published romance author and share her love for reading and writing to the world.