Lionsgate announces Sunrise on the Reaping film with Francis Lawrence directing

In March 2024, studio Lionsgate announced it would adapt Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins' prequel novel to The Hunger Games, as a feature film. The book had been announced for publication the previous year and had not yet been released.

Francis Lawrence, who directed Catching Fire, both Mockingjay films and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, was confirmed as returning to direct. Collins' involvement as the source author was part of the announcement, and she was expected to remain closely tied to the adaptation.

The story is set during the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell, and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, the future mentor of Katniss Everdeen in the original series. Announcing the film before the novel's release signalled that Lionsgate wanted to keep its most valuable franchise going on screen. It also showed confidence in the series' lasting commercial appeal after the success of the earlier prequel film.