A fresh look at Sunrise on the Reaping, the highly anticipated Hunger Games prequel, has just been revealed, with the novel set to release on March 18, 2025. Preorders are now live on Amazon, priced at $22.39 (down from an MSRP of $27.99) in the US and £14.79 in the UK, where fans can also catch a glimpse of the striking new cover. This fifth installment in the Hunger Games series takes place during the Second Quarter Quell, the deadly games that Haymitch Abernathy (famously portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the 2012 film) managed to survive.
According to the official Amazon description, the synopsis for Sunrise on the Reaping reads:
"When you’ve been set up
to lose everything you love,
what is there left to fight for?"
"As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves."
"When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena."
Preorders for the novel are currently topping the Amazon "Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction" charts. The prequel is also confirmed to be getting the big-screen treatment, with a film adaptation set to release on November 20, 2026.
Returning to produce are Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, the duo behind the previous Hunger Games films. The franchise, originally adapted into four blockbuster movies starring Jennifer Lawrence, has grossed an impressive $3.3 billion globally, making it the 20th highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Prequel, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" was also adapted as a film in 2023, featuring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth and earning $337.4 million globally. In our review of the 2023 film, we said: "It works as a faithful adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel, yet falls flat when it comes to depicting the maze of interpersonal manipulation and emotions that make up its main characters’ ultimately doomed relationship."
"Actors Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler are brilliant additions to the franchise with equally magnetic takes on their very different characters, but aren’t given enough time to fully flesh them out."
If you’re looking to catch up before the release of “Sunrise on the Reaping” next year, check out our guides on How to Read the Hunger Games Books in Order and How to Watch the Hunger Games Movies in Chronological Order.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
