Billy Ray Returns to The Hunger Games for Prequel Adaptation of ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Billy Ray will return to the dystopian world of Panem as he signs on to adapt Suzanne Collins’ newest novel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, for Lionsgate. The film is set for a global theatrical release on November 20, 2026.

Ray, best known for adapting the original Hunger Games film in 2012—which grossed over $695 million globally—is reuniting with longtime franchise collaborators to bring the Second Quarter Quell to the screen. This prequel, based on Collins’ latest book, takes place 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s story and centers on the 50th Hunger Games, a pivotal event won by District 12’s Haymitch Abernathy.

The return of director Francis Lawrence, who helmed the previous Hunger Games sequels, was confirmed during Lionsgate’s CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas. Speaking onstage, Lawrence called Sunrise on the Reaping her favorite book in the series, while Lionsgate Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson teased “a jaw-dropping twist” in Collins’ latest installment.

The film’s production is slated to begin in July. The core producing team—Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force—will continue their stewardship of the franchise, with Cameron MacConomy executive producing. Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien are overseeing the film for Lionsgate.

Unlike 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which explored the origins of the Games themselves and President Snow’s early life, Sunrise on the Reaping focuses on a fan-favorite character, Haymitch Abernathy. Originally portrayed by Woody Harrelson, Haymitch’s earlier story is rich with trauma, rebellion, and cunning survival—elements that helped define his later mentorship of Katniss and Peeta.

Ray, who earned critical acclaim for Captain Phillips, is staying active in multiple media. His podcast Strike Talk covers industry labor issues, and his debut novel Burn the Water was recently released by Scholastic. He is also working on Animals, a feature directed by Ben Affleck.

First-week sales for Sunrise on the Reaping have already reached 1.5 million copies—tripling the launch numbers for Mockingjay—indicating strong public interest in returning to the Hunger Games universe.

Lionsgate’s renewed push into Panem reinforces the franchise’s cultural staying power and audience appetite for stories of rebellion, resilience, and morally complex heroes.