A Hunger Games Prequel

The Announcement:

An exciting announcement from Scholastic came at the beginning of this week. Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games trilogy, is writing a new prequel novel, currently untitled, set to be released May 19, 2020!

This new book will be set 64 years before Katniss famously volunteered as tribute. That is, we will see the story behind the 10th Hunger Games.

Previously, the furthest back we have known is the 11th Hunger Games, which was won by Mags Flanagan of District 4. Of course, Mags we all know as the loveable old lady who sacrificed herself for Annie, Finnick’s lover during the 75th Quarter Quell in the 2nd novel, Catching Fire.

Whatever else we know of this time can only be gleaned from mentions of the rebellion and subsequent founding of the Hunger Games 10 years prior, and any new information Suzanne Collins has released.

We will get to see Panem in it's Dark Days at the very beginning of President Snow's reign as the country struggles with social and political upheaval. This time comes in the aftermath of the rebellion which was brought about by generations of oppression, drought and lack of resources. This failed rebellion brought Snow to power and ascertained the Capitol's overwhelming power over the districts indefinitely until the rise of Katniss. It also ensured the obliteration of District 13 entirely.

Setting the story in this time frame is promising, with the potential for the main character to a time before the existence of the Hunger Games and the destruction of District 13. There is definitely room for new ideas and themes and a perspective on a very different world to what we see during Katniss's life.

As of yet, there is no more details on what the book will be about, so we will just have to wait and see whether Suzanne Collins has taken advantage of all these opportunities.

What we also do know is that we can expect a movie to come from this new book as the author has been working closely with the Chairman of Lionsgate, the same company who adapted the other books, throughout her writing process. It seems it is all but confirmed, with Chairman Joe Drake stating they can ‘hardly wait for [her] next book to be published.’

Sources:

Fandom Wiki

Entertainment Weekly

Opinions:

It's been long enough since the release of the last book and movie that this doesn't feel like a simple money grab, but a well thought out extension to a world fans love.

Sequels and prequels and spin off series. We have seen it before in the likes of Cassandra Clare, Rick Riordan and JK Rowling. But when authors have a gigantic following of devoted fans and an extensive and magical world with limitless stories to discover, why not continue writing and expanding on them? The downside of this only comes when stories become unoriginal and uninspired, mass produced only to gain as much money as possible and milk the world for all it is worth. It can make authors seem like they are only so creative as to design one world and story that they recycle again and again.

But I'm not certain the question is whether this book will be original or is needed, but whether or not people will engage with another dystopian novel/film.

I do believe the book will be original, exciting and will be received well by readers as a continuation of a much beloved series.

The movie, on the other hand, may be another story altogether.

The genre was so definitively wrung dry by the time movies like Allegiant and Death Cure were rolled out, with even Mockingjay not clicking with audiences as well as the earlier movies.

I think most of us will those years when The Hunger Games and Divergent were all the rage and dystopian novels were being churned out by the day. It was a huge trend, but one with a very certain ending. Allegiant and The Death Cure were evidence of that. Even the 2018 film The Darkest Minds was proof that directors were failing to produce and market a solid YA dystopian that connected with any audience. It fell far short of expectations, resulting in a movie that was underwhelming and forgettable.

I think it is likely that this new potential movie will follow in those same footsteps as the film industry refuses to learn from past mistakes. A good YA adaptation is hard to come by these days as producers heavy-handedly deal out dumbed down, CGI messes with cliche moments and average acting.

To be fair, there is hope for this movie as the others were such a success. If this potential movie stays in line with its predecessors it can be a great hit, and with so little of the plot revealed, there is much to look forward to.

Predictions:

This new narrative seems to follow along the same themes as previous novels, with Collins stating she wanted to explore ‘the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival.’

It will be interesting to see what new ideas she can bring to these old themes and how this book will add to the universe we already know so well.

I would love to see life as a citizen in a different district to 12, as well as life in a Panem that hasn't quite recovered from the rebellion and settled into the dictatorship of Snow. It will be fascinating to see this world from a character who has spent time in a lifetime without the Hunger Games existence. Furthermore, what was a younger Snow like? Was he charismatic and handsome or strange and recluse? And with no Effie or Caesar Flickerman or any of the characters we know, what was Panem like in those early years? The process and the training? The technology?

Suzanne Collins really could so much with this time in this universe with a choice of a multitude of different and intriguing POV's. But with this excitement comes a fear that she might just fall into old tropes. There would be nothing more disappointing than to see this story told from the perspective of another adolescent girl with rebellious tendencies.

For this book to be a success I feel it must be dramatically different to the original and push the boundaries to what we have seen and read a dozen times before.

As I said before, I expect a character from another district, perhaps male, younger or older. Or maybe we will see the story from the perspective of a character who isn't a tribute at all, but lives in the Capitol.

I for one am excited to see what this new book and potential movie will bring and if all goes well I will waste no time in buying and reading it.

However, nothing will ever beat the original trilogy. Katniss and her storyline is somewhat iconic and will likely be unmatched by anything that follows. I think there has been a long enough break that the book will be a success and readers will once again find themselves reconnecting with the dystopian world of Panem. On the other hand, I believe the movie may struggle to live up to standards and find its audience considering past failures.

Are the odds in favour of this new story? What are your predictions for this new prequel? Is the dystopian genre dead or is their hope for a revival?

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Simply, Madi :fire: