Editor David Levithan Talks About ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ and the Future of the ‘Hunger Games’ Franchise

Even before the film franchise cemented its status, The Hunger Games franchise by Suzanne Collins had already been a pillar of young adult literature and one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises, especially among younger audiences. When the movies came, that popularity became historical.

And while Mockingjay ended the series, Collins published a prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, in 2020 (which was also made into a successful movie), and now, another prequel novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, is coming out on March 18, 2025.

In light of that fact, Collins’ editor and publisher, David Levithan, talked about this book and the future of the franchise. Levithan said that he was very excited when he found out Collins was writing another novel. “I was thrilled – not just because the story would continue to be filled in, but also because Haymitch’s arc is such a compelling one,” he explained.

As for his part of the work, he said that it was not that difficult. “The editing process was very similar as it was for “Ballad,”” he said. “As for publishing and marketing… let’s just say that May 2020 was full of unforeseen challenges in terms of a rollout. We’re now at the point where I can stop knocking wood when I say that we shouldn’t have such issues this time.”

He also talked about the movie, but also about the future of the franchise. When asked about whether Collins plans to continue the story post-Mockingjay, he said: “I believe the ending of “Mockingjay” is the ending of the series.”

As for why Haymitch was picked and whether this is the last prequel we’re seeing, Levithan was enigmatic. “Suzanne always starts with the philosophical point she wants to explore, and I think Haymitch and the 50th Hunger Games were the perfect grounds on which she could make readers think about the nature of authority and questions of when we obey and when we rebel,” he explained.

“One of the genius things about the prequel is that suddenly readers understand that history is made as much by the long game as it is by the immediate battles. As for the future . . . I genuinely have no idea,” he concluded.

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