Pikachu Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 https://www.apnews.com/bf66ec53bf954dcea4c147fe38e93fe2 Quote A decade after seemingly wrapping up “The Hunger Games,” Suzanne Collins is bringing readers back to Panem. A prequel, set 64 years before the beginning of her multimillion-selling trilogy, is coming next year. The novel, currently untitled, is scheduled for release on May 19, 2020. Collins said in a statement Monday that she would go back to the years following the so-called “Dark Days,” the failed rebellion in Panem. Collins set the “Hunger Games” books in a post-apocalyptic dystopia where young people must fight and kill each other, on live television. “With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival,” she said. “The reconstruction period 10 years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days — as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet — provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity.” The book is set well before the lifetime of “Hunger Games” heroine Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence in the billion-dollar movie franchise. Scholastic spokeswoman Tracy van Straaten declined comment on the new book’s contents or featured characters beyond what’s described in Monday’s announcement. “Suzanne Collins is a master at combining brilliant storytelling, superb world building, breathtaking suspense, and social commentary,” Scholastic Trade Publishing President Ellie Berger said in a statement. “We are absolutely thrilled — as both readers and publishers — to introduce the devoted fans of the series and a new audience to an entirely new perspective on this modern classic.” Lionsgate released the four “Hunger Games” movies, and the studio’s vice chairman, Michael Burns, has suggested a prequel. In a recent statement to The Associated Press, the chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, Joe Drake, said, “As the proud home of the ‘Hunger Games’ movies, we can hardly wait for Suzanne’s next book to be published. We’ve been communicating with her during the writing process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the movie.” The studio did not immediately respond when asked if an agreement for film rights had already been reached. The first three “Hunger Games” books — “The Hunger Games,” ″Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” — have sold more than 100 million copies and have been translated into more than 50 languages. The very title “The Hunger Games” has become a catchphrase for suffering and deadly competition, inspiring such headlines as “Trump’s $1 trillion (infrastructure) plan inspires ‘Hunger Games’ angst.” Although she was actively involved with the production of the “Hunger Games” films, Collins appeared done with the novels after the publication of “Mockingjay,” in 2010. She had said little about her plans in recent years, beyond telling a gathering at the 2013 BookExpo publishing convention that she was working on a new series. Her most recent book, of any kind, came out in 2013: The picture story “Year of the Jungle” was based on the time in Vietnam served by Collins’ father, a career Air Force officer. Collins has cited her father as a reason for her lifelong studies of war, and cited both contemporary and classical culture as inspirations for “The Hunger Games.” She named the country Panem as a reference to the Roman expression “panem et circenses,” meaning bread and circuses, diversions for the masses. In a 2010 interview with The AP, she recalled watching television one night, switching channels, and becoming momentarily disoriented by going back and forth between a reality program and the Iraq War. “We have so much programming coming at us all the time. Is it too much? Are we becoming desensitized to the entire experience?” she said. “Dystopian stories are places where you can play out the scenarios in your head — your anxieties — and see what might come of them. And, hopefully, as a young person, with the possibilities of the future waiting for you, you’re thinking about how to head these things off.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Maybe they can tie it into The Purge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CastlevaniaNut18 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Kinda sad, but I lost interest in this series partway through Mockingjay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nokt Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Were these good books or are they kinda meh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CastlevaniaNut18 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Just now, Nokt said: Were these good books or are they kinda meh? I thought they started out pretty strong but then they lost steam. At least for me. Though it seemed like a number of people felt this was the case. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Meh, I didn’t even finish the movies I got so bored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamer.tv Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 27 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said: I thought they started out pretty strong but then they lost steam. At least for me. Though it seemed like a number of people felt this was the case. I think like most things, it had a strong first book when the idea was fresh and the protagonist had a clear direction and characterisation. Then like most sequels, it had to find reasons for things to progress which always leads to a lowering of quality. (unless there was a clear plan for three books, in which case, it's just not that great) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSoxFan9 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Is it called Battle Royale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CastlevaniaNut18 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 44 minutes ago, Mercury33 said: Meh, I didn’t even finish the movies I got so bored. Same. We saw Part One of Mockingjay, but never bothered to finish it. So my movie experience mirrored my book experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 26 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said: Same. We saw Part One of Mockingjay, but never bothered to finish it. So my movie experience mirrored my book experience! Lol same. Got to part 1 and then my ice said something about mutants in the sewers or something? Pass. I loved the concept of the first one but once they got away from the games, yawn. Same with Maze Runner. I enjoyed the first one. The mystery of the maze and why they were there was interesting. I couldn’t even make it 15 minutes into the second one lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CastlevaniaNut18 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 I've never watched or read the Maze Runner stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurdyb1 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 1 hour ago, Nokt said: Were these good books or are they kinda meh? I liked them. I found that they kept me engaged enough to finish all 3 books. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurdyb1 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 I'm interested to read this when it releases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nokt Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 1 hour ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said: I've never watched or read the Maze Runner stuff. I genuinely enjoyed the first movie. I thought it had a decent cast, good plotline (even though it feels in the same vein as Hunger Games), and I had no idea that it was a book. The second movie, oof. Never saw the third. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoJoe Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 4 hours ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said: I thought they started out pretty strong but then they lost steam. At least for me. Though it seemed like a number of people felt this was the case. I agree. The first two books were fantastic then the third one went to shit. I would be more curious in a prequel explaining how they came about with the Hunger Games but if this takes place 64 years before the trilogy then that means the Hunger Games were already in effect since the second movie is the 75th HG. I'm not too interested TBH but I'll check it out at some point most likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkableriots Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 13 hours ago, Mercury33 said: Lol same. Got to part 1 and then my ice said something about mutants in the sewers or something? Pass. I loved the concept of the first one but once they got away from the games, yawn. Same with Maze Runner. I enjoyed the first one. The mystery of the maze and why they were there was interesting. I couldn’t even make it 15 minutes into the second one lol. Does your ice usually talk to you and is it one voice or multiple? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 37 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said: Does your ice usually talk to you and is it one voice or multiple? 😂😂😂 *wife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greatoneshere Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Well they're definitely milking this one I see. The movies were abysmal. The only good one was Mockingjay Part 1 since it was so surprisingly well-made and actually dealt with interesting ideas, but Part 2 totally shit on all of that and was just as bad as the first two movies. Catching Fire is 2.5 hours long and feels like it, especially when it's just a retread of the hilari-bad first film. The Maze Runner movies were infinitely better. The first one is genuinely good and the two sequels are a lot of fun and have some great action (the 2nd act heist sequence/break in in the third film was balls out awesome). I haven't read any of the YA books for either franchise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 I haven't read the books, but if they're anything like the movies...it's a relatively interesting setup that makes less and less sense the more they tell you about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 2 hours ago, Jason said: I haven't read the books, but if they're anything like the movies...it's a relatively interesting setup that makes less and less sense the more they tell you about it. Thats generally my exact feelings towards most YA stories. A really interesting premise but then completely falls apart the further they move away from the basic initial premise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dre801 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Meh. Never did it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternallDarkness Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 On 6/17/2019 at 3:04 PM, CastlevaniaNut18 said: Kinda sad, but I lost interest in this series partway through Mockingjay. yeah I enjoyed the hell out of the first two books but disliked Mockingjay quite a bit. Not surprisingly I ended up feeling the same way with the movies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
number305 Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 14 hours ago, EternallDarkness said: yeah I enjoyed the hell out of the first two books but disliked Mockingjay quite a bit. Not surprisingly I ended up feeling the same way with the movies This is my experience as well. This prequel book is an obvious cash grab. Either the author has no other great ideas, or was pressured and gave in to the publisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatGamble Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I enjoyed watching the movies with my kid. We both love archery. It’s also incredible how much Katniss Everdeen grew the sport from a few movies. It caused the highest bow sales in decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternallDarkness Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 7 hours ago, number305 said: This is my experience as well. This prequel book is an obvious cash grab. Either the author has no other great ideas, or was pressured and gave in to the publisher. I don't know that I'd say that. She just may have had the idea for the backstory rolling around in her head for a while and things finally clicked into place and decided to tell it. Sometimes you have an idea that just isn't ready and then something happens and you get a clear vision of what your mind has been hinting at. I never got the impression that Susan was a moneygrubber. I don't recall her doing a ton of press when the books and then the movies blew up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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