NEW YORK 鈥� The next 鈥淗unger Games鈥� book is coming out next month, and a movie version is now being planned.
Lionsgate is working on an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' 鈥淭he Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,鈥� a prequel to her three 鈥淗unger Games鈥� novels that will be released May 19. Collins' Dystopian series, which includes 鈥淭he Hunger Games,鈥� 鈥淐atching Fire鈥� and 鈥淢ockingjay," has sold tens of millions copies worldwide and is the basis for four Lionsgate movies that earned nearly $3 billion and starred Jennifer Lawrence as the heroine Katniss Everdeen.
For the new movie, Collins will serve as executive producer and write the film's treatment. The screenplay will be by Michael Arndt, an Oscar winner for 鈥淟ittle Miss Sunshine,鈥� a nominee for 鈥淭oy Story 3鈥� and one of the writers for the adaptation of 鈥淐atching Fire.鈥� Francis Lawrence returns as director after making the three previous 鈥淗unger Games鈥� movies. Nina Jacobson will again produce, along with Brad Simpson.
A movie deal has long seemed inevitable. When Collins' book was announced last year, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Joe Drake told the AP that the company had 鈥渂een communicating with her during the writing process.鈥�
But with movie productions halted by the coronavirus pandemic, no release date has been set and casting has not begun. The film will take place in Collins' fictional Panem, and
鈥淟ionsgate has always been the cinematic home of 鈥楾he Hunger Games,鈥� and I鈥檓 delighted to be returning to them with this new book,鈥� Collins said in a statement Tuesday. 鈥淔rom the beginning, they have treated the source material with great respect,
Drake said in a statement that Collins' new novel is 鈥渃reatively thrilling and takes this world to complex new dimensions that open up amazing cinematic possibilities.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to reunite this filmmaking team with this very unique franchise, and we can鈥檛 wait to begin production,鈥� Drake said.
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
