Author Suzanne Collins has announced the title of her new ‘Hunger Games’ prequel, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. The new book is set 65 years before the first, which was published in 2008. Collins also announced that ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ will be released on May 19, 2020.
Describing the new novel, Scholastic President Ellie Berger said it “raises important questions about authority, the use of violence, and the truth of human nature.”
As Collins previously stated:
Scholastic
“With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. 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.”
On the cover, the Mockingjay is facing a different direction than on the previous covers. Brand VP, David Levithan, said the “new angle is very much in line with the story that Suzanne Collins is telling.”
‘The Hunger Games’ (2008), ‘Catching Fire’ (2009), and ‘Mockingjay’ (2010) have sold over 65 million copies in the US alone.
Of course, the brand gained even greater prominence with the release of the films, from Lionsgate. Gary Ross directed ‘The Hunger Games’, while Francis Lawrence directed ‘Catching Fire’, and ‘Mockingjay Part 1’ and ‘Mockingjay Part 2’. Jennifer Lawrence headed up the cast, which also included Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, and Stanley Tucci. The films grossed over $2.97 billion worldwide.
So as you can imagine, Lionsgate already has plans to adapt ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. Back in June, studio Chairman Joe Drake stated:
“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.”
Jax's earliest memory is of watching 'Batman,' followed shortly by a memory of playing Batman & Robin with a friend, which entailed running outside in just their underwear and towels as capes. When adults told them they couldn't run around outside in their underwear, both boys promptly whipped theirs off and ran around in just capes.
