Suzanne Collin will release a second Hunger Games prequel book series in March, with a movie adaptation in 2026, and there exist a myriad of possible similar projects to come after. Sunrise on the Reaping will follow a teenage Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games. The upcoming title follows the Coriolanus Snow prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which was released as a novel in 2020 and a Francis Lawrence-directed film in 2023. Fans of the Hunger Games books and movies want to see many more characters’ backstories highlighted both on the pages and on the big screen. Should Collins pen more prequels in the future, these five characters would be the best subjects to build a story around.
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Finnick Odair
Fan-favorite Hunger Games character Finnick Odair was portrayed on screen by Sam Claflin in 2013’s Catching Fire and Mockingjay parts 1 and 2. The native of District 4 survived the Third Quarter Quell and later joined District 13’s fight against the Capitol. A hypothetical prequel focused on Finnick could tell the story of his victory in the 65th Games, which he won when he was only 14. Moreover, the background of Finnick’s romance with Annie Cresta was only lightly touched on in the novels and movies, so there is plenty of material to further explore in a future project.
Johanna Mason
District 7’s Johanna Mason won the 71st Games and, like Finnick, became one of the victors selected to compete in Catching Fire‘s 75th Games. Jena Malone’s character was captured by the Capitol at the end of the second book. Emaciated and injured as a result of torture before being rescued, Johanna resided in District 13 during Mockingjay‘s storyline; unfortunately, most of the arc involving her time spent recovering and training with Katniss was cut from the movies, so a prequel centered around her first stint in the Hunger Games could somewhat remedy that shortcoming.
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President Coin
The presence of District 13 President Alma Coin serves as a fascinating counterpart to President Snow in the Mockingjay book and movies. Julianne Moore’s character emerged victorious over Snow and the Capitol’s forces; however, a fatal arrow from Katniss Everdeen ensured that her reign would not continue. It’s only fitting that a Coin-centric origin story would succeed a President Snow prequel at some point down the line. There is much to be uncovered about Coin’s rise to power in District 13.
Cinna
A beloved character by readers and movie-watchers alike, Cinna remains one of the franchise’s most inspiring figures, and his death one of the saddest. Portrayed by Lenny Kravitz onscreen, Cinna served as Katniss’ stylist ahead of the 74th and 75th Games. His expertise in showcasing the spirit of District 12 and the clever addition of his own rebellious flair made him an endearing force. Cinna’s creation of Katniss’ flaming attire earned her the nickname “girl on fire,” and his heartbreaking death in Catching Fire intensified her resentment of the Capitol. A prequel based on Cinna’s life before meeting Katniss would take the Hunger Games series in a different direction by shining a light on the behind-the-scenes and fashion aspects of the competition. It would also be fascinating to learn what exactly turned Cinna against the Capitol, given that he was born and raised there.
Lucy Gray Baird
One final fantastic, if unlikely, candidate for a future Hunger Games prequel is Lucy Gray Baird. The courageous fighter and talented musician, played by Rachel Zegler in the film, won the 10th annual Hunger Games, yet disappeared into the woods beyond District 12 soon after, never to be seen again. Although she featured extensively in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lucy Gray was not the novel’s POV character. Thus, a sequel to the aforementioned title —which would still serve as a prequel to the main Hunger Games Trilogy — makes perfect sense. Lucy Gray’s ending was intentionally left vague, but a successive project revealing what happened to her after fleeing District 12 would be interesting, considering the possibility that she reached District 13. Plus, Zegler was so outstanding in the role that it seems like a crime to never bring her back to the franchise in some capacity.
The Hunger Games movies are streaming on Hulu and air on TNT and TBS.
