The Hunger Games Next Adaptation Gets a Premiere Date (and It’s Going To Be Different)

A new adaptation of The Hunger Games is coming later this year, though it’s slightly different from what fans may be expecting. The last film in The Hunger Games franchise to land in theaters was 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a prequel to the original The Hunger Games trilogy featuring a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and District 12’s female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). But there’s plenty of content based on The Hunger Games in development, including a stage play that is setting its debut for this fall.

Lionsgate has set the release date for The Hunger Games: On Stage for October 20th. The location will be the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, a new 1,200 capacity in-the-round venue in London’s financial district. Five-time Tony nominee Conor McPherson (Girl From the North Country, The Seafarer) is helming the play that adapts the first The Hunger Games book and movie, with Matthew Dunster (2:22 – A Ghost Story, Hangmen, The Pillowman) directing.

The Hunger Games: On Stage is produced by Oliver Royds, Tristan Baker, and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Umeda Arts Theater, by arrangement with Lionsgate.

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“I’m thrilled that The Hunger Games is in the hands of gifted playwright Conor McPherson and accomplished director Matthew Dunster. Connor has done a fantastic adaptation, which is quite unique from the screenplay. And Matthew’s immersive, dynamic staging gives the audience a brand-new way to experience the story,” said Suzanne Collins, creator/author of The Hunger Games.

Dunster added, “Conor McPherson lifts the detail and power from the book and film and has provided us with the kind of taut and dangerous play he is renowned for. He honours the young voice of Katniss Everdeen and puts her front and centre. We’ve been workshopping the play for over a year with our world class creative team; carefully honing our theatrical vocabulary because we want to bring audiences something as impactful and edgy as Suzanne Collins’ novel and as passionate and exciting as the movie. But we are going to do it in our own way – in the theatre. We want our Hunger Games to be uniquely, thrillingly theatrical.” 

“As a dad to a teenager myself, it’s especially gratifying working on a story whose values of resilience and moral courage speak to young people in these uncertain times. Our singular focus is to honour Suzanne Collins’ achievement with a faithful adaptation that’s as thrilling on stage as it is on the page,” said McPherson. “It’s been a great pleasure to watch the theatrical language of this show evolving through explosive workshops under Matthew Dunster’s inspired partnership with choreographer Charlotte Broom and their tireless team of young performers.”

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“The Hunger Games is one of the best book to movie adaptations of all time, inspiring audiences to think deeply about the world around them and the strength of the human spirit. We are honored to bring its powerful story, characters and world to the stage in this latest exciting chapter,” said Jenefer Brown, EVP and Head of Global Products and Experiences at Lionsgate.

Tristan Baker and Oliver Royds, joint CEOs and founders of Troubadour Theatres said: “Bringing The Hunger Games to the stage is an extraordinary moment, and we knew it demanded an equally extraordinary team and venue. This specially designed theatre is the perfect home for Panem, allowing our world class team to create a transportive, electrifying experience that fully captures the scale, intensity, and spectacle of Suzanne Collins’ world. Every element—from the staging to the technology—has been tailored to transport audiences right into the heart of the Games like never before.”

The next Hunger Games movie is another prequel based on Collins’ upcoming novel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The book’s release date is March 18th, with the feature film coming on November 20, 2026.

If you want to buy tickets for The Hunger Games: On Stage, they go on sale Thursday, March 27th at 1 pm GMT at www.thehungergamesonstage.com. Let us know your thoughts on the stage play in the comments below!