Billy Ray Returns to The Hunger Games
Exciting news for fans of The Hunger Games franchise: Billy Ray, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter responsible for the original film’s success in 2012, is back. He has been chosen to adapt Suzanne Collins’ latest bestseller, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, into the screenplay for the upcoming movie.
Major Announcements from Lionsgate
This announcement was made during a captivating presentation at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas as part of Lionsgate’s showcase at CinemaCon. Fans can mark their calendars because the film is slated to hit theaters worldwide on November 20, 2026. During the event, Lionsgate also revealed the animated logo for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
A Glimpse into the Storyline
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping takes viewers back to the dystopian world of Panem, specifically 24 years before the events of the original series. The narrative kicks off on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, which is infamously known as the Second Quarter Quell. This installment features a storyline involving Haymitch Abernathy, a character brought to life by Woody Harrelson in earlier films.
This film is the product of a dedicated production team, including Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson from Color Force, with Cameron MacConomy serving as the executive producer. Lionsgate’s Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien are overseeing the project, with Phil Strina facilitating negotiations on behalf of the studio.
Impressive Novel Sales
Notably, Ray’s involvement isn’t the only exciting development for Sunrise on the Reaping. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scholastic announced that Collins’ new novel has achieved remarkable sales, exceeding 1.5 million copies in English across print, e-books, and audiobooks during its first week of release in key markets including the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. These sales figures have outperformed those of previous installments in the series.
Scholastic confirmed that over 1.2 million copies were sold in the U.S. within just one week, showcasing that Sunrise on the Reaping has doubled the first-week sales of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2020 and tripled those of Mockingjay in 2010.
Billy Ray’s Acclaimed Career
While it remains uncertain how far along Ray is in the screenplay process, it’s worth noting his collaboration history with Collins and Gary Ross on the original The Hunger Games film, which amassed nearly $700 million globally. Ray has previously received an Oscar nomination for his work on Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks and boasts an impressive portfolio that includes titles like Shattered Glass, Flightplan, The Last Tycoon, Terminator: Dark Fate, Richard Jewell, and The Comey Rule.
Ray is also engaged in new projects, including Animals, currently in production with director Ben Affleck, and he has a debut novel titled Burn the Water set for release from Scholastic Books on March 3, 2026. He is represented by CAA and the law firm of Lichter Grossman.
CinemaCon and Industry Insights
CinemaCon is an annual event that unites cinema owners and Hollywood studios, now hosted under the rebranded name Cinema United, previously known as the National Association of Theatre Owners. This year’s convention is taking place from March 31 to April 3.