Hunger Games Prequel Movie Is In Development

The Hunger Games wasn't simply the movie franchise that made Jennifer Lawrence a star--it was a box office monster that made more than $2.9 billion worldwide. There have been rumors about a spin-off movie for several years, and it has now been confirmed that a prequel film is in development.

As reported by Variety, Lionsgate will produce a new movie based on an upcoming novel from Suzanne Collins, who wrote the book series that the movies were adapted from. Although neither the novel nor the movie have a release date yet, Collins has revealed that the story will be set 64 years before the events of the Hunger Games.

In a statement, the author said: "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 ten 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."

Rumors of a potential spin-off first appeared in 2015, and two years later, Lionsgate confirmed that it was keen to make more movies if Collins was involved. The film series kicked off in 2012 with The Hunger Games, which was followed by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay--Part 1 (2014), and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay--Part 2 (2015).