HUNGER GAMES Prequel Movie in Development at Lionsgate

A "Hunger Games" prequel film is in development at Lionsgate, according to Variety. The film will be based on the newly announced forthcoming novel from writer Suzanne Collins.

Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said Monday in a statement, "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."

The untitled novel will be released by Scholastic and set 64 years before the start of the original "Hunger Games" novels.

Collins said in a statement, "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."

"The Hunger Games" trilogy, which also included "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay," was published by Scholastic. The book series was developed into four films starring Jennifer Lawrence. The Hunger Games is set in Panem, a North American country with 12 districts. The children from the districts are selected via lottery to participate in a last person standing fight to the death called the Hunger Games.

Read the original article on Variety.