After the box office success of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in 2023, it’s no surprise fans would want to continue this exciting renaissance for the popular YA series. It seems like fans are getting their wish, considering it was just announced that a new Hunger Games novel focused on Haymitch is currently in the works, and a movie will come subsequently. Fan casting for a teenage Haymitch has already begun, with many also having their own casting wish lists for other characters in the Hunger Games world. Even with all this excitement, one member of the Catching Fire cast thinks there should be a movie to focus on a different character in the canon.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jena Malone was asked about the up and coming Hunger Games prequel movie while she was promoting Horizon. The actress was supportive of the project, however was hoping for more of a different character focus for a prequel, specifically on her character, Johanna Mason. She told the outlet:
Come on, where’s Johanna Mason? I’m like, I’m just waiting.
Johanna Mason definitely an interesting enough character to get her own novel or movie. For context, Mason was one of the victors of The Hunger Games from District 7 who once again had to re-enter the games due to the rules of the third Quarter Quell. She has a fiery, ruthless personality, and was first framed as a villain. However, her priorities were in the right place as she became an essential force in fighting the Capital during the rebellion. I personally would love an origin story for the character, and Malone might be onto something with this pitch.
Despite being cast as Johanna over 10 years ago, the character clearly has a special place in Malone’s heart. She played the role brilliantly, and truly helped bring the character on the page to the big screen. The actress has since had quite the career following her stint in The Hunger Games. She’s had role’s in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon, and Rose Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding just this year. As incredible as she is in these projects, seeing her return to The Hunger Games world would be a big win for fans.
Even though this next film, which will be titled Sunset on the Reaping, will focus on Haymitch, a Johanna Mason prequel also can’t be ruled out. Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes showed that there is truly an appetite for more Hunger Games material, and an interest in the dystopian world it exists within. If the Haymitch story is able to generate just as much buzz as the previous spin-off, fans can likely expect more spin-offs, sequels, and prequels to come from it. Then, it may finally be Johanna Mason’s time to shine.
You can see Jenna Malone in three of the five existing Hunger Games films, which are all currently streaming on AMC+. If The Walking Dead wasn’t enough of a reason to subscribe to AMC+, The Hunger Games certainly should be. Sunset on the Reaping is still being developed, so fans will have to wait until 2026 before the prequel hits the big screen. In the meantime, make sure to check out our feature on upcoming 2024 movies for more information on other exciting projects heading to cinemas in the near future.