The Director of Mockingjay Has a Solid Idea for a Hunger Games Prequel

With the release of this weekend’s final Hunger Games film, the story of Katniss Everdeen is over. What isn’t over, though, is a demand for more of this franchise, both from fans and movie executives.

Producer Nina Jacobson told io9 recently that while she would be open to doing another movie in this franchise, it would have to come from the mind of author Suzanne Collins. “For me, Hunger Games is Katniss and we’ve told her story,” she said. “[But] any time Suzanne Collins wants to tell more stories from the world, sign me up.”

Francis Lawrence however, has an idea. He directed the last three films in the franchise and thinks there’s really only one way you could go with another movie: Backward.

“The interesting part of the story for me is to go back 75 years earlier and see how everything became the way it is,” Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly. “I’m sure if Suzanne [Collins] were to get inspired and decide there’s another story that’s important for her to tell that exists within the world of Panem and whether about the Dark Days, another character, or another set of Games, whatever that could be, I’m sure it would be great. And I’d loved to be involved, absolutely.”

The Hunger Games books and movies tell the story of the 74th and 75th annual Hunger Games, an event created to keep the citizen of Panem under the grasp of the evil Capitol. A story set at the beginning of that, explaining how the Games were created, is definitely an intriguing idea. Will it happen? Time will tell.

[Entertainment Weekly]

Contact the author at germain@io9.com.