Dystopian young adult series defined my childhood and early adolescence. Book series such as “Divergent,” “The Maze Runner,” “The Selection” and “Legend” lined my bookshelves and occupied my every thought. However, there was one series that trumped any others and made them look delinquent and simple in comparison: “The Hunger Games.”

“The Hunger Games” trilogy was released through 2008-2011, and four successful film adaptations premiered from 2012-2015. Suzanne Collins’s futuristic nation of Panem drew readers in, especially young people. 

As a young adolescent during Collins’s reign over the young adult genre, “The Hunger Games” was my obsession. I begged my parents to take me to the movie screenings on the opening night, I dressed up as the main heroine Katniss for my middle school Halloween dance and I spent countless hours researching the cast. I was not alone in this infatuation.

The books have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 54 languages. The release of the four movies has grossed over 2.9 billion dollars worldwide and has a cast full of big Hollywood names such as Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson and many others. 

This series took over the world for many years, but like everything, it had to come to an end. Though still a widely known franchise, “The Hunger Games” took the backseat as the frenzy wore down. That is, until Collins released a prequel to the trilogy titled, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” This book was released in 2020 and follows the antagonist of the main series’ upbringing and how he came to be. On June 5, 2022, a teaser trailer was released and it has since been announced that the film adaptation will be released Nov. 17, 2023. 

Once again, “The Hunger Games” has taken over the world. Fans' anticipation grew as they waited to hear the cast for this upcoming film. It was finally announced that actors and actresses Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer, Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler were selected as part of the main cast. Zegler and Blyth will play side by side as two of the prequel’s main characters, Lucy Gray Baird and the notorious Coriolanus Snow.

Schafer’s recent success and fame for her role in HBO’s “Euphoria” has made her a popular celebrity among many young people. Her casting as the young version of Tigris Snow, who was in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2,”has been a topic of discussion across many social media platforms. 

Aside from talk about Schafer’s role, many other trends and discussions about the series in general have taken over the internet once again. Across TikTok, there are videos of fans theorizing about plots, dressing up as characters and poking fun at their past selves for their extreme and relatable obsession over the series. It almost seems that we have been transported back to 2015. 

I have been delighted to see the revival of this series. A piece of my childhood has been restored, and I yet again feel like the giddy preteen who begged my mom to take me to see “Mockingjay - Part 2.” Seeing fans discuss the series and connect with each other once again solidifies “The Hunger Games’”  success that has spanned well over a decade. 

After such a success with the original franchise, one can expect that “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” will have the same feedback. This series has been reopened, and I couldn’t be happier. “The Hunger Games” has proven itself once again, and I can say that I look forward to waiting at the doors of the movie theater on opening night.