A movie based on "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" novel will take us back in time to the younger days of Coriolanus Snow.

Fans of the Hunger Games movies will be happy to hear they will get another chapter in the story of how the beloved Mockingjay came to be. Suzanne Collins penned a prequel to the series titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which will be released by Scholastic in the U.S., Canada, and other parts of the world on May 19, 2020.

The novel will take readers back in time 64 years to the younger days of Coriolanus Snow, well before he became the sadistic and ruthless leader of Panem, we will learn more about Snow, and what led to his reign. Read the synopsis from the official Amazon book listing below:

“It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out charm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph, or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute...and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.”

Though the novel has not yet hit shelves, Lionsgate announced on Tuesday, April 21, that a movie deal has been made. The film adaptation will be worked on by Collins and Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt, and Nina Jacobson will return as producer, as will director Francis Lawrence, who directed Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, and Mockingjay Part 2.

"Lionsgate has always been the cinematic home of The Hunger Games, and I'm delighted to be returning to them with this new book," said Collins in a press release. "From the beginning, they have treated the source material with great respect, honoring the thematic and narrative elements of the story, and assembling an incredible team both in front of and behind the camera. It's such a pleasure to be reuniting with Nina, Francis, and Michael to adapt the novel to the screen, and having them share their remarkable talents, once again, with the world of Panem. I look forward to collaborating with them and all at Lionsgate as we bring The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to theaters worldwide."

Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, gave this statement:

"Suzanne's new book has been worth the wait. It offers everything fans could hope for and expect from TheHunger Games while also breaking new ground and introducing an entirely new canvas of characters. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is creatively thrilling and takes this world to complex new dimensions that open up amazing cinematic possibilities. We're thrilled to reunite this filmmaking team with this very unique franchise, and we can't wait to begin production.”

We have always wondered how the Hunger Games events actually began and cannot wait to read the book and see the screen adaptation of the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to see if we get any long-awaited insight into that unanswered question. Though we will not see the fearless Katniss, we cannot wait to learn about that older tribute from District 12, and how she changed the life of Snow and the world of Panem. 

Are you stoked as we are at this Hunger Games prequel news? Sound off in the comments.