Suzanne Collins is writing a prequel to her best-selling Hunger Games trilogy with a potential movie adaptation also on the way.

The currently untitled book will be released in May 2020 and will be set in the world of Panem 64 years before the events of the dystopian franchise. It will focus on the time after the so-called “Dark Days,”, a failed rebellion.

“With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival,” Collins said in a statement. “The reconstruction period 10 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 books, which focus on a world where teenagers must fight to the death as a form of entertainment, were adapted into a globally successful big-screen franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. The four films have made almost $3bn at the box office and Lionsgate has expressed interest in extending the franchise as well.

“As the proud home of the Hunger Games movies, we can hardly wait for Suzanne’s next book to be published,” said Joe Drake, Lionsgate chairman. “We’ve been communicating with her during the writing process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the movie.”

In 2017, a Hunger Games theme park opened in Dubai, with attractions including a Capitol bullet train rollercoaster, the hall of heroes, and the Panem aerial tour multimedia experience. This summer, a Lionsgate theme park is set to open in China that will feature a 3D motion simulator attraction pegged to the final film.

The original books were all New York Times bestsellers upon release, selling more than 65m copies in the US alone and translated into 51 languages for 56 territories. Since then, Collins has released an autobiographical picture book called Year of the Jungle.