The Hunger Games audiobook listeners surge ahead of new film

Listeners of The Hunger Games audiobooks have surged ahead of the release of the new film in the franchise.

The film series, based on the books by Suzanne Collins, is back with The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping, which is released on November 20.

During the week of October 21st, the first book in the series, The Hunger Games, had an increase in listenership of 1,427% on Spotify.

The second book, Catching Fire, saw an increase of 300% and the prequel novel, The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, had an increase of 280% compared to its average.

Mockingjay, the third Hunger Games novel, had a 272% increase in listeners, while the second prequel novel, Sunrise On The Reaping, increased 256%.

Dina Williams, books editor at Spotify, said: “With listens of the first Hunger Games audiobook up more than 1,400% in a single week, excitement is clearly surging ahead of the release of the Sunrise On The Reaping film.

“Fans aren’t just looking forward to the next chapter, they’re going back to where the story began.

“That’s what makes our new partnership with Scholastic so exciting. It brings beloved stories that have shaped generations of readers – like The Hunger Games – to even more listeners on Spotify.

“Through Audiobooks in Premium, fans and families can easily discover, revisit and enjoy these stories as part of their monthly listening hours, helping to inspire a lasting love of books and listening.”

As part of Spotify’s new agreement with Scholastic, series like The Hunger Games are available directly within Audiobooks in Premium.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping takes place 24 years before the events of the original film and follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, who is selected to compete in the hunger games.

Joseph Zada portrays Abernathy in the film, taking over the role from Woody Harrelson who played him in the original films.

The movie also stars Mckenna Grace, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close and Kieran Culkin.