Net Worth Ranker
What Is Suzanne Collins’ Net Worth?
Suzanne Collins, an accomplished American television writer and novelist, has accumulated a net worth of $90 million. This financial success is largely attributed to her authorship of “The Hunger Games” trilogy, a series that has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Her contributions extend beyond this literary phenomenon to include “The Underland Chronicles” series and her earlier work as a television writer for Nickelodeon shows.
Early Life and Education
Born on August 10, 1962, in Hartford, Connecticut, Suzanne Collins is the daughter of Jane Brady Collins and Lieutenant Colonel Michael John Collins. As the youngest of four children, she experienced a childhood marked by frequent relocations due to her father’s service as a U.S. Air Force officer in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Her early exposure to themes of war and its effects would later influence her writing. In 1980, Collins graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, where she majored in Theater Arts. She continued her education at Indiana University Bloomington, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1985. She further honed her skills at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, obtaining a Master of Fine Arts in dramatic writing in 1989.
Early Career in Television
Collins began her professional career in 1991, focusing on children’s television. She worked as a writer on several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated “Clarissa Explains it All” and “The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo.” Her role as a head writer for Scholastic’s “Clifford’s Puppy Days” led to a Writers Guild of America nomination in animation for her co-writing of the Christmas special “Santa Baby.” Additionally, she contributed stories to the Emmy-nominated “Little Bear” and “Oswald.” More recently, she freelanced on “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” These experiences in children’s television provided a foundation for her later success in young adult literature.
Transition to Novel Writing: The Underland Chronicles
While working on the kid’s WB show “Generation O!,” Collins met children’s author and illustrator James Proimos, who encouraged her to try her hand at writing children’s books. This led to the creation of “Gregor the Overlander,” the first book in her fantasy/war series, “The Underland Chronicles.” Between 2003 and 2007, Collins wrote several books in this series: “Underland Chronicles,” “Gregor the Overlander,” “Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane,” “Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods,” “Gregor and the Marks of Secret,” and “Gregor and the Code of Claw.” During this period, she also authored a rhyming picture book titled “When Charlie McButton Lost Power,” which was illustrated by Mike Lester and released in 2005. This book has been sold into four foreign territories, marking early international interest in her work.
The Hunger Games: A Literary Phenomenon
In September 2008, Collins released “The Hunger Games,” the first book of a trilogy, through Scholastic Press. The inspiration for this series came partly from the Greek myth of Theseus and her father’s career in the Air Force, which gave her insights into poverty, starvation, and the devastating effects of war. The second book, “Catching Fire,” was released in September 2009, followed by “Mockingjay” in August 2010. Within 14 months, 1.5 million copies of the first two books were printed in North America alone. “The Hunger Games” remained on “The New York Times” Best Seller list for 60 consecutive weeks, demonstrating its widespread popularity and critical acclaim.
Film Adaptation and Box Office Success
Lions Gate Entertainment acquired the worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of “The Hunger Games” in March 2009. Collins herself adapted the novel for film, along with screenwriter Billy Ray and director Gary Ross, ensuring that the film remained faithful to the source material. The film, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, was released on March 12, 2012. It grossed $408 million in the United States and Canada and $286.4 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $694.4 million. The second and third books were also adapted into film, with the last book split into two films, resulting in a total of four movies. The success of the film adaptations significantly boosted Collins’ visibility and financial standing.
Recognition and Influence
As a result of the immense popularity of “The Hunger Games” books, Collins was named one of “Time” magazine’s most influential people of 2010. In March 2012, Amazon announced that she had become the best-selling Kindle author of all time, and revealed that she had written 29 of the 100 most highlighted passages in Kindle ebooks. This recognition underscores her impact on contemporary literature and digital reading habits.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
In June 2019, Collins announced that she had written a prequel to “The Hunger Games” called “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which was released on May 19, 2020. The book had a virtual launch due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The premise is based on the life of President Coriolanus Snow, 64 years before the events of “The Hunger Games” trilogy. By April 2020, Collins and Lionsgate Entertainment confirmed that plans were underway for a film adaptation of the book, further expanding the “Hunger Games” universe. While specific financial details of the film adaptation contracts are not publicly available, they undoubtedly contribute to her continued financial success.
Other Works and Personal Life
In September 2013, Collins released a critically acclaimed autobiographical picture book, “Year of the Jungle,” illustrated by James Proimos. The book deals with the year she was six, and her father was deployed to Vietnam. The book has been sold in 12 territories in 11 languages. Suzanne was married to Charles Pryor from 1992 to 2005. They have two children, Charlie and Isabel.
