“The Hunger Games” film franchise is far from over. With the original set 74 years after the events of the first games, there are plenty of stories to tell and character arcs to explore. Now Lionsgate is gearing up for their film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel, “The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes,” “The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes.” Set 64 years before the events of the first film, “The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes,” centers on an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who eventually becomes the tyrannical President Snow that we see in the “The Hunger Games” films and novels.
Now Lionsgate has released a new photo of 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) who is seen holding hands with his District 12 girl tribute mentee Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). As the two look to the sky, both
The film also stars Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Ashley Liao, Jason Schwartzman, and more.
Francis Lawrence, who directed the final three films of “The Hunger Games” quadriology, returns to direct the prequel.
While we know President Snow as a cruel and unforgiving leader of Panem, it will be interesting to see the character in a new light, especially one that is softer and more kindhearted. To see him be so vulnerable and be capable of loving someone is an unexpected twist for the character. But soon, we find out that his love and kindness are more of manipulation and a means to further his political ambitions. It all makes it as so he will live up to his titular slithering name.
Lionsgate has scheduled “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” for a November 17, 2023, release.
Here’s the official plot synopsis for “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:”
Return to The Hunger Games, the landmark film franchise that has earned over $3 billion globally, with Lionsgate’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ #1 New York Times Bestseller The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
