Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth and Hunter Schafer star in the upcoming ‘Hunger Games’ prequel.
The Big Picture
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel that explores the life of Coriolanus Snow before he became the villainous dictator.
- The story will focus on Snow’s friendship with Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12, and how it shapes him into the ruthless antagonist viewers are familiar with.
- The prequel will showcase a different time period in Panem’s history, with a unique visual design and context that contrasts with the conditions leading to Katniss’ revolution.
It’s almost time to head back to Panem, and Fandango has shared new character posters for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The main cast of the upcoming prequel is front and center in the new images, preparing audiences for their introduction on the big screen later this year. Decades before Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) changed the world when she decided to confront the evil government that ruled over her society, this story will bring a very different approach to the cruel tradition where young people lose their lives in a violent competition.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will follow the earlier years of Coriolanus Snow’s (Tom Blyth) life, years before he became the dangerous dictator played by Donald Sutherland. As a young man, snow will develop a friendship with Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from District 12 who comes from a traveling music group. Their bond will be part of the experiences that will shape the protagonist into the ruthless person viewers met during the original film series, bringing a new perspective to the main antagonist Katniss had to deal with when it was time for her to step up.
Since the time period is different from what has come before, Panem will won’t look a lot like audiences remember, with the wardrobe, scenery and overall design having a voice of its own. While there had always been people who were against the celebration of the Hunger Games, the context was different by the time Snow was a young man. The comparison between his time and the conditions that led to Katniss’ revolution will be an interesting contrast to keep in mind when the prequel premieres on the big screen later this year. Nothing will be the same for the tributes from all Districts.
The Magic of the Supporting Cast
Zegler and Blyth won’t be the only major players involved in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel, with the supporting cast of President Snow’s origin sharing the spotlight with their co-stars. Hunter Schafer will portray Tigris Snow, Coriolanus’ older cousin who also functions as the person the protagonist trusts the most. Tigris eventually grows to be an ally to Katniss by the time the other movies in the franchise take place. On the other hand, Peter Dinklage was given the role of Casca Highbottom, the intellectual author of the Hunger Games competition itself.
You can check out the new character posters from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes below, before the movie premieres in theaters on November 17:
