The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

(2023)

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Synopsis

A young Coriolanus Snow meets his match on his quest for power

64 years before the events of The Hunger Games, a young Coriolanus Snow is a top student at the Academy in Panem struggling to find his way after his family loses their wealth. When he is assigned to mentor a District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, he sees a potential for change while the hunger for power grows inside of him. 

Videos: Trailers, Teasers, Featurettes

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What to know

The Hunger Games prequel film is based on Suzanne Collins novel documenting the origins of the villainous President Snow

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is an American dystopian adventure film, and serves as a prequel to The Hunger Games (2012). The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the fifth film in the Hunger Games franchise, and is directed by Francis Lawrence, who directed every film in the franchise since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013). The film is an adaptation of the 2020 book written by Suzanne Collins, and the author also executive produces on the production. The prequel takes place 64 years before the first Hunger Games film and tells the story of a young Corolianus Snow and his rise to power to become the villainous President of Panem. 

The film stars Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, a charismatic District 12 tribute who catches Snow’s eye. Josh Andres Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth, a friend and mentor to Snow, and Hunter Schafer plays Tigris, Snow’s cousin. Acclaimed, multi-award-winning actor Viola Davis plays a new character to the Hunger Games called Volumnia Gaul, who is the Head Gamemaker.  Peter Dinklage portrays Casca Highbottom. Fionnula Flanagan portrays Coriolanus Snow’s grandmother, and Flora Li Thiemann plays tribute mentor Livia Carden. Isobel Jesper Jones plays Mayfair Lipp, a politician's daughter, and Honor Gillies plays Barb Azure. Jason Schwartzman plays Lucretius 'Lucky' Flickerman. The extended cast includes Burn Gorman, Eike Onyambu, Michael Greco, Konstantin Taffet, Scott Folan, Carl Spencer, and Daniela Grubert.

Production News

  • August 8, 2017
    • Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer says the company is interested in collaborating with series creator Suzanne Collins on future Hunger Games projects. (Source: Variety
  • June 17, 2019
    • Suzanne Collins writes a new Hunger Games prequel novel, and Lionsgate confirm they want to adapt the book into a film. (Source: Deadline
  • April 21, 2020
    • Director Francis Lawrence, who directed the previous three films in the franchise, is confirmed as the director for the Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. (Source: Collider
  • April 28, 2022
    • The film is given a release date of November 17, 2023 at CinemaCon 2022. (Source: Collider
  • May 31, 2022
    • Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler are confirmed to be cast as the two main characters, Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird. (Source: Deadline
  • June 6, 2022
    • The film’s first visual reveal is made with a short YouTube teaser showing a golden bird and a snake breaking out of the ice together. (Source: YouTube)
  • June 22, 2022
    • Hunter Schafer joins the cast, playing Tigris Snow, the cousin and confidante of the future President Snow. (Source: Deadline
  • June 27, 2022
    • Jason Schwartzman is cast as Lucretius 'Lucky' Flickerman. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter
  • July 18, 2022
    • Peter Dinklage joins the cast to portray Casca Highbottom. (Source: Entertainment Weekly
  • August 15, 2022
    • Viola Davis joins the cast, portraying Volumnia Gaul, the Head Gamemaker. (Source: Variety
  • August 16, 2022
    • A new still image is released, giving a glimpse at a softer side to the young President Snow. (Source: Collider
  • September 17, 2022
    • Eleven new faces are added to the cast list, including Fionnula Flanagan playing Snow's grandmother, Grandma'am, Isobel Jesper Jones as the mayor's daughter, Mayfair Lipp, and Flora Li Thiemann as tribute mentor Livia Carden. (Source: Collider
  • November 5, 2022
    • Rachel Zegler confirms that filming has wrapped in an on-set image posted on Twitter. (Source: Collider)
  • September 21, 2023
    • A trailer for the prequel film is released, teasing an epic storyline full of action, drama, and moral dilemma. (Source: Variety)
  • October 12, 2023
    • The MPA in the US gives Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes a PG-13 rating, hinting that the film will be in keeping with previous instalments in the series in terms of graphic violence. (Source: ScreenRant)
  • November 11, 2023
    • The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds premieres in cinemas in the UK.

Rating

IMDB 6.8 (115k)

Genres

Mystery & Thriller, War & Military, Action & Adventure, Drama, Science-Fiction

Runtime

2h 37min

Age rating

12

Production country

United States, Canada

Director

Francis Lawrence

Cast

Tom Blyth
Coriolanus Snow
Rachel Zegler
Lucy Gray Baird
Peter Dinklage
Dean Casca Highbottom
Jason Schwartzman
Lucretius 'Lucky' Flickerman
Hunter Schafer
Tigris Snow
Josh Andrés Rivera
Sejanus Plinth
Viola Davis
Dr. Volumnia Gaul
Dexter Sol Ansell
Young Coriolanus
Clemens Schick
Respectable Man
Fionnula Flanagan
Grandma’am
Ashley Liao
Clemensia Dovecote
Athena Strates
Persephone Price
Amélie Hoeferle
Vipsania Sickle
Kaitlyn Akinpelumi
Domita Whimsiwick
Florian Burgkart
Hilarius Heavensbee
Ayomide Adegun
Pliny Harrington
Max Raphael
Festus Creed
Mekyas Mulugeta
Urban Canville
Emma Frieda Brüggler
Diana Ring
Yalany Marschner
Dennis Fling
Flora Thiemann
Livia Cardew
Zoë Renee
Lysistrata Vickers
Seyna Sylla
Io Jasper
Lilly Cooper
Arachne Crane
Aamer Husain
Felix Ravinstill
Daniela Grubert
Mrs. Plinth
Michael Greco
Strabo Plinth
Levi Strasser
Florus Friend
Chieloka Jairus
Androcles Anderson
Tim Torok
Facet
Jerome Lance
Marcus
Mackenzie Lansing
Coral
Cooper Dillon
Mizzen
Hiroki Berrecloth
Treech
Irene Böhm
Lamina
Knox Gibson
Bobbin
Sofia Sanchez
Wovey
Luna Kuse
Brandy
Kjell Brutscheidt
Tanner
Dimitri Abold
Reaper
Luna Steeples
Dill
Nick Benson
Jessup
Marc Aden Gray
Mayor Lipp
Isobel Jesper Jones
Mayfair Lipp
Dakota Shapiro
Billy Taupe
Vaughan Reilly
Maude Ivory
Honor Gillies
Barb Azure
Eike Onyambu
Tam Amber
Scott Folan
Beanpole
Burn Gorman
Commander Hoff
Raphael Zari
Arlo Chance
Carl Spencer
Smiley
Konstantin Taffet
Clerk Carmine
George Somner
Spruce
Steven McMichael
District 12 Peacekeeper
Donald Sutherland
Coriolanus Snow (voice) (uncredited)